Climate Change

“…oceans are taking a beating”

“… the latest pH level readings from the world’s oceans indicate that these ancient pH levels have recently dropped to an average of 8.1. As the ocean becomes more acidic, the life cycles of marine organisms, especially zooplankton primarily found in surface waters and at the lower end of the food chain, could be affected.”

Southern Hemisphere Oceans ‘Warming Quickly’

Durack and Lawrence Livermore colleagues worked with a Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist to compare ocean observations with ocean models. They concluded that the upper levels of the planet’s oceans — those of the northern and southern hemispheres combined — had been warming during several decades prior to 2005 at rates that were 24 to 58 percent faster than had previously been realized.

Ocean Health Report Card: D Grade

one reason the overall scores ticked up since 2012 was because conservation measures have been gaining some ground and slowing some of the decline that has occurred since the preindustrial era. New marine protected areas have also “made a big difference,”