Pathways2Resilience’s Post

https://lnkd.in/gq2qEJdJ "Scientists have found new evidence that desertification, potentially linked to global warming, leads to large amounts of nutrient-rich dust landing in the sea, causing ocean algae to grow rapidly. Biological oceanographer John A. Gittings and an international group of researchers have found an example of this phenomenon in the Indian Ocean south-east of Madagascar. They analysed satellite images that showed how the colour of the sea in that area had changed over the years. Phytoplankton (microscopic algae found in the oceans) affect the colour of the water when they grow rapidly in response to higher levels of nutrients – including iron that’s found in dust. The researchers found that drought in southern Africa’s drylands had caused the strongest phytoplankton bloom in about 27 years, south-east of Madagascar." A drought leading to scarcity of food in one area being the cause of abundance of food in another area...... Human beings are still unraveling the intricacies of nature!!!!

A recent study published in the Springer Nature Journal reveals that the central Himalayas have experienced a significant decrease in thick snow cover, losing over 30% in the past three decades. The study highlights that while thick snow cover has diminished, thin snow cover has increased, posing a threat to local communities and essential ecological functions. The research underscores the urgent need for climate adaptation strategies to mitigate these impacts. https://lnkd.in/gZRznBJP

Plankton may not survive ocean warming and acidification. Several ocean and sea areas already suffer from extinction of certain plankton species either due to too high water temperatures or too low pH. Plankton produces more than 50% of the oxygen we breathe, thus all animal life on Earth is at risk, potentially already within next decades. Solution: - reduce consumption, buy less - restore and rewild nature, both on land and in the oceans Ocean iron fertilization simulates natural dust flying into the ocean, eg from deserts or iron containing ash from volcano eruptions. Ocean iron fertilization catalyses phytoplankton growth, enabling strentghening the ocean food chain and oxygen production. We need to research large scale deployments as soon as possible, in carefully chosen locations, with multidisciplinary research to demonstrate positive and possible adverse effects. Required research includes carbon sequestration and permanence, aerosol formation, biodiversity and food chain impacts, ocean physics and dynamics, such as temperature and pH. Besides enabling phytoplankton growth, OIF supports steady cloud formation, cooling the oceans through increased albedo, shadow and rain, preventing flash floods and droughts, and reducing the amount of carbon dioxide ending up as carbonic acid in the water. Oceanry was founded to increase awareness, promore research and develop regulations and stabdardization relating to OIF. https://lnkd.in/dxdDPkmN

Temperature-related movement and habitat utilization patterns of DALL's porpoises, small cetaceans seasonally migrating into the subarctic Pacific - Frontiers in Marine Science: Under global warming, impacts on animals’ spatial distribution in response to ocean warming have been anticipated for marine endotherms like cetaceans. Therefore, determining the distribution patterns of small cetaceans is key to understanding how their distributional patterns are susceptible to changing oceanic environments. To investigate the effect of environmental variations on distributional patterns of small cetaceans on a fine scale, we attached eight satellite tags to DALL's porpoises bycaught in Eastern Hokkaido. After release, the tagged porpoises moved into the western North Pacific and its marginal sea, the Sea of Okhotsk. Our tagging results showed that the habitat ranges of DALL's porpoises were restricted by water temperature. To avoid warm water, tagged porpoises changed their directions when they faced surface thermocline of 17°C. DALL's porpoise tracked for the longest periods (116 days) showed southwestward movement after entering the Sea of Japan through the Soya Strait, while the other seven tagged porpoises stayed in the Sea of Okhotsk and off the Pacific coast around Hokkaido and Chishima islands for the entire tracking periods. Vertical movements were also recorded by these tags. Long-term tracking of DALL's porpoises' movement provides important insights into seasonal migration patterns, particularly for fall southward migration, which has not been well investigated compared with spring northward migration. Information on seasonal migration, distribution and percentage of time spent at the surface will improve our approach to monitoring DALL's porpoise populations and discover important knowledge for improving the conservation and management of the population.

Long-term trends and extreme events of marine heatwaves in the Eastern China Marginal Seas during summer - @Frontiers in Marine Science: Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are a type of widespread, persistent, and extreme marine warming event that can cause serious harm to the global marine ecology and economy. This study provides a systematic analysis of the long-term trends of MHWs in the Eastern China Marginal Seas (ECMS) during summer spanning from 1982 to 2022, and occurrence mechanisms of extreme MHW events. The findings show that in the context of global warming, the frequency of summer MHWs in the ECMS has increased across most regions, with a higher rate along the coast of China. Areas exhibiting a rapid surge in duration predominantly reside in the southern Yellow Sea (SYS) and southern East China Sea (ECS, south of 28°N). In contrast, the long-term trends of mean and maximum intensities exhibit both increases and decreases: Rising trends primarily occur in the Bohai Sea (BS) and Yellow Sea (YS), whereas descending trends are detected in the northern ECS (north of 28°N). Influenced jointly by duration and mean intensity, cumulative intensity (CumInt) exhibits a notable positive growth off the Yangtze River Estuary, in the SYS and southern ECS. By employing the empirical orthogonal function, the spatio-temporal features of the first two modes of CumInt and their correlation with summer mean sea surface temperature (SST) and SST variance are further examined. The first mode of CumInt displays a positive anomalous pattern throughout the ECMS, with notable upward trend in the corresponding time series, and the rising trend is primarily influenced by summer mean SST warming. Moreover, both of the first two modes show notable interannual variability. Extreme MHW events in the SYS in 2016 and 2018 are examined using the mixed layer temperature equation. The results suggest that these extreme MHW events originate primarily from anomalous atmospheric forcing and oceanic vertical mixing. These processes involve an anomalous high-pressure system over the SYS splitting from the western Pacific subtropical high, augmented atmospheric stability, diminished wind speeds, intensified solar radiation, and reduced oceanic mixing, thereby leading to the accumulation of more heat near the sea surface and forming extreme MHW events. https://lnkd.in/eFgtG5ya

