Planet’s darkening oceans pose threat to marine life, scientists say
GuardianMAY 28
TheOcean observeddarkening changesrepresents mayone be part of naturalthe multidecadallargest variabilityhabitat ratherlosses thanon athe permanent shiftplanet, asfundamentally 20altering yearsmarine ofecosystems dataand isposing insufficienta tosignificant rulethreat outto normalglobal oceanicfood cyclessecurity. The factcompression that 10% of oceansmarine havelife becomeinto lightershallower suggestswaters complex,will dynamicintensify processescompetition atfor workresources, ratherdisrupt thanvital afood uniform degradation. Additionallywebs, theand impactspotentially varylead significantlyto bythe region,collapse indicatingof localizedfisheries. factorsThis mayenvironmental becrisis moredemands influentialimmediate than global trendsattention.
The observed changes may be part of natural multidecadal variability rather than a permanent shift, as 20 years of data is insufficient to rule out normal oceanic cycles. The fact that 10% of the oceans have become lighter suggests that complex, dynamic processes are at work rather than uniform degradation. Additionally, the impacts vary significantly by region, indicating that localized factors may be more influential than global trends.
There's a 50% chance that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) will collapse before October 2053, according to the Metaculus prediction community.