Columbus (Ohio): A team of researchers at Ohio State University has identified ocean water samples, which have yielded a treasure trove of new data about RNA viruses. It has also expanded ecological research possibilities and reshaped the understanding of how these small but significant submicroscopic particles evolved.The study was published in the journal, 'Science'. The researchers have identified 5,500 new RNA virus species that represent all five known RNA virus phyla and suggest there are at least five new RNA virus phyla needed to capture them.The most abundant collection of newly identified species belongs to a proposed phylum researcher named Taraviricota, a nod to the source of the 35,000 water samples that enabled the analysis. The Tara Oceans Consortium, an ongoing global study on board the schooner Tara of the impact of climate change on the world's oceans."There's so much new diversity here - and an entire phylum, the Taraviricota, were found all over the oceans, which suggests they're ecologically important," said lead author Matthew Sullivan, professor of microbiology at the Ohio State University."RNA viruses are clearly important in our world, but we usually only study a tiny slice of them - the few hundred that harm humans, plants and animals. We wanted to systematically study them on a very big scale and explore an environment no one had looked at deeply, and we got lucky because virtually every species was new, and many were really new," he added.While microbes are essential contributors to all life on the planet, viruses that infect or interact with them have a variety of influences on microbial functions. These types of viruses are believed to have three main functions, which were, killing cells, changing how infected cells manage energy, and transferring genes from one host to another.Knowing more about virus diversity and abundance in the world's oceans will help to explain marine microbes' role in ocean adaptation to climate change, the researchers said.Oceans absorb half of the human-generated carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and previous research by this group has suggested that marine viruses are the "knob" on a biological pump affecting how carbon in the ocean is stored.By taking on the challenge of classifying RNA viruses, the team entered waters still rippling from earlier taxonomy categorization efforts that focused mostly on RNA viral pathogens. Within the biological kingdom Orthornavirae, five phyla were recently recognized by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). Though the research team has identified hundreds of new RNA virus species that fit into those existing divisions, their analysis identified thousands more species that they clustered into five new proposed phyla, Taraviricota, Pomiviricota, Paraxenoviricota, Wamoviricota and Arctiviricota, which, like Taraviricota, features highly abundant species - at least in climate-critical Arctic Ocean waters, the area of the world where warming conditions wreak the most havoc.Sullivan's team has long catalogued DNA virus species in the oceans, growing the numbers from a few thousand in 2015 and 2016 to 200,000 in 2019. For those studies, scientists had access to viral particles to complete the analysis.In these current efforts to detect RNA viruses, there were no viral particles to study. Instead, researchers extracted sequences from genes expressed in organisms floating in the sea and narrowed the analysis to RNA sequences that contained a signature gene, called RdRp, which has evolved for billions of years in RNA viruses and is absent from other viruses or cells.Because RdRp's existence dates to when life was first detected on Earth, its sequence position has diverged many times, meaning traditional phylogenetic tree relationships were impossible to describe with sequences alone. Instead, the team used machine learning to organize 44,000 new sequences in a way that could handle these billions of years of sequence divergence and validated the method by showing the technique could accurately classify sequences of RNA viruses already identified."We had to benchmark the known to study the unknown," said Sullivan, also a professor of civil, environmental and geodetic engineering, founding director of Ohio State's Center of Microbiome Science and a leadership team member in the EMERGE Biology Integration Institute. "We've created a computationally reproducible way to align those sequences to where we can be more confident that we are aligning positions that accurately reflect evolution," she added.Further analysis using 3D representations of sequence structures and alignment revealed that the cluster of 5,500 new species didn't fit into the five existing phyla of RNA viruses categorized in the Orthornavirae kingdom."We benchmarked our clusters against established, recognized phylogeny-based taxa, and that is how we found we have more clusters than those that existed," said co-first author Ahmed Zayed, a research scientist in microbiology at Ohio State and a research lead in the EMERGE Institute. In all, the findings led the researchers to propose not only the five new phyla but also at least 11 new orthornaviran classes of RNA viruses. The team is preparing a proposal to request formalization of the candidate phyla and classes by the ICTV.Zayed said the extent of new data on the RdRp gene's divergence over time leads to a better understanding of how early life may have evolved on the planet."RdRp is supposed to be one of the most ancient genes - it existed before there was a need for DNA," he said."So we're not just tracing the origins of viruses, but also tracing the origins of life," he concluded.&nbsp;—ANI

 A team of researchers at Ohio State University has identified ocean water samples, which have yielded a treasure trove of new data about RNA viruses. 

Ocean Water Samples Provide Treasure Trove Of RNA Virus Data, Says Study

New Brunswick (New Jersey): According to a study, the warming of the oceans due to climate change will mean fewer productive fish species to catch in the future.The study was published in the journal, 'Proceedings of The Royal Society B'.The study presents a mixed picture of ocean health. Not only will large species and commercially important fisheries shift out of their historical ranges as the climate warms, but they will likely not be as abundant even in their new geographic ranges. For instance, a cod fisherman in the Atlantic might still find fish 200 years from now but in significantly fewer numbers."What that suggests from a fisheries perspective is that while the species we fish today will be there tomorrow, they will not be there in the same abundance. In such a context, overfishing becomes easier because the population growth rates are low," said study co-author Malin Pinsky, an associate professor in Rutgers' Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources."Warming coupled with food-web dynamics will be like putting marine biodiversity in a blender," he added.Previous studies of shifting habitat ranges focused on the direct impacts of climate change on individual species. While these "one-at-a-time" species projections offer insights into the composition of ocean communities in a warming world, they have largely failed to consider how food-web interactions will affect the pace of change.The new study looked at trophic interactions - the process of one species being nourished at the expense of another - and other food-web dynamics to determine how climate change affects species' ranges. Using sophisticated computer models, the researchers determined that predator-prey interactions cause many species, especially large predators, to shift their ranges more slowly than climate."The model suggests that over the next 200 years of warming, species are going to continually reshuffle and be in the process of shifting their ranges," said lead author E. W. Tekwa, a former Rutgers postdoc in ecology, evolution and natural resources now at the University of British Columbia."Even after 200 years, marines species will still be lagging behind temperature shifts, and this is particularly true for those at the top of the food web," he added.As the climate warms, millions of species are shifting poleward in a dramatic reorganization of life on earth. However, our understanding of these dynamics has largely ignored a key feature of life -- animals and other organisms must eat. The researchers have filled this knowledge gap by examining how the basic need for nourishment affects species' movements.The researchers developed a "spatially explicit food-web model" that included parameters such as metabolism, body size and optimal temperature ranges. By accounting for climate change, their model revealed that dynamic trophic interactions hamper species' ability to react quickly to warming temperatures. They also found that larger-bodied top predators stay longer than smaller prey in historical habitats, in part because of the arrival of new food sources to their pre-warming ranges."These dynamics will not only be in one place but globally," Pinsky said."That does not bode well for marine life, and this is not an effect that has been widely recognized," he concluded.&nbsp;—ANI

