The marine environment Ocean-climate relationships

1. The marine environment Ocean-climate relationships The Oceans

2. Central Case: Collapse of the cod fisheries No fish has had more impact on civilization than the Atlantic cod Cod have been fished for centuries Large ships and technology have destroyed the cod fishery Even protected stocks are not recovering Young cod are being preyed on But other species are recovering in protected areas

3. Cod are groundfish Fish that live or feed along the bottom Halibut, pollack, flounder Cod eat small fish and invertebrates They inhabit cool waters on both sides of the Atlantic The 24 stocks (populations) of cod crashed Overfishing and destroyed habitat The U.S. and Canada have paid billions to retrain fishermen who lost their jobs

4. Oceans cover most of the Earth’s surface Oceans influence climate, team with biodiversity, provide resources, and help transportation and commerce Oceans cover 71% of Earth’s surface and contain 97.5% of its water Oceans influence the atmosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere

5. Seafloor topography can be rugged The seafloor consists of: Underwater volcanoes Steep canyons Mountain ranges Mounds of debris Trenches Some flat areas Some island chains are formed by reefs or volcanoes Topographically complex areas serve as habitat and productive fishing grounds

6. Underwater volcanoes http://news.discovery.com/videos/earth-underwater-volcano-caught-on-video.html

7. Steep canyons http://news.discovery.com/videos/earth-volcanoes-slide-silently-to-their-death.html

8. Mountain ranges

9. Mounds of debris

10. Trenches

12. A stylized bathymetric profile of the ocean A stylized map reflects the ocean’s bathymetry (depths) and topography (landforms)

13. Ocean water contains salt Ocean water is 96.5% water Plus, ions of dissolved salts Evaporation removes pure water Leaving salt behind Low levels of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) Oxygen is added by plants, bacteria, and atmospheric diffusion

14. Ocean water is vertically structured Temperature declines with depth Heavier (colder, saltier) water sinks Light (warmer, less salty) water stays near the surface Temperatures are more stable than land temperatures Water has high heat capacity (heat required to increase temperature by a given amount) It takes more energy to warm water than air Oceans regulate Earth’s climate They absorb and release heat The ocean’s surface circulation moves heat around

15. The ocean has several layers Surface zone Warmed by sunlight and stirred by wind Consistent water density Pycnocline = below the surface zone Density increases with depth Deep zone = below the pycnocline Dense, sluggish water Unaffected by winds, storms, sunlight, or temperature

16. Ocean water flows horizontally in currents Currents = vast riverlike flows in the oceans Driven by density differences, heating and cooling, gravity, and wind Influence global climate and El Niño and La Niña Transport heat, nutrients, pollution, the larvae of many marine species, and people Some currents such as the Gulf Stream are rapid and powerful The warm water moderates Europe’s climate

17. Currents form patterns across the globe

18. Vertical movement affects ecosystems Upwelling =the upward flow of cold, deep water toward the surface High primary productivity and lucrative fisheries Also occurs where strong winds blow away from, or parallel to, coastlines Downwellings = oxygen-rich water sinks where surface currents come together

19. Currents affect climate Horizontal and vertical movement of oceans affects global and regional climates Thermohaline circulation = a worldwide current system Warmer, fresher water moves along the surface Cooler, saltier, denser water moves beneath the surface North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) = one part of the thermohaline conveyor belt Water in the Gulf Stream flows to Europe Released heat keeps Europe warmer that it would be Sinking cooler water creates a region of downwelling

20. The North Atlantic Deep Water Interrupting the thermohaline circulation could trigger rapid climate change Melting ice from Greenland will run into the North Atlantic Making surface waters even less dense Stopping NADW formation and shutting down the northward flow of warm water Europe would rapidly cool This circulation is already slowing But Greenland may not have enough runoff to stop it

21. El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) ENSO = a systematic shift in atmospheric pressure, sea surface temperature, and ocean circulation In the tropical Pacific Ocean Normal winds blow east to west, from high to low pressure This forms a large convective loop in the atmosphere Winds push water west, causing it to “pile up” Nutrient-rich, cold water along Peru and Ecuador rises from the deep Decreased pressure in the eastern Pacific triggers El Niño Warm water flows eastward, suppressing upwellings

22. Effects of El Niño and La Niña Coastal industries (e.g., Peru’s anchovy fisheries) are devastated Worldwide, fishermen lost $8 billion in 1982–1983 Global weather patterns change Rainstorms, floods, drought, fires La Niña = the opposite of El Niño Cold waters rise to the surface and extend westward ENSO cycles are periodic but irregular (every 2–8 years) Globally warming sea and air may be increasing the strength and frequency of these cycles

23. ENSO, El Niño, and La Niña Normal conditions El Niño conditions

24. Climate change is altering the oceans Global climate change will affect ocean chemistry and biology Burning fossil fuels and removing vegetation increase CO2, which warms the planet Oceans absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air But oceans may not be able to absorb much more CO2 Increased CO2 in the ocean makes it more acidic Ocean acidification makes chemicals less available for sea creatures (e.g., corals) to form shells Fewer coral reefs decrease biodiversity and ecosystem services

25. I The Oceans What benefits do you derive from the oceans? How does your behavior affect the oceans? Give specific examples. What proportion of Earth’s surface do oceans cover? What is the average salinity of ocean water? How are density, salinity and temperature related in each layer of ocean water? What factors drive ocean currents? Give an example of how a surface current affects climate regionally. What is causing ocean acidification? What consequences do scientists expect ocean acidification to bring about?