The Oceans are 21% darker.
The Plymouth Marine Lab breaks the story but give no explanation and calls for more monitoring and research. Not acceptable…….
I am fed up with government laboratories and academic institutes reporting on major issues but ending with we need more money to continue monitoring and research when the reasons for the problem are usually clearly obvious. We need solutions and action, not more cataloguing of the destruction of ecosystems.
Anything that impacts the oceans has a profound impact on the planetary life support system and weather. We have known for many years that the oceans are changing colour due to a regime shift in phytoplankton populations. They are no longer blue but turning green.
https://lnkd.in/efibATbG.
The green colour absorbs more of the red and blue ends of the spectrum, whereas blue absorbs the green and red ends. Blue light penetrates deeper in the ocean, so as the oceans turn green, light penetration declines.
But why have the oceans changed colour? Coastal eutrophication from nutrient land runoff is one explanation, but for oceanic water the explanation is more sinister. Ocean acidification and a change from carbonate and silica-based phytoplankton to cellulose dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria. The second parallel explanation is that pollution from microplastics, lipophilic toxic chemicals, and partially combusted carbon is driving the regime shift. This is all linked to the SML ocean surface microlayer. The explanation is given in our report.
https://lnkd.in/ev6_2cXN
The oceans are the life support system for the planet; they drive the climate, provide our oxygen, and are ultimately responsible for most of our food, but we use them as dumping grounds and show zero respect. This must change now…..
Sure, we need more monitoring and research, but we have to start doing something… Raise awareness of the issue, eliminate pollution in all its forms, and regenerate nature—thats what we are about at www.seahorsepoint.org