According to a study, the warming of the oceans due to climate change will mean fewer productive fish species to catch in the future.  The study was published in the journal, 'Proceedings of The Royal Society B'.

Warming Of Oceans Due To Climate Change Will Mean Fewer Productive Fish Species To Catch In Future: Study

Beijing: Of late, China has raised security concerns in the Indian Ocean region with strategic military sales like submarines to Bangladesh and Pakistan. China contends to be a key defence exporter to many Asian and Southeast Asian countries in Indias neighbourhood.Many of these countries, who are unable to acquire expensive military technology from other reliable sources, procure seemingly inexpensive weapons and systems from the Chinese market.To this effect, the Bangladesh military imported two Type-035G submarines of 1970s vintage and Type-053H frigates from China, with its import dependence on Chinese hardware touching nearing 85 percent.Myanmar, after the military coup in 2021 and sanctions by the West, has turned towards China for procuring majority of its military hardware.Pakistan is shifting its reliance to cheap Chinese hardware with its procurement of Yuan class submarines, J-10/JF-17 fighter's aircraft and Type-054 stealth warships.Sri Lanka has been given warships and military aircraft (Harbins, J-7) in recent times. Nepal is also being aggressively pursued by China in the recent years for procuring Chinese military hardware with NPR 2.5 billion grant for the Nepalese Army.Chinese development of overseas bases in the region is also bothering Indian military planners. Commissioning of the Djibouti military base in 2017, development of Gwadar port in Pakistan and taking over of Hambantota port in Sri Lanka gives them a credible infrastructure to position military assets in the region.The new entrant in this club is Pekua port in Bangladesh. China plans to develop this port and offer it for berthing and maintenance of submarines given to Bangladesh. However, its real intent might be to establish a transit base for its nuclear submarines, which are likely increase their forays in the Indian Ocean region in the future. Hence, if we envisage a conflict with China or our neighbouring countries, we can anticipate that stance of these countries will be largely driven by Chinese interest in the region.However, everything is not so rosy for Beijing's customers as it seems. They, at their own peril, however, do not factor the life cycle costs and reliability factors of Chinese products. Poor quality and workmanship of these Chinese military weapons and systems has turned out to be the bane for its clients. Countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Nepal has found this out the hard way.Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on April 4, threatened to cancel a deal for purchase of Chinese S26T Yuan Class submarines, unless Beijing includes the German-made MTU 396 engine.Beijing has supposedly requested modification in the contract to replace the German engines with Chinese MWM 620 engines.Considering the poor reputation related to anything Chinese made, the Thai don't appear willing to go ahead with the deal unless their demands are met. Earlier in January, Nepal Airlines had grounded six Chinese-made aircraft, saying that it was proving to be unaffordable to fly them. These sub-standard planes delivered extremely poor serviceability rates and required heavy maintenance.The loan from China for these aircraft has, however, continued to haunt the airlines. Dues worth $35.1 million, at a steep interest rate along with a service charge and management expenses, are still pending.Beijing had gifted two 1970s era Ming class Type-035G submarines to Bangladesh valued at $100-million each in 2017. These were later re-inducted by the Bangladesh Navy as BNS Nobojatra and BNS Joyjatra.However, both the platforms have been lying idle due to technical issues and could not be used as intended. The year 2020, witnessed China gifting Dhaka with two Chinese 053H3 frigates -- BNS Umar Farooq and BNS Abu Ubaidah. According to sources, the Type-053H3 frigates gifted to the Bangladesh Navy have defects in fire control system as well as in the helicopter fuelling and defueling system.Defects have also been discovered in the gyro compass. The frigates were supplied by Poly Technologies Inc. Poly Technologies is a subsidiary of China Poly Group Corporation, a trade company with headquarters in Beijing, which deals with missiles and other military hardware. With regard to naval platforms built by China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Co. Limited, issues that have surfaced are poor metallurgy, lack of spare part support, machinery failure, defective radars and poor armaments.Defects have also been detected in basic trainer aircraft and K-8 aircraft for the Bangladesh Air Force and short-range air defence system for the Bangladesh Army.Pakistan, despite being closest to Beijing, has also faced similar issues. Pakistan armed forces, which have been traditionally used to superior quality products made in the West, has had to deal with defective military equipment supplied by China.The Chinese-supplied WL II UCAVs was grounded within days of induction into the PAF due to serious defects. A similar story has emerged with the joint production JF-17 fighters. As per reports, approximately 40 aircraft are not airworthy due to a shortage of spare parts and the RD-93 engine have reportedly experienced frequent cracks in guide vanes, exhaust nozzles, and flame stabilizers.The Chinese are desperately trying to replace the existing engine with the Chinese made WS-13 engines. However, when these will be made available to Pakistan remains the moot issue. Similar is the case with the SAM system on the Zulfiqar class frigate procured through a multi-million-dollar loan from the Chinese EXIM Bank.The system, itself a clone of the French Crotale system, has been plagued with serviceability issues leading to the Pakistan Navy turning to European suppliers for future inductions.Other cases of supply of poor-quality drones, armoured personnel carriers, missiles and even warships across the globe are well documented.In some cases, loss of lives due to malfunctioning equipment have also been reported. The lack of quality of military hardware from China is increasingly coming under scanner and has brought to fore the substandard capabilities being sold to economically weaker countries in the garb of supporting them.The world over, reliability and quality of defence equipment are known as the true mark of a nation's technology, manufacturing ability and maintenance practices.One would have expected Chinese defence manufacturers to have taken this onboard as an inviolable fundamental. If one is to believe open-source narratives, here too China seems to have missed the mark entirely, opting for quantity and quick delivery over quality. Buyers beware! —IANS

Of late, China has raised security concerns in the Indian Ocean region with strategic military sales like submarines to Bangladesh and Pakistan. China contends to be a key defence exporter to many Asian and Southeast Asian countries in Indias neighbourhood.  Many of these countries, who are unable to acquire expensive military technology from other reliable sources, procure seemingly inexpensive weapons and systems from the Chinese market.