Decades of destructive land use and irrational use of water resources combined with the anthropogenic climate crisis have disrupted the global water cycle for the first time in human history. Researchers warn that the consequences will be even more catastrophic if urgent measures are not taken. More information in the news👇🏻 #ecopolitic #ecology #environment #temperatures #climatechange #climate #globalwarming #warming #ecosystems #nature #climatecrisis #CO2 #emissions #weather #water #sea #ocean #river

The Great Barrier Reef and surrounding waters have reached hotter temperatures over the past decade than they have in at least 400 years because of climate change, according to new research published in the journal Nature..#medical #PeoplePower #technology #Tiktok #healthcareprofessionals #gamin #PeoplePowerOurPower

Source: (Nature) Planktonic foraminifera (PF) are struggling to adapt to rapid ocean changes due to rising CO2, leading to warming and acidification. A century of data shows PF are migrating poleward and diversifying at higher latitudes, but overall abundance has decreased by 24.2% in 80 years. Low-latitude species face unfavorable conditions by 2050 and 2100, risking replacement by higher-latitude species and reduced diversity. Migration alone won't ensure their survival amid climate change and ocean stressors.

The world's oceans are experiencing unprecedented stress from extreme heat due to human activities like burning fossil fuels and deforestation.  This heat has been literally off the charts, intensifying at a rate that is alarming scientists. As the world’s oceans soak up excess carbon dioxide and heat, oxygen levels are depleting.  This pushes fish and other species out of their normal habitats. The carbon absorbed by the oceans leads to increased acidity.  This can dissolve the shells of marine organisms and disrupt marine ecosystems. The study found that these extreme conditions in the upper 300 metres of affected ocean areas now last three times longer and are six times more intense compared to the 1960s.  As much as 20% of the world’s oceans are affected by these threats.  These events particularly impact the tropics and the north Pacific.   The primary driver of ocean warming, acidification, and oxygen loss is the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide due to human activities.  Reducing carbon dioxide emissions is crucial.  This can be achieved by transitioning to renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, and implementing carbon capture and storage technologies. The Ocean Climate Action Plan (OCAP) released by the Biden-Harris Administration in March 2023, highlights marine carbon dioxide removal as a key strategy.  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Ocean Acidification Program announced a US$24 million investment in Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR) research. Nutrient pollution from agriculture and other sources can exacerbate oxygen loss in the oceans.  Implementing sustainable agricultural practices and improving wastewater treatment can help reduce nutrient runoff. Blue carbon ecosystems like mangroves and seagrass beds absorb and store large amounts of carbon dioxide.  Protecting and restoring these ecosystems can help mitigate ocean acidification. Preparing society to adapt to the consequences of ocean acidification and conserving marine ecosystems as acidification occurs is also important. Terence Nunis Terence K. J. Nunis, Consultant President, Red Sycamore Global

Seasonal dynamics of global marine heatwaves over the last four decades - Frontiers in Marine Science: Marine heatwaves (MHWs), prolonged periods of abnormally high sea temperature, have greater devastating impacts on marine ecosystem services and socioeconomic systems than gradual long-term ocean warming. Despite growing evidence of increases in MHW frequency, duration, and intensity, their interseasonal variations remain unclear. Using satellite-derived daily sea surface temperature (SST) data from 1982 to 2022, this work reveals a strong seasonality in MHWs. Typically, the highest cumulative intensity, characterizing total impacts on ecosystems, occurs during the local warm seasons in most oceans, leading to a significant interseasonal difference between warm and cold seasons. The interseasonal difference is predominantly driven by air-sea heat flux, rather than oceanic horizontal advection and vertical process. An increase in these interseasonal differences is observed in mid and high latitudes, with a significant increase in the warm season and a weaker trend in the cold season. In the Equatorial Pacific and Western Equatorial Indian Ocean, intense MHWs are primarily exacerbated by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which also determines interseasonal variations in MHWs. Understanding the seasonality of MHWs can help better formulate corresponding policies to reduce economic and ecological losses caused by these events and can improve the accuracy of future predictions.