Ocean heating has doubled in the past 18 years

This news is absolutely terrifying. I've been scuba diving for years now, and have seen first-hand the effects oceanic temperature increases can have on reefs and ocean life. I have been aware of rising water temperatures for a while now, but I wasn't cognizant just how extreme it has become, and in such a short time, nonetheless.

Coral bleaching is a clear sign of overly-hot water temperatures (among other stress-related factors, such as nutrients and light).



The Bleaching effect is caused when the coral expels the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, leaving them totally vulnerable to disease.



If this Coral Bleaching is sustained and prolonged, eventually the coral dies. Below is a photograph of a dead reef.



And what a healthy reef looks like:





To put in perspective on just how much coral can be lost in a short period of time, In 2005, the U.S. lost half of its coral reefs in the Caribbean in one year due to a massive bleaching event. The devastation can me absolutely massive, and can cause a chain reaction with the species of fishes and other marine life that inhabit these reefs.

The ocean is taking heat. That’s the conclusion of a new study that finds that Earth’s oceans now absorb heat at twice the rate they did 18 years ago. Around half of ocean heat uptake since 1865 has taken place since 1997, researchers also report online January 18 in Nature Climate Change.

Warming waters are known to contribute to coral bleaching (SN Online: 10/8/15) and they take up more space than cooler waters, raising sea levels. While the top of the ocean is well studied, its depths are trickier to query. The researchers gathered 150 years of ocean temperature data in order to get a better picture of heat uptake from surface to seabed. They compiled temperature readings collected by everything from a 19th century sailing expedition of the HMS Challenger to modern automated ocean probes. The far-flung data sources, combined with computer simulations, created a timeline of ocean temperature changes, including cooling from volcanic eruptions and warming from fossil fuel emissions.

About 35 percent of the heat taken in by the oceans during the industrial era now resides at a depth of more than 700 meters, the researchers found. They say they’re unsure whether the deep-sea warming offset warming at the sea’s surface.

Source



It's very evident that within this current generations lifetime we are going to see changes to the planet and face obstacles that we've never seen before.

the Pacific ocean is in dire straights.
animal life has been dying off in great numbers the last few years.

a reply to: Ghost147

It is very sad to watch the progression of the planet dying in front of our eyes.
I, myself have gone into an extended depression that I cannot shake off.
I am a naturalist and have been since my childhood in the depths of raw nature in England.
My world was made up of animals, birds, insects, fish, plants and trees.
Our land was abundant with those, 60 years ago.
Where are they, these days?....Gone!
Phuck the humans!

originally posted by: Starling
a reply to: Ghost147

It is very sad to watch the progression of the planet dying in front of our eyes.

What frustrates me to no end is that so many people deny what's going on, regardless of how much information is right there.

The only way they would ever accept that it is occurring is when it's already gone.

it has been my experience that many people seem to live in "mr rogers neighborhood"
where nothing EVER happens.
they will be here soon to tell you nothing is wrong.

originally posted by: autopat51
it has been my experience that many people seem to live in "mr rogers neighborhood"
where nothing EVER happens.
they will be here soon to tell you nothing is wrong.

I am here to tell you the obvious!

Life was meant and made to adapt!

It will, or it will die!


Stop crying Nancy, this is how nature works!

originally posted by: forkedtongue

originally posted by: autopat51
it has been my experience that many people seem to live in "mr rogers neighborhood"
where nothing EVER happens.
they will be here soon to tell you nothing is wrong.

I am here to tell you the obvious!

Life was meant and made to adapt!

It will, or it will die!

True

originally posted by: forkedtongue
Stop crying Nancy, this is how nature works!

Except that there is a clear involvement due to human activity that is increasing this rate at which oceanic temperatures rise.

a reply to: forkedtongue

thats funny!

originally posted by: Ghost147

originally posted by: forkedtongue

originally posted by: autopat51
it has been my experience that many people seem to live in "mr rogers neighborhood"
where nothing EVER happens.
they will be here soon to tell you nothing is wrong.

I am here to tell you the obvious!

Life was meant and made to adapt!

It will, or it will die!

True

originally posted by: forkedtongue
Stop crying Nancy, this is how nature works!

Except that there is a clear involvement due to human activity that is increasing this rate at which oceanic temperatures rise.

Anacdotal at best.... Just saying....

originally posted by: autopat51
a reply to: forkedtongue

thats funny!

Not meant to be.. But thanks

originally posted by: forkedtongue

originally posted by: Ghost147

originally posted by: forkedtongue

originally posted by: autopat51
it has been my experience that many people seem to live in "mr rogers neighborhood"
where nothing EVER happens.
they will be here soon to tell you nothing is wrong.

I am here to tell you the obvious!

Life was meant and made to adapt!

It will, or it will die!

True

originally posted by: forkedtongue
Stop crying Nancy, this is how nature works!

Except that there is a clear involvement due to human activity that is increasing this rate at which oceanic temperatures rise.

Anacdotal at best.... Just saying....

The article in the OP suggests otherwise

a reply to: forkedtongue

Anacdotal at best.... Just saying...

Please define "anacdotal", as you understand it.

a reply to: forkedtongue

So. No answer? Just an ad hominem attack?
How clever.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: forkedtongue

So. No answer? Just an ad hominem attack?
How clever.

'

Simple actually, just name one time Co2 caused " out of control warming?

Flag and stars for you.
Your post gave me hope, OP!

A Nature pair reviewed five authors article based on 37 others articles. With no authors claiming "Competing financial interests". That's what I call a source.

Just saying, they should make a Youtube video. Seem's Youtube have a fantastic impact factor!

a reply to: forkedtongue

Simple actually, just name one time Co2 caused " out of control warming?

Still no definition of "anacdotal?"

originally posted by: forkedtongue

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: forkedtongue

So. No answer? Just an ad hominem attack?
How clever.

'

Simple actually, just name one time Co2 caused " out of control warming?

For the answer to that, review the article in the OP