China's Military Sales In India's Neighbourhood: South Asian Nations Be Wary!

Of late, China has raised security concerns in the Indian Ocean region with strategic military sales like submarines to Bangladesh and Pakistan. China contends to be a key defence exporter to many Asian and Southeast Asian countries in Indias neighbourhood.

Many of these countries, who are unable to acquire expensive military technology from other reliable sources, procure seemingly inexpensive weapons and systems from the Chinese market.




New York: Researchers have identified a lesser-known form of ozone playing a big role in heating the Southern Ocean—one of Earth’s main cooling systems.Ozone is a gas composed of three oxygen atoms. Many studies have described ozone in the stratosphere, and its role in shielding people from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. Closer to ground level, in the troposphere, ozone is harmful to humans.In the study led by University of California-Riverside scientists revealed that lower level ozone is adding a great deal of heat to the Southern Ocean—more than scientists previously understood.“People haven’t paid much attention in the past to tropospheric ozone in terms of ocean heat uptake. Based on our models, they should be,” said lead author Wei Liu, climate scientist at the varsity. The finding has been published in the journal Nature Climate Change.Oceans remove a majority of the carbon and heat that enter the atmosphere when humans burn fossil fuels.The Southern Ocean, also called the Antarctic Ocean, collects a third of all excess carbon in the world’s atmosphere, and an estimated 75 per cent of the excess heat collected by the world’s oceans.It is important to understand this heating so it can be controlled. Increased ocean warming is contributing to well-documented issues of sea levels rising.To further this understanding, Liu and an international team of scientists explored climate model simulations with changes in ozone levels between 1955 and 2000.These model simulations isolated both stratospheric and tropospheric ozone from other influences on Southern Ocean temperatures, allowing them to see how each factor contributes.While both stratospheric and tropospheric ozone contribute to the Southern Ocean warming, the team found that the latter contributes more. “Historically, about a third of the ocean’s warming is attributable to ozone. For this third, about 40 per cent is from the stratosphere, and the rest is troposphere,” Liu said.Liu believes the results of this study are useful for showing where people can make further changes that will improve the environment.Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, from products like pesticides, tobacco smoke and automobiles are gases that form the building blocks of tropospheric ozone. The same is true for nitrogen oxides produced by combustion, or carbon monoxide from furnaces, gas stoves, and automobile exhaust. Many of these products can be modified to produce fewer VOCs.“Tropospheric ozone is an air pollutant,” Liu said. “If we reduce our production of this, we get the dual benefits of less air pollution and most likely, less Southern Ocean warming as well.”—IANS

 Researchers have identified a lesser-known form of ozone playing a big role in heating the Southern Ocean—one of Earth’s main cooling systems.

How Air Pollution Is Heating Up Southern Ocean

Researchers have identified a lesser-known form of ozone playing a big role in heating the Southern Ocean—one of Earth’s main cooling systems.

New York: Most of the world's oceans are steadily losing their year-to-year 'memory' under global warming, researchers have warned.Ocean memory decline is found as a collective response across the climate models to human-induced warming. As greenhouse-gas concentrations continue to rise, such memory decline will become increasingly evident.The study published in the journal Science Advances compared the fast weather fluctuations of the atmosphere to find that the slowly varying ocean exhibits strong persistence, or "memory," meaning the ocean temperature tomorrow is likely to look a lot like it does today, with only slight changes. "We discovered this phenomenon by examining the similarity in ocean surface temperature from one year to the next as a simple metric for ocean memory," said Hui Shi, lead author and researcher at the Farallon Institute in Petaluma, California. "It's almost as if the ocean is developing amnesia."Ocean memory is found to be related to the thickness of the uppermost layer of the ocean, known as the mixed layer. Deeper mixed layers have greater heat content, which confers more thermal inertia that translates into memory.However, the mixed layer over most oceans will become shallower in response to continued anthropogenic warming, resulting in a decline in ocean memory.Along with ocean memory decline, the thinning mixed layer is also found to increase the random fluctuations of the sea surface temperature.As a result, although the ocean will not become much more variable from one year to the next in the future, the fraction of helpful signals for prediction largely reduces."Reduced ocean memory together with increased random fluctuations suggest intrinsic changes in the system and new challenges in prediction under warming," said Fei-Fei Jin, an atmospheric sciences professor at the University of Hawaii.Ocean memory loss doesn't just impact the prediction of physical variables, but could also influence the way we manage sensitive marine ecosystems.Besides ocean prediction, forecasting land-based impacts on temperature, precipitation as well as extreme events might also be affected by ocean memory decline due to their dependence on the persistence of sea surface temperature as a predictability source, the team said. —IANS

Most of the world's oceans are steadily losing their year-to-year 'memory' under global warming, researchers have warned.

Global Warming Causing World's Oceans To Lose 'Memory'

Most of the world's oceans are steadily losing their year-to-year 'memory' under global warming, researchers have warned.



