Highlights H i g h l i g h t s
Ocean changes may have dire impact on people
The first comprehensive analysis of the impact of climate change on the world’s oceans is sobering. The report in Science
changes in the distribution of marine life; and more frequent diseases and pests among marine organisms.
magazine, co-authored by UNC marine scientist John Bruno,
The authors conclude: “These challenges underscore the
points to dramatic and irreversible damage that has already taken
urgency with which world leaders must act to limit further
place, with potentially dire impacts for hundreds of millions of
growth of greenhouse gases and thereby reduce the risk of these
people.
events occurring. Ignoring the
Greenhouse gas emissions
science is not an option.” •
are modifying many physical and geochemical aspects of oceans, in
LEFT and BELOW: Marine
ways “unprecedented in nearly a
scientist John Bruno studies coral
million years,” said Bruno. “This
reef decline. A comprehensive new
is causing fundamental and com-
study shows climate change is already
prehensive changes to the way
harming the earth’s oceans.
increasingly certain that the world’s marine ecosystems are
approaching tipping points,” he continued. “These tipping
John Bruno
“We are becoming
John Bruno
marine ecosystems function.”
points are where change accelerates and causes unrelated impacts on other systems, the results of which we really have no power or model to foresee.” The findings of the report emerged from a synthesis of recent research, carried out by Bruno and lead author Ove Hoegh-Guldberg of the University of Queensland in Australia. The Earth’s ocean, which produces half of the oxygen we breathe and absorbs 30 percent of human-generated CO2, is equivalent to its heart and lungs. Hoegh-Guldberg said, “It’s as if the Earth has been smoking two packs of cigarettes a day.” The “fundamental and comprehensive” changes to marine life identified in the report include rapidly warming and acidifying oceans, changes in water circulation and expansion of dead zones within the ocean depths. These are driving major changes in marine ecosystems: less abundant coral reefs, sea grasses and mangroves (important fish nurseries); fewer, smaller fish; a breakdown in food chains; Carolina Arts & Sciences • FALL 2010 • college.unc.edu • 23