The world’s seas will change colour by 2100. That’s the prediction made in a new study led by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and published in the Nature Communications journal.
They believe the different kinds of phytoplankton species living in the sea will change as oceans continue to warm, either dying off or multiplying as currents become more irregular and warm regions mix less easily with cold regions.
The scientists say if greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated, the bluest subtropical zones of the ocean will become bluer and greener regions along the equator and poles of the planet will become more vibrant.
They suggest changes in the oceans are a warning sign of drastic global changes that will take place in an increasingly hot atmosphere.
Stephanie Dutkiewicz, Principal Research Scientist at MIT and Lead Author of the report, said: “What was special about the model is it suggests the subtle shifts in color are an early warning sign.
“Phytoplankton are the base of the marine food web. Everything in the ocean requires phytoplankton to exist. The impact will be felt all the way up the food chain.”
Source: Energy Live News