Bremerhaven (Germany): A new study investigates the atmosphere as a related cause of plastic pollution in the waters of our planet.The findings of the research were published in the journal 'Nature Reviews Earth &amp; Environment' by an international team of researchers including experts from the Alfred Wegener Institute, the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies in Potsdam, and the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research.According to estimates, by 2040, the level of plastic pollution could reach 80 million metric tons per year. Plastic particles have now been detected in virtually all spheres of the environment, e.g. in water bodies, the soil and the air. Via ocean currents and rivers, the tiny plastic particles can even reach the Arctic, Antarctic or ocean depths.A new overview study has now shown that wind, too, can transport these particles great distances - and much faster than water can: in the atmosphere, they can travel from their point of origin to the most remote corners of the planet in a matter of days.Today, between 0.013 and 25 million metric tons of micro and nano plastic per year are transported up to thousands of kilometres by ocean air, snow, sea spray and fog, crossing countries, continents and oceans in the process. This estimate was arrived at by an international team of 33 researchers, including experts from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), and the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies in Potsdam (IASS) and the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel."Air is a much more dynamic medium than water," said co-author Dr Melanie Bergmann from the AWI. "As a result, micro and nano plastic can much more quickly penetrate those regions of our planet that are most remote and still largely untouched." Once there, the particles could affect the surface climate and the health of local ecosystems. For example, when these darker particles are deposited on snow and ice, they affect the ice-albedo feedback, reducing their ability to reflect sunlight and promoting melting. Similarly, darker patches of seawater absorb more solar energy, further warming the ocean. And in the atmosphere, microplastic particles can serve as condensation nuclei for water vapour, producing effects on cloud formation and, in the long term, the climate.&nbsp;How do plastic particles get into the atmosphere?First of all, through human activities. Particles produced by tyres and brakes in road traffic, or by the exhaust gases from industrial processes, rise into the atmosphere, where they are transported by winds. However, according to the overview study, there is also evidence suggesting that a substantial number of these particles are transported by the marine environment.Initial analyses indicate that microplastic from the coastal zone also finds its way into the ocean through eroded beach sand. The combination of sea spray, wind and waves forms air bubbles in the water containing microplastic. When the bubbles burst, the particles find their way into the atmosphere. As such, transport to remote and even polar regions could be due to the combination of atmospheric and marine transport.Consequently, it is important to understand interactions between the atmosphere and ocean, so as to determine which particle sizes are transported, and in which quantities. The atmosphere predominantly transports small microplastic particles, which makes it a much faster transport route that can lead to substantial deposits in a broad range of ecosystems.As Melanie Bergmann explained: "We need to integrate micro and nano plastic in our measurements of air pollution, ideally on an international scale as part of global networks." For this purpose, in a first step, first authors Deonie Allen and Bergmann began collecting samples of microplastic in the air, seawater and ice during a Polarstern expedition to the Arctic last year.Joining forces to grasp the microplastic cycleUnderstanding and characterising the microplastic cycles between the ocean and atmosphere will require joint efforts. In this regard, in the study, the team of researchers led by first authors Deonie Allen and Steve Allen from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, outlines a global strategy for creating a seamless, incomparable database on the flow of micro and nano plastic between the ocean and atmosphere."There are so many aspects of the emissions, transport and effects of microplastic in the atmosphere that we still don't fully understand," said co-author Prof Tim Butler from the IASS. "This publication reveals the gaps in our knowledge - and presents a roadmap for the future."Two dedicated working groups from the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP) prepared the study. According to study co-author and GESAMP member Prof Sylvia Sander from GEOMAR: "The study makes it clear that a comprehensive grasp of the ocean, and of the effects of human influences on it, can only be achieved by networking researchers and their data. The great challenges of our time are on a global scale. Accordingly, we have to pursue answers to pressing questions with expertise that is as comprehensive and international as possible. That can only be done by working together."GESAMP is a conglomerate of eleven organisations belonging to the United Nations. Its goal is to arrive at a multidisciplinary, science-based understanding of the marine environment. To date, the network has already collaborated with more than 500 experts from countries around the globe on a range of questions.Micro and nano plastic in the air is also relevant for human health. In a recently released British study, microplastic was detected in the lungs of 11 of 13 living human beings. "This is yet another reason why we need to integrate plastic into monitoring programmes for air quality," Bergmann stressed. In order to reduce environmental pollution from plastic, the production of new plastic would also need to be successively reduced on the basis of an international treaty, as Bergmann and other experts recently called for in a letter to the journal Science. —ANI

A new study investigates the atmosphere as a related cause of plastic pollution in the waters of our planet.

Micro And Nano Plastics In Atmosphere Pollute Oceans: Study

Tokyo: Japan's nuclear regulator has approved a plan to discharge radioactive wastewater from the disaster-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) on Wednesday said that once opinions on the matter from the people are heard, the plan will be officially approved, Xinhua news agency reported.For the construction of the discharge facilities to begin, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. (TEPCO), the stricken plant's operator, will need to gain consent from the municipalities that are hosting the nuclear power complex.In 2011, a nuclear crisis not seen since Chernobyl in 1988 was triggered by a massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami knocking out the Fukushima Daiichi plant's key cooling functions. Since then, water pumped in to cool melted reactor fuel has been accumulating at the complex and mixing with rainwater and groundwater at the site. The tainted water contains radioactive tritium, and the beleaguered site will soon reach its capacity of the water.The government's plan is to release the radioactive water through a tunnel under the seabed into the Pacific Ocean nearly 1 km away from the stricken plant. The controversial plan is proposed to begin in the spring of 2023, much to the consternation of local fisheries and the international community. Japan's fisheries industry has voiced its ardent opposition to the plan, as it will almost certainly cause further damage to the industry's already battered reputation.Moreover, some of Japan's closest neighbours have voiced strong concerns over the plan.Japan has been considering a number of feasible alternative plans other than its unilateral proposal just to dump radioactive water into the ocean. These options included injecting the toxic water deep into the ground, releasing it into the atmosphere after vaporising it, or making it into a solid state and burying it underground. On Wednesday, NRA Chairman Toyoshi Fuketa asked TEPCO to do its utmost to ensure there are no incidents at the planned water discharge facilities, according to local reports.—IANS

Japan's nuclear regulator has approved a plan to discharge radioactive wastewater from the disaster-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean.

