Global oceans and other bodies of water are being destroyed by the impacts of climate change, causing many negative trends to occur throughout the world.
Ocean temperatures are important because for certain species, they determine how “breathable” certain parts of the ocean are, according to Oceanographic Magazine. It is presumed that these animals may not thrive as well in rising temperatures.
“Temperature alone does not explain where in the ocean an animal can live. You must consider oxygen,” Curtis Deutsch, associate professor of oceanography at the University of Washington, said in an interview with Oceanographic Magazine.
A substantial part of the Pacific Ocean quickly warmed six years ago, causing temperatures to increase more than 5 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, according to a study published in Science Magazine. This heat wave, otherwise known as “The Blob,” disrupted and damaged marine life.
This heat wave plagued the Pacific for two years and was recently discovered by scientists to be caused due to climate change. According to the study, the issue is causing marine heat waves to occur more.
Florida climatologist David Zierden has expressed concerns about high-low temperature changes that have been seen since January 1 within the state, according to The Daytona Beach News Journal.
Average temperatures have been running about two degrees warmer than they were five years ago, which is when the trend became noticeable, according to The Daytona Beach News Journal.
In contrast, the state has recently experienced three record-breaking low temperature days in August.
“It is the overnight temperatures that are affecting us more than the high temperatures. Over the last five years, there have been at least as many as record warm nights as there have been record warm days,” said Zierdan in an interview with The Daytona Beach News Journal.
Heatwaves in ocean water can be detrimental in an indirect way, according to the study in Science Magazine. Food sources for mammals such as sea lions may die off or migrate. These patterns can also contribute to the blooming of toxic algae, which kills fish.
These weather patterns have affected humans as well as seen on the West Coast. Droughts in California have worsened due to their influence. According to the published study, the lobster harvest in the Gulf of Maine was affected by a 2012 heatwave in the Atlantic.
Issues with Canada and the United States arose because of it.
Researchers have found that human-caused global warming has resulted in events such as these to be 20 times more likely, according to a study published in Science Magazine.
