Oceans are changing colour due to climate change
More than half of the oceans on Earth are green, according to NASA satellite images, as a result of climate change disrupting marine ecosystems.
According to satellite data, 56 percent of the world's oceans have experienced a colour change from blue to green over the past 20 years. The changes are especially noticeable in tropical areas close to the Equator.
According to researchers, the gradual greening of our oceans indicates how climate change is affecting aquatic life.
Why is the ocean turning green?
Over half of the world's seas gradually changed from blue to primarily green colours, as observed by NASA's Modis-Aqua satellite. An area greater than the entire land surface of the planet has changed colour.
After analysing the NASA data, scientist BB Cael and his colleagues at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, UK concluded that the green colouring is a symptom of ecological change, brought on by climate change.
According to Cael, although the nature of these changes and their precise origin are unknown, they are probably related to the phytoplankton that make up the majority of food chains. These creatures are essential for stabilising our atmosphere and for creating much of the oxygen we breathe.
Colour-changing oceans
According to the study's authors, a shift in the ocean's colour may indicate a change in the condition of its ecosystems. Greener tones imply higher phytoplankton activity whereas deeper blues suggest less life.
It provides a picture of what is occurring in the water's topmost layers.
However, due to the drastically different chlorophyll levels at the surface, the colour of the ocean can shift from year to year. It is thus challenging to determine whether the change from blue to green is a result of climate change.
Scientists predicted that it could take up to 40 years of monitoring the ocean's colour before any patterns can be detected. Additionally, different satellites measure colour variations in various ways. It means that it is frequently impossible to merge the data from each one.
In January 2024, NASA will launch the Pace mission to learn more about how the ocean's colours change. Plankton, aerosol, clouds and ocean ecology will all be observed.