Plan to discharge radioactive waste from Japan plant into ocean gets nod

Mumbai: More than 1500 enthusiastic runners from across the city participated in the fifth edition of the Adidas India-organised "Run For The Oceans" campaign. The campaign attracted some well-known public figures and media personalities such as Anusha Dandekar, Saiyami Kher, Karanveer Bohra, Teejay Sidhu, Aditya Seal, Akash Gaurav, and Angad Bedi, who actively participated in the cause. Standing firm on the brand's commitment to end plastic waste and promote a sustainable future, Adidas India recently organised a "Run For The Oceans" campaign in which participants covered the three-km stretch around Versova Beach and followed it up with a clean-up drive of the beach recently.For every 10 minutes of running recorded by participants using the adidas Runtastic app, "Parley for the Oceans", the non-profit environmental organisation, vowed to clean an equivalent weight of plastic bottles from the beaches, remote islands, and coastlines before it reaches the ocean, adidas informed in a release on Thursday. While "Run For the Oceans" is a global movement, adidas in India has given momentum to the campaign by associating with Adv Afroz Shah, the UN Champion of Earth 2016. The sportswear brand has been supporting Shah's endeavour to clean the beaches and remove plastic waste from the coastline. His initiative has garnered support from India and the world, with people from all walks of life joining hands to make oceans free from plastics.Earlier this year, Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma wore customised adidas shoes created to spread awareness about using recycled plastic. The spikes carry the 'End Plastic Waste' slogans on them. Other successful campaigns of Mr. Shah include conserving the mangroves, running workshops to prevent litter, and promoting the segregation of plastic waste.—IANS

More than 1500 enthusiastic runners from across the city participated in the fifth edition of the Adidas India-organised "Run For The Oceans" campaign. The campaign attracted some well-known public figures and media personalities such as Anusha Dandekar, Saiyami Kher, Karanveer Bohra, Teejay Sidhu, Aditya Seal, Akash Gaurav, and Angad Bedi, who actively participated in the cause.

1500 participate in ‘Run For The Oceans’ campaign organised by Adidas

Pyeongtaek: The only representative with three legal lifts, India's Ashok Malik won a gold medal in total combined score in men's up to 65 kg class at the Asia-Oceania Para Powerlifting Championships 2022 here on Friday.Malik also bagged a bronze medal in the individual category.He clinched gold by lifting a total of 491 kg to finish ahead of Yi Zou of China and Amir Jafari Arangeh of Iran in the regional competition. The Chinese lifter had a total of 390 kg while the Iranian finished third with 382 kg.In the overall Individual category, Malik won bronze with a best lift of 173 kg. Malik came up with consistent performance as he was the only lifter in the final group with three successful lifts and bagged the gold medal in total combined score.&nbsp;He started with the first lift of 150 kg and followed it up by lifting 168 kg and 173 kg in his next two attempts to finish with a total of 491 kg, which fetched him the gold medal.In the individual category, China's Zhou came up with a dramatic lift of 196 kg in his final attempt, just one kilogram more than Arangeh of Iran to win the gold medal. Arangeh bagged the silver and Malik (173) had to settle for bronze. On Thursday, veteran powerlifter Farman Basha bagged two silver medals for India in the men's up to 54 kg category.—IANS

The only representative with three legal lifts, India's Ashok Malik won a gold medal in total combined score in men's up to 65 kg class at the Asia-Oceania Para Powerlifting Championships 2022 here on Friday.

India's Ashok Malik Wins Gold In Asia-oceania Para Powerlifting C'ships

Washington: According to a new study, plastic pollution may serve as a source for novel antibiotics in oceans.The study was published in the journal, 'American Society for Microbiology'. Scientists estimate between 5 and 13 million metric tons of plastic pollution enter the oceans each year, ranging from large floating debris to microplastics onto which microbes can form entire ecosystems. Plastic debris is rich in biomass, and therefore could be a good candidate for antibiotic production which tends to occur in highly competitive natural environments.To explore the potential of the plastisphere to be a source of novel antibiotics, the researchers modified the Tiny Earth citizen science approach (developed by Dr Jo Handelsman) to marine conditions. The researchers incubated high and low-density polyethene plastic (the type commonly seen in grocery bags) in the water near Scripps Pier in La Jolla, Calif. for 90 days. The researchers isolated 5 antibiotic-producing bacteria from ocean plastic, including strains of Bacillus, Phaeobacter and Vibrio. They tested the bacterial isolates against a variety of Gram-positive and negative targets, finding the isolates to be effective against commonly used bacteria as well as 2 antibiotic-resistant strains."Considering the current antibiotic crisis and the rise of superbugs, it is essential to look for alternative sources of novel antibiotics," said study lead author Andrea Price of National University."We hope to expand this project and further characterize the microbes and the antibiotics they produce," Andrea concluded. —ANI

According to a new study, plastic pollution may serve as a source for novel antibiotics in oceans.

Study Reveals Plastic Pollution In Ocean May Serve As Source For Antibiotics

Washington: According to a Rutgers researcher and an international team of geoscientists, led by Cheryl S. Harrison at Louisiana State University, even the smallest nuclear war would devastate ocean systems, leading to sharp declines in fish stocks, expansion of ice sheets into coastal communities and changes in ocean currents that would take decades or longer to reverse."Our model is the first large-scale effort to quantify the effects of a nuclear war on oceans," said Alan Robock, a Distinguished Professor of climate science in the Rutgers Department of Environmental Sciences and a co-author of the study published in the American Geophysical Union journal AGU Advances.To model marine responses to nuclear conflict, Robock and his colleagues simulated a large U.S.-Russia war and several smaller India-Pakistan wars. By looking at the nuclear arsenals of the four countries and potential targets, the researchers calculated the amount of soot that would be dispersed into the atmosphere from the resulting firestorms and block out the Sun.The researchers then used the Community Earth System Model (CESM), a climate simulation tool supported by the National Center for Atmospheric Research, to determine the short- and long-term effects of the atmospheric soot on ocean functions.In the U.S.-Russia war scenario, shortwave radiation from the Sun was reduced by 70 percent and the global average surface temperature declined by 7 degrees Celsius (12 Fahrenheit degrees) in the first months, with more extreme cooling in the Northern Hemisphere. In turn, Arctic Sea ice expanded by 10 million square kilometers (4 million square miles), covering over 50 per cent more area, including normally ice-free coastal regions that are important for fishing, aquaculture and shipping.In all scenarios - from the detonation of a hundred warheads to thousands - the ocean "does not return to the pre-war state when the smoke clears," according to the study. "Instead, the ocean takes many decades to return to normal, and some parts of the ocean would likely stay in the new state for hundreds of years or longer."In addition to sea ice expansion and the development of what the researchers call a "Nuclear Little Ice Age," cooling would alter ocean currents, upend ocean macronutrients and deplete fish stocks by about 20 percent in the first decade after war."A nuclear war would be a significant planetary tipping point. With Russia at war in Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin threatening to use nuclear weapons, these findings are a strong warning that the world simply cannot go down that path," said Robock. —ANI

