Climate change will shift the oceans’ colors

The color of deep blue oceans, shallow turquoise waters, and emerald green coasts is changing a lot as the planet warms. According to new research published in the journal nature. Analyzing 20 years of data, the study’s authors found that over half the world’s oceans, which is 56 percent, experienced ocean color changing. While the new study used satellites to see the color changes, they found out there were significant changes in 2100.

The ocean gets its color by sunlight that penetrates which is over 600 ft below the bottom of the ocean. But, above that most of the water molecules are able to absorb every color except blue, which is why blue is the only one reflected. After the 2023 study revealed that a lot of these predicted changes have already happened. It’s too early to say these changing colors will affect the environment, but scientists think that more ecosystems can be influenced by smaller sized plankton in the future. According to the National Oceanography Center in the United Kingdom, which supported the 2023 study, the ocean has soaked up about a third of marine life like kelp, seagrass, and algae.

Reference: Gibbens, S. (2023, July 21). Climate change will shift the oceans’ colors, study predicts. Environment. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/climate-change-alters-oceans-blues-greens

Image source: https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/climate/climate-change-impacts