Maintaining the integrity of ocean ecosystems and managing their use in the face of rapid and inevitable global change is one of the greatest challenges of this century. Changes in temperature, sea level, and ocean chemistry will have enormous implications for marine biodiversity and ecosystem function, and for human exploitation of marine resources, human migration, and national security.
Marine ecosystems are continually subject to oscillations in climatic conditions, but the rates of change over the next several centuries are likely to exceed any since the last deglaciation 8000-10,000 years ago. Human-produced CO2 has resulted in a total anthropogenic increase in air temperature. Greenhouse effects are partly offset by pollutant aerosols in the atmosphere, so it is likely that as efforts are made to reduce atmospheric pollution, global warming will be magnified. Climate models predict that increased average global temperature will strengthen the hydrologic cycle resulting in more intense droughts and rainfall and stronger tropical storms. Modern hot temperature extremes are also expected to become commonplace by the year 2050. Learn more .. current research
Ocean Acidification
Anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions are resulting in increased
concentrations of CO2 in the world’s oceans leading to reductions in
pH and carbonate saturation state with subsequent impacts to calcifying marine
organisms. This so called "ocean
acidification" is expected to alter the growth and calcification rates of
numerous marine organisms-most notably those that have shells or skeletons. The
more acidic conditions associated with the current and changing ocean chemistry
are expected to alter the carbonate saturation states in seawater thereby
making it more difficult for organisms to build carbonate structures or to
secrete skeletons and shells. If CO2 emissions continue at present
rates, OA could have profound impacts on marine ecosystems globally.
The field of
ocean acidification necessarily requires a multidisciplinary approach to gain a
better understanding of the interactions between atmospheric and ocean
chemistry, physics, biogeochemistry and the interactions of these processes
with marine organisms. At Scripps Institution of Oceanography numerous
researchers across several disciplines are working to
better understand patterns of OA and impacts on relevant marine organisms. Learn More.. current research
Sea Level Rise
Sea level rise is expected to have major impacts on human societies in
the coming centuries. Marine and terrestrial ecosystems are likely to
be strongly affected by flooding of coastal wetlands, flooding of
atolls and low-lying islands, and changes in exposure of coastal areas
to storm surge and saltwater intrusion. While there is significant uncertainty about the rapidity of future sea level rise, even moderate increases may affect distribution of intertidal habitat, sand supply to beaches, persistence of coastal wetlands, coastal flooding and rates of coastal erosion. Learn More.. current research
