lecture 10 ocean warming

• The ocean absorbs a lot of the heat produced from climate change
• The ocean holds onto thermal energy well and doesn't release it easily
• Oceans are warming unequivocally
• Surface waters are warming more than deep waters
• The Atlantic Ocean has been heating faster than the Pacific and Indian Oceans
• The Atlantic has generally been heating a lot faster than the other major oceans of the world

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• Species are adapted to certain temperatures and as those temperatures change, species need to move or they die
• Non-mobile species like kelps, corals, or oysters can't move to new areas that are more hospitable
• Species that can't move, like corals, are the foundations of ecosystems
• If foundation species like corals don't move, all the species that depend on them for their habitat also die
• Climate change is causing shifts in marine species ranges
• Changing water temperatures can increase the success of invasive species
• Native species decrease in number if water is warmer in the winter
• Non-native species (invasive species) increase in number if water is warmer in the winter
• Warmer waters


  Native species decrease, invasive species increase
• Warmer waters lead to native species decreasing and invasive species increasing
• Over half of the invasive species found in the arctic have been introduced since the late 90s
• Shipping is the most important method of introducing species in the marine environment
• Ships can transport invasive species through ballast water
• Hypoxia means low dissolved oxygen in water
• Marine species need oxygen in the water just like we need oxygen in the air
• Warming can increase hypoxia through increased stratification, increased metabolism, and decreased solubility of oxygen in water
• Stratification creates layers in the water column, with warm water on top and cold water below
• Warm water on top doesn't mix with deeper cold water due to differences in density
• Deep cold waters can have hypoxia due to lack of oxygen mixing from the surface
• Colder waters have animals using oxygen


  Deep cold waters can have hypoxia due to oxygen use
• Warm days can lead to warm water at the top not mixing with cold water below

  Cold water below may lack oxygen due to lack of mixing
• Increased metabolism in warmer environments

  Animals require more oxygen, potentially leading to hypoxia
• Warmer waters require organisms to breathe more, leading to increased oxygen needs
• In shallow waters, organisms can create hypoxia by using up all the oxygen due to increased breathing
• Shallow water hypoxia is common, especially close to shore, like in the Chesapeake Bay
• Warm water has lower oxygen solubility compared to cold water
• Water temperature affects oxygen solubility: cold water can hold more oxygen than warm water
• As water temperature increases, oxygen solubility decreases
• Water temperature and oxygen levels have an inverse relationship: as temperature increases, oxygen decreases
• Ocean warming can lead to changes in ocean circulation
• Climate change can influence ocean circulation and climate in certain areas
• The movie "The Day After Tomorrow" was based on the idea of ocean circulation changes affecting climate
• There is some scientific basis to the concept of ocean circulation changes impacting climate
• Stratification


  the creation of layers in the water