Climate Change and the Sea: A Major Disruption in Steady State and the Master Variables.

ACS Environ Au

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, IIHR Hydroscience & Engineering, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United States.

Published: July 2023

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, humans have burned enormous quantities of coal, oil, and natural gas, rivaling nature's elemental cycles of C, N, and S. The result has been a disruption in a steady state of CO and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, a warming of the planet, and changes in master variables (temperature, pH, and pε) of the sea affecting critical physical, chemical, and biological reactions. Humans have also produced copious quantities of N and P fertilizers producing widespread coastal hypoxia and low dissolved oxygen conditions, which now threaten even the open ocean. Consequently, our massive alteration of state variables diminishes coral reefs, fisheries, and marine ecosystems, which are the foundation of life on Earth. We point to a myriad of actions and alternatives which will help to stem the tide of climate change and its effects on the sea while, at the same time, creating a more sustainable future for humans and ecosystems alike.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10360203PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsenvironau.2c00061DOI Listing

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