According to a Rutgers researcher and an international team of geoscientists, led by Cheryl S. Harrison at Louisiana State University, even the smallest nuclear war would devastate ocean systems, leading to sharp declines in fish stocks, expansion of ice sheets into coastal communities and changes in ocean currents that would take decades or longer to reverse.

Smallest Nuclear War Would Devastate Ocean Systems, Say Researchers

Santiago : Two earthquakes with magnitudes of 6.3 and 5.2 shook Chile's Easter Island, but did not generate a tsunami threat, the National Emergency Office of the Ministry of Interior and Public Security reported.The Ministry detailed that the first tremor, measuring 6.3, was registered at 3:17 p.m., 699 km to the northwest of Easter Island, a Chilean island territory located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.The second quake, measuring 5.2, occurred at 3:28 p.m., 700 km northwest of Easter Island, according to data published by the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service of the Chilean Navy on its website, Xinhua news agency reported.Chile is situated on the Ring of Fire in the Pacific and is considered one of the most seismic countries on the planet. -- (IANS)

Two earthquakes with magnitudes of 6.3 and 5.2 shook Chile's Easter Island, but did not generate a tsunami threat, the National Emergency Office of the Ministry of Interior and Public Security reported.

 Two earthquakes strike Chile's Easter Island

Washington:&nbsp;Warmer oceans can lead to large amounts of methane being released from the seabeds which may amplify climate warming. A new study develops a method for increasing emissions of methane from seabeds.Vast reservoirs of the potent greenhouse gas methane are stored beneath the sea in a solid ice-like combination with water. This solid is known as methane hydrate. For over three decades, various concerns have been raised that warming the seafloor may cause this methane to be rapidly released, perhaps even reaching the atmosphere where it would cause further climate warming. Happily, this methane hydrate is mostly located beneath the seafloor and under hundreds of meters of seawater. Even if warming melts, this methane hydrates and releases methane gas, the natural microbial filters present in the seafloor were expected to destroy most of the methane before it ever reaches the open seawater.However, there have been some gaps in our knowledge of the relevant seafloor processes. In particular, can seafloor warming be rapid enough that methane hydrate could melt so fast that the released methane would overwhelm and ultimately bypass the natural microbial filters? "The microbial filter layer in the sediment -- we call it the 'sulfate-methane transition', where methane is removed -- is somewhat delicate," explains Assistant Professor Christian Stranne at the Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University. "The filter layer takes many years to form and reach peak methane-consuming efficiency. The filter is a living thing, made of microorganisms that consume methane under anaerobic (no-oxygen) conditions. The filter also moves up and down within the sediment, depending on the rate at which methane is reaching it."In a new study, just published in Communications Earth and Environment, Stranne and colleagues from Stockholm University and Linnaeus University have combined a new model of the biological behaviour and vertical movements of this microbial filter with existing models of seafloor sediments' physical behaviour. The physical parts of the model include processes such as how cracks form and methane can move up through the sediment after methane hydrates melt.Christian Stranne explains: "Imagine that the amount of methane rising through the sediment suddenly increases, as might happen if methane hydrate begins to melt faster. It can take decades for the filter to adjust itself to consume methane at the new rate. Our new study shows that during the time that the filter is not reestablished, substantial methane can leak past the filter, and into the ocean water."Despite this "window of opportunity," methane from melting hydrates that reaches the seawater faces further methane-destroying processes. These processes make it nearly impossible for substantial methane from methane hydrate melting to reach the atmosphere. However, methods, as demonstrated in this study, can be applied to other regions where seafloor-released methane is much shallower and is more likely to reach the atmosphere, such as the Arctic continental shelves, according to Christian Stranne."Methane hydrates are a massive storehouse of carbon, so it remains important to understand how they interact with ocean changes, and potentially, the atmosphere, over long and, in the case of our study, rather short timescales. We now know that there is indeed a possible process for melting methane hydrates to temporarily bypass what was previously thought to be a strong filter in the sediment," says Christian Stranne.The warming rate is, however, of great importance: "Our results suggest that if our oceans warm at a pace significantly lower than 1 °C per 100 years, the filter can keep up with the pace and remain highly efficient. Unfortunately, we see higher warming rates than that in some of our oceans." —ANI

Warmer oceans can lead to large amounts of methane being released from the seabeds which may amplify climate warming. A new study develops a method for increasing emissions of methane from seabeds.

Study: Warmer Oceans Lead To Release Of Methane From Seabeds

New Delhi (The Hawk): Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has taken many initiatives to harness the potential of Ocean resources.Under the schemes “Ocean—Services, Modelling, Application, Resources and Technology (O-SMART)” and “Deep Ocean Mission (DOM)” of MoES, resource inventories for energy, fisheries, and minerals have been taken up. Government of India signed a 15 year contract with International Seabed Authority (ISA) for exploration of polymetallic nodules from Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) in 2002. Extensive survey and other developmental activities have been carried out in 75000 sq km area retained by India in CIOB. MoES has undertaken exploration and other developmental activities related to polymetallic sulphides under a 15 years contract signed in 2016 with International Seabed Authority (ISA) for exploration of polymetallic sulphides in the allotted area of 10,000 sq km along Central Indian Ridge (CIR) &amp; Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR) region of the Indian Ocean.National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) under MoES has developed, demonstrated and operated unmanned remotely operated systems to harness ocean resources. Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE) of MoES explored the deep-sea living resources under Marine Living Resources Programme (MLRP). The programme covers the regular monitoring of the Indian ecosystems covering pelagic to deep sea realms vis-à-vis documenting the taxonomic information and development of technology for harnessing resources.Geological Survey of India (GSI) under Ministry of Mines has delineated prospective offshore areas within Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of India for marine mineral resources like lime mud, heavy mineral placers [ilmenite, monazite, rutile, sillimanite, garnet, zircon], and construction sand. Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry &amp; Dairying has taken several initiatives over the years for development of marine fisheries in sustainable manner.This information was given by the Minister of State (I/C) for M/o Earth Sciences and M/o Science &amp; Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has taken many initiatives to harness the potential of Ocean resources

