7 ways oceans are crucial in the fight against climate change
is having a tremendous impact on the Earth, so much so that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has now hit the highest levels in human history. According to the World Meteorological Organization 2017 report, climate change has pushed the planet into uncharted territory: 'Were experiencing record high temperatures around the world, the ice in the arctic is melting and sea levels are rising at their fastest rate in two millennia.' All of this will one day have a catastrophic effect on the planet. Many species will be wiped out. Droughts will become more frequent, impacting drinking water supplies, tipping the finely-balanced ecosystems and even affecting food prices. We will get more hurricanes and flooding, which will in turn spark a refugee crises. Thankfully, in our fight to tackle climate change, were not alone. The Earth has some amazing natural defenses and safeguards in place a key one being our oceans. They influence everything from the weather, to the planets ecosystems, which are finely balanced to protect every living creature. To celebrate World Oceans Day, take a look at the amazing ways the oceans help in the fight against climate change. The oceans are the Earths largest carbon sink. What that means is that the oceans are the planets best way of storing carbon and keeping CO2 from entering the atmosphere. Ensuring the oceans can still carry out this function effectively is essential in the fight to control climate change. Increasing acidity, the rise of microplastics and pollution all threaten the oceans, which according to the , in the last 200 years absorbed a third of CO2 created by humans. By trapping carbon and removing it from the atmosphere, the oceans help control the planets temperature. That is because the CO2 released by burning fossil fuels and other, more natural ways, is very good at trapping heat from the sun, which is reflected from the Earth back into space, in the Earths atmosphere. This leads to a rise in temperature which in turn have a devastating impact on the planet. The ocean is crucial in tempering this temperature increase. According to NASA, the surface of the oceans store as much heat as all of the Earths atmosphere. As much as 90 per cent of the extra heat trapped by the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases has been absorbed by the ocean in the last two centuries, according to the WWF. The oceans are incredibly good at redistributing the absorbed heat around the Earth. This in turn helps control the weather and climates around the world. The oceans affect climates by redistributing the heat to the north through the Atlantic Ocean, while cold water moves downward from the North Atlantic to the south of the Equator. This Great Ocean Conveyor Belt helps keep the world balanced, keeping Europe from freezing over during the winter months and the Equator from boiling. Ocean water also tackles climate change through its sea ice. According to the National Ocean Service, sea ice is frozen water that forms, expands and melts in the ocean. It is therefore different from icebergs, ice sheets and glaciers, which are formed on land. Roughly 15 per cent of the worlds oceans are covered by sea ice at a particular time in the year. Sea ice has a significant impact on the global climate, despite existing mainly in the polar regions. Sea ices bright white surface reflects a lot of sunlight back into the atmosphere and space, helping keep the Earth cool. One of the most interesting organisms to thrive in the great seawaters of the world is the humble mangrove. Mangroves are the only type of tree on the planet that can survive in saltwater. Mangrove forests can be found on the coasts of as many as 120 countries. The US alone has 2,500 sq km of mangroves, according to Conservation, which is nearly half the size of Rhode Island. These vast areas of forests are incredibly important in fighting climate change. Referred to as blue carbon ecosystems along with salt-marshes and grasslands, mangroves can be ten times more efficient at absorbing and storing carbon over long-term periods than land-based ones. According to , if even half of annual wetland loss is halted, it would reduce emissions by 0.23 gigatonnes, which may not sound like a lot, but its actually equivalent to Spains total emissions in 2013. Mangroves also provide crucial natural defenses against storms, flooding and even tsunamis. Along with mangroves, the oceans are home to one of the most fascinating animal species in the whole worldwhales. These marine giants, ranging from gentle to Killer, play a crucial part in helping oceans fight climate change. As Angela Martin of Blue Climate Solutions : Whales eat carbon, not fish. Whales can weigh as much as 50 tons and live for two centuries and can therefore store vast amounts of carbon for long periods of time. When they die, their heavy carcasses sink to the seafloor, taking with them a lifetime of trapped carbon. This so-called Deadfall Carbon is then buried in sediments and blocked from the atmosphere for millions of years. Whales also sustain other life-forms that have a significant, positive impact on the planet including phyloplankton. One of the most abundant life-forms on the planet, planktonsminiscule marine plant-lifein orchestra with whales, have a profound impact on the environment. Whaless fecal matter, which is full of nutrients, fertilizes plankton in a process called Whale Pump, which happens globally and is called the Great Whale Conveyor Belt. The importance of phyloplankton cannot be underestimated. It is believed that through photosynthesis, they as much as 85 per cent of the oxygen in the Earths atmosphere. They also absorb and disperse light, influencing the temperatures of the oceans. They also serve as food for tiny animals such as zooplankton, which in turn serve as food for bigger fish. Phyloplanktons not consumed end up decomposing, releasing nutrients that keep the cycle of growth going, but also importantly sink more carbon to the bottom of the ocean, therefore keeping CO2 from reaching the surface. Planktons also play a crucial role in helping clouds form, which in turn provide rainfall around the world, but also help reflect sunlight, ultimately cooling the Earth.