Human actions are rapidly changing the world’s oceans, whether through overfishing, pollution or coastal development. But among the most intense pressures placed on the seas right now is humanity’s ongoing burning of fossil fuels, pumping dangerous amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which in turn has pushed sea temperatures to record levels. The global ocean, which covers 70% of the planet’s surface, currently absorbs 90% of the solar heat trapped by humanity’s carbon emissions. This greatly moderates rising atmospheric temperatures and helps temper the intensity of the climate crisis. Put another way, the world would be a lot hotter by now if the ocean wasn’t taking in all this heat. But the ocean’s absorption of this anthropogenic heat still has serious consequences. One clear result has been an unprecedented rise in global sea temperatures, which has placed strains on marine life and biological processes, and increased extreme weather on land. Rising ocean temperatures are also resulting in an escalation in marine heat waves, placing even more pressure on marine organisms and ecosystems already struggling to cope with other changes brought on by fossil fuel burning, such as ocean acidification, along with other human stressors. Without urgent action to curb carbon emissions, experts say ocean heat will continue to increase, which will, in turn, impact the very planetary systems necessary for humanity’s survival and for maintaining life on Earth as we know it. Open-pit coal mining. Among the most intense pressures placed on the seas right now is humanity’s ongoing…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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