Harnessing Ocean Resources

Stanford (California): Scientists have compiled a sizable biologging dataset using sophisticated electronic tags to gain comparative insights into how "elasmobranchs," such as sharks, rays, and skates, use the ocean's depths.
Others dive hundreds of metres or more of the slope waters into the twilight zone, beyond where sunlight can penetrate, while some species spend their entire lives in shallow waters close to our shores on the continental shelf. The ability to examine the threats that these animals face and direct future management and conservation plans will be provided by this new understanding of how elasmobranchs use the ocean.
The largest global investigation of where and when a diverse group of elasmobranchs move vertically was conducted in a study led by Stanford University and ZSL (Zoological Society of London) researchers and published on August 19 in Science Advances. Two decades of data from satellite and archival tags that remotely tracked the movements and behaviours of 38 species in oceans around the world were compiled by a team of 171 researchers from 135 institutions in 25 countries.
Samantha Andrzejaczek, the co-lead author of the study and postdoctoral research fellow at Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station, said, "For the first time, we have a standardised, global database that we used to fill important knowledge gaps about the diving behaviours of sharks and rays. This will make it possible to better understand how fisheries interact with elasmobranchs and how to manage many of these incredibly long-lived creatures.
Movement in three dimensions
Numerous marine species that live in the coastal ocean's near-surface regions have already been extensively studied by scientists for their movement patterns. To survey marine communities and populations, for instance, drones, scuba divers, and other techniques are used to a depth of about 50 metres. However, little is known about animal movement in three dimensions, particularly in the deeper, vertical spaces of the ocean.
Rays and sharks are well-known but endangered ocean species. Understanding their fundamental ecology is essential to their efficient management, according to David Curnick, co-author of the study and director of ZSL's Ocean Predator Lab. But for many species, our understanding of their basic behaviour is limited, and what we do know frequently only encompasses what can be seen in surface waters.
A variety of electronic tags that can be used to tag various elasmobranch species have developed over the past 20 years. Stanford researchers have been at the forefront of developing biologging tags and using these techniques on sharks and rays.
Elasmobranchs frequently move vertically, and this movement seems to correspond to the ocean's diel (twice daily) vertical migration. Small fish and invertebrates migrate from the light, topmost ocean layer to the relatively safe depths of deeper, darker water at dawn, followed by the animals that feed on them. They come back to the surface at night to eat.
According to Andrzejaczek, "we believe that during their diurnal migrations, sharks and rays follow food resources up and down the water column."
According to the study, about one-third of species frequently descend to cold, oxygen-poor depths that have little visibility because of biological activity related to productivity. White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) have been observed to dive to depths of more than 1200 metres, while whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) have been observed to dive to depths of up to 1896 metres, which is close to the pressure limit of 2000 metres for current sensors.
Deep divers may be avoiding hunters as potential prey or searching for food in deeper water, according to Andrzejaczek. "Some of the biggest sharks and rays will feed on smaller sharks and rays. We discovered that 13 species have members who can dive more than 1000 metres, which is an incredibly deep depth. Some people might need to cool off while diving. "Large sharks may need to dive to cool off when they spend too much time in the warm surface waters, a form of behavioural thermoregulation," she continued.
The researchers also discovered species overlap in similar vertical spaces. Despite having very different evolutionary histories, the vertical distributions of whale sharks, tiger sharks, and oceanic manta rays were remarkably similar. Relationships between predators and prey probably cause this closeness. According to Andrzejaczek, plankton is a food source for both whale sharks and oceanic manta rays, and the tiger shark has been known to prey on both of those species.
A foundation for future management
The area of the ocean that receives sunlight, known as the photic zone or epipelagic, extends from the surface to a depth of about 200 metres and may be hazardous for elasmobranchs. They are most likely to come into contact with fishing gear there, either as bycatch or as a target species. Researchers discovered that 26 of the 38 species they examined spent more than 95% of their time in the top 250 metres of the water column.
According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, more than one-third of all sharks and rays face extinction.
According to Barbara Block, the Prothro Professor of Marine Sciences at Stanford, whose tagging programmes like TOPP contributed 25% of the data set, "These data provide the foundation for future management of global elasmobranch resources. It has taken a team of scientists thousands of hours tagging and tracking the sharks with global satellite and biologging systems to make this possibility happen."
Elasmobranchs play important ecological roles in the ocean today and in the future, and their vulnerability to various threats depends on our understanding of how they use vertical habitats. The distribution of species may be affected by changes in ocean temperature and oxygen levels, which may also result in the creation of new conditions and threats, according to science.
Andrzejaczek stated that "human beings are unaccustomed to thinking of habitat in the vertical dimension. "We hope that this study will help people realise the importance of management plans that take into account this underappreciated aspect of elasmobranch behaviour. We could use these data, for instance, to learn more about the interactions between sharks and human fisheries.
Data from increasingly sophisticated and precise tags with sensitive sensors that can function in deep water and withstand the rigours of the environment were combined in this three-year study, along with data from improved analytical tools to incorporate various types of movement data. The tags were also mounted on a shark or ray. The international collaboration between biologging researchers has been a key component. Large-scale scientific investigations like this one require enormous levels of cooperation, according to Curnick. "We combine the expertise and knowledge of researchers from all over the world. The outcome is much greater than any one researcher or organisation could accomplish independently. —ANI

Scientists have compiled a sizable biologging dataset using sophisticated electronic tags to gain comparative insights into how "elasmobranchs," such as sharks, rays, and skates, use the ocean's depths.

