Study: The distinctive color of the oceans will change at the end of this century due to climate change

Weather of Arabia - Who among us has not been mesmerized by the beauty of the color of the clear waters of the seas and oceans, but a disturbing new study confirmed that the oceans will lose their distinctive color in only 80 years due to climate change, and here is the reason.

Phytoplankton or phytoplankton are minute plants that are not seen with the naked eye, that take their homes from the surfaces of oceans, rivers and lakes, and the life of most marine organisms is not equal without them. As they work to absorb carbon dioxide from the air, they are also considered the first source of food in the oceans, where it lies at the bottom of the food pyramid.

These microscopic plants paint the oceans green and blue, a process known as photosynthesis, in which plants harness the energy of sunlight and use it to convert carbon dioxide and water into organic compounds, such as sugar molecules and oxygen. Thus, plants provide themselves with food and provide the necessary oxygen for marine organisms.

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Phytoplankton play an essential role in regulating the climate, but they are vulnerable to a rise in temperature, and their productivity depends on some conditions, including sunlight, wind speed and water salinity. All these factors are common, affecting their visible appearance from the sky.

But a new study confirmed that the oceans will lose their distinctive color within only 80 years, and researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States found that climate change will cause changes in phytoplankton, which will affect the color of the ocean. The change means that the blue and green areas of the ocean will intensify in colour, according to the experts.

The team used computer models to build climate change projections, and found that by the year 2100, more than 50% of the world's oceans will have changed color, with blue areas becoming bluer to reflect fewer phytoplankton, while green areas will turn a darker green. As it is the warmer temperatures that secrete large quantities of phytoplankton. ( 1 )

Phytoplankton contain chlorophyll, a pigment that absorbs most in the blue parts of sunlight, and less in the green parts. As a result, more green light is reflected from the ocean, giving algae-rich areas a green color.

Dr. Stephanie Dutkic, who led the study, said this difference could be very serious. As the transformation of one community of phytoplankton into another will lead to a change in the food webs of many marine organisms.

She added: "Phytoplankton are the basis of the food web and they are changing very quickly. If certain species of them disappear, this will lead to a change in the type of fish that can survive, which will affect the entire food chain."

The Earth's temperature has warmed by more than 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) since the 19th century, and as such, scientists predict that the climate will warm even faster if countries do not take serious steps to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. A UN-backed panel of scientists said last year that unprecedented action was needed over the next decade to curb global warming and avert the most catastrophic consequences.

And perhaps by the end of the current century, the effects of climate change will be shown by observing the color of ocean waters from space. As our planet is expected to look completely different in the near term, and the oceans will look bluer and greener than ever before.

Also read: Why do the colors of sea water vary around the world?