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The Abyss - no, not the movie; I'm referring to the deepest waters of the ocean in which the abyssal seafloor covers over 50% of the planet. This is an ecosystem that contains great biodiversity (scientists have barely scratched its surface and have come away with new and unusual species) and plays a key role in maintaining the ocean's proper balance of detritus management and nutrient, chemical, and mineral levels.
In the ocean, where do all the dead animals and plants go? Mostly into the abyss to be broken down, processed and, in essence, recycled. But a recent study shows that global warming and human activities are having an impact on this mysterious region. Temperature change and human activities such as ocean fertilization are impacting the level and quality of food or detritus that makes its way to the abyss. With this fundamental link in the chain being disrupted, there are many unforeseen but predicated consequences to the ecological structure and biodiversity of the ocean's deepest regions.
We think of global warming in terms of its impact on the sky, the land, and the ocean as far as the eye can see. But we need to remind ourselves it is a global issue - from the blackest edge of space to the blackest corner of the deep, deep sea.
Antarctica has been described as the "beating heart" of the planet - this massive expanse of ice actually expands and contracts over the course of the year as it regulates and impacts much of the planet's weather systems. And as we have all heard, it's future in the face of global warming can have a profound effect on the future of the planet.
Recent studies have shown that East Antarctica has actually been cooling slightly, and this has provided fodder for skeptics of climate change who claim that scientific projections of temperature change are in error.
However, a report just published in the journal Nature details a study of Antarctic temperatures over the past 50 years and finds that the icy continent's overall temperature is increasing.
"We now see warming taking place on all seven continents in accord with what models predict as a response to greenhouse gases," said coauthor Eric J. Steig of the University of Washington.
In fact, West Antarctica has experienced slightly higher increases in temperature and has summarily seen greater erosion or melting. The East Antarctica anomaly is being attributed to the location of the hole in the ozone layer, positioned over this area of the continent. The loss of ozone over the white ice of East Antarctica allows for reflective sunlight to escape, thereby lowering the temperature. With the banning of chlorofluorocarbons, the ozone hole should be closed by the middle of the century and by then temperatures for the entire continent of Antarctica will be warming at a much higher rate.
On 05/18/08, RTSea wrote: Interesting but disturbing article in the Los Angeles Times regarding the growth of oxygen-poor zones (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2008/05/threatening-mar.html). Noting the expansion of the Pacific's zone along Mexico/Central America/South America, these zones are typically deep water but have been increasing in size, extending further north and south and becoming more shallow. These zones are different from equally dangerous "dead zones" caused by fertilizer-fed algae blooms, but have the same effect on sealife, pushing fish populations into different regions or oceanic stratas that can impact their health or expose them to a greater potential for over-fishing as their numbers increase in shallower waters.
The culprit behind this expansion, according to scientists from Germany to California, is global warming. As ocean temperatures increase due to the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the water's ability to retain oxygen is compromised. One more domino effect that we must address and that proves that the health of the oceans is undeniably linked to our actions on the land.
The Abyss - no, not the movie; I'm referring to the deepest waters of the ocean in which the abyssal seafloor covers over 50% of the planet. This is an ecosystem that contains great biodiversity (scientists have barely scratched its surface and have come away with new and unusual species) and plays a key role in maintaining the ocean's proper balance of detritus management and nutrient, chemical, and mineral levels.
