Earth’s blue oceans are turning green because of climate change . A new study published in nature journal reveals that climate has caused a change in color of 56 percent of world’s oceans. Significantly over the last 20 years .it is turning the water greener over time , especially near the equator .The study found that waters in the tropics particularly the southern Indian ocean have turned green.
Researchers analysed data through moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer ( MODIS ) aboard the aqua satellite which has been monitoring ocean colors for two decades from 2002 to 2022. across those 2o years , there was a clear trend in color variation that correlated with increases in green house gases.
This green color of oceans indicates growth of phytoplankton which contains chlorophyll , a pigment that gives them a green color . the changes signifies and indicates about alterations in phytoplankton community . The essential role of these microorganisms are capturing and storing carbon dioxides. So increase in co2 inevitably give rise to phyto blooms.
” changes in color reflect changes in plankton community that will impact everything that feeds on plankton ” said researcher Dutkiewicz . These changes slowly unstablises the oceans around the world .The biggest implication from the study is not worrying about aesthetic change of ocean color rather it revels that ocean population and entire marine ecosystem changing rapidly.
Lead author B.B.Cacl ph.d ” 19 of the national oceanography centre in southampton , U.K. , said : this gives additional evidence of how human activities affect life on earth over a huge spatial extent . Its another way that humans are affecting the biosphere ”
study co-author Stephanie Dutkiewicz , a scientist at MIT , said in this regard that , ” I have been running simulation that have been telling me for years that these changes in ocean color are going to happen. and now to actually see it happening is not surprising me ,but rather frightening . and these changes are consistent with man induced changes to our climate.
“the sea cures all ailments of man ” but if the sea becomes ill ,then what will cure our climate and us. think about it and hope we take this seriously.