Oregon State University researchers have found out climate change is altering familiar situations of oceans and creating a new environment which will dismiss all the efforts to protect sea life.
They have also said that this situation will affect cultural and economic conditions of those people who are dependent on the ocean for their livelihood.
Researchers pointed out some of these changes-
- By the year of 2060, 60% to 87% of the ocean will experience biological and chemical changes like increasing water temperature, increasing levels of acidity and changes in oxygen levels.
- In large marine protected areas like Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is going to experience these changes in a higher rate of 76% to 97%.
- By the year of 2030, oceans will experience the increasing level of acid in seawater which will reduce carbonate in the water. This carbonate is necessary for marine organisms to live.
The researchers have used the record of last 50 years of ocean conditions in their research. The researchers have used several climate models to define how six different variable that is important for any ocean will change as our planet gets warmer.
They have measured that the tropics and the Arctic is going to experience most changes. The warm places are getting warmer and the cold areas are not as cold as they were before.
In the marine protected areas, which are specially designed to preserve threatened species and rare habitats of the ocean will go through vital changes and the animals of these areas will seek another shelter which will be more favourable for them to live.
The researchers have presented their findings to policymakers and managers of protected habitats about how the climate changes will affect these areas and the species that live there.
The scientists are hopeful that their data will help the world to understand what steps is needed to be taken in order to preserve what we can lose in coming decades.