Want To Know How Sharks Use The Ocean? Read Here

Miami: According to a recent study, the benefits would be insignificant even if we had the infinite ability to artificially cool the oceans to the point where they would become weaker hurricanes. The Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science at the University of Miami (UM) conducted the study, which demonstrated that using intervention technology to weaken a hurricane before it reaches landfall is a very ineffective way to lessen the effects of disasters.
According to James Hlywiak, the study's primary author and alumnus of the UM Rosenstiel School, "the main finding from our study is that huge amounts of artificially cooled water would be needed for only a slight drop in storm intensity before impact." Additionally, a marginally reduced intensity doesn't necessarily suggest that the risk of inland damage and safety issues will also be reduced. While any amount of weakening before landfall is a good thing, for these reasons it makes more sense to focus on adaptation strategies like strengthening infrastructure, enhancing the effectiveness of evacuation procedures, and developing the science surrounding impending storm detection and prediction.
The scientists combined air-sea interaction theories with a highly advanced computer model of the atmosphere to provide scientifically sound answers to inquiries concerning the efficacy of artificially cooling the ocean to weaken storms.
They cooled regions of the ocean up to 260,000 km2 in size, which is larger than the state of Oregon and equals 21,000 cubic kilometres of water, by up to 2 degrees Celsius in their computer models. Even with the biggest cooling area, the simulated hurricanes only shrank by 15%. More than 100 times as much energy as was utilised in the entire United States in 2019 alone was taken out of the ocean to achieve this modest reduction. You might assume that the major conclusion of our article--that it is useless to attempt to weaken hurricanes--should be evident, according to senior author David Nolan, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School. "However, several suggestions for hurricane modification are frequently found in the media and occasionally even go as far as being filed for patents. We're pleased to have contributed to the peer-reviewed literature something that genuinely addresses this. —ANI

According to a recent study, the benefits would be insignificant even if we had the infinite ability to artificially cool the oceans to the point where they would become weaker hurricanes.

Study Suggests ITs Useless To Artificially Cool Water To Decrease Hurricanes

Washington: After discovering acidity levels increasing three to four times faster in the western region of the Arctic Ocean than in any ocean waters elsewhere, an international team of researchers has sounded new alarm bells.
The team, which includes University of Delaware marine chemistry expert Wei-Jun Cai, also identified a strong correlation between the accelerated rate of melting ice in the region and the rate of ocean acidification, a perilous combination that threatens the survival of plants, shellfish, coral reefs and other marine life and biological processes throughout the planet's ecosystem.
The new study, published on Thursday, Sept. 30 in Science, the flagship journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, is the first analysis of Arctic acidification that includes data from more than two decades, spanning the period from 1994 to 2020. Scientists have predicted that by 2050 -- if not sooner -- Arctic sea ice in this region will no longer survive the increasingly warm summer seasons. As a result of this sea-ice retreat each summer, the ocean's chemistry will grow more acidic, with no persistent ice cover to slow or otherwise mitigate the advance.
That creates life-threatening problems for the enormously diverse population of sea creatures, plants and other living things that depend on a healthy ocean for survival. Crabs, for example, live in a crusty shell built from the calcium carbonate prevalent in ocean water. Polar bears rely on healthy fish populations for food, fish and sea birds rely on plankton and plants, and seafood is a key element of many humans' diets.
That makes acidification of these distant waters a big deal for many of the planet's inhabitants.
First, a quick refresher course on pH levels, indicates how acidic or alkaline a given liquid is. Any liquid that contains water can be characterized by its pH level, which ranges from 0 to 14, with pure water considered neutral with a pH of 7. All levels lower than 7 are acidic, and all levels greater than 7 are basic or alkaline, with each full step representing a tenfold difference in the hydrogen ion concentration. Examples on the acidic side include battery acid, which checks in at 0 pH, gastric acid (1), black coffee (5) and milk (6.5). Tilting toward basic are blood (7.4), baking soda (9.5), ammonia (11) and drain cleaner (14). Seawater is normally alkaline, with a pH value of around 8.1.
Cai, the Mary A.S. Lighthipe Professor in the School of Marine Science and Policy in UD's College of Earth, Ocean and Environment, has published significant research on the changing chemistry of the planet's oceans and this month completed a cruise from Nova Scotia to Florida, serving as a chief scientist among 27 aboard the research vessel. The work, supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), includes four areas of study: The East Coast, the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Coast and the Alaska/Arctic region.
The new study in Science included UD postdoctoral researcher Zhangxian Ouyang, who participated in a recent voyage to collect data in the Chukchi Sea and Canada Basin in the Arctic Ocean.
The first author of the publication was Di Qi, who works with Chinese research institutes in Xiamen and Qingdao. Also collaborating on this publication were scientists from Seattle, Sweden, Russia and six other Chinese research sites.
"You can't just go by yourself," Cai said. "This international collaboration is very important for collecting long-term data over a large area in the remote ocean. In recent years, we have also collaborated with Japanese scientists as accessing the Arctic water was even harder in the past three years due to COVID-19. And we always have European scientists participating."
Cai said he and Qi both were baffled when they first reviewed the Arctic data together during a conference in Shanghai. The acidity of the water was increasing three to four times faster than in ocean waters elsewhere.
That was stunning indeed. But why was it happening?
Cai soon identified a prime suspect: the increased sea ice melt during the Arctic's summer season.
Historically, the Arctic's sea ice has melted in shallow marginal regions during summer. That started to change in the 1980s, Cai said, but waxed and waned periodically. In the past 15 years, the ice melt has accelerated, advancing into the deep basin in the north.
For a while, scientists thought the melting ice could provide a promising "carbon sink," where carbon dioxide from the atmosphere would be sucked into the cold, carbon-hungry waters hidden under the ice. That cold water would hold more carbon dioxide than warmer waters could and might help to offset the effects of increased carbon dioxide elsewhere in the atmosphere.
When Cai first studied the Arctic Ocean in 2008, he saw that the ice had melted beyond the Chukchi Sea in the northwest corner of the region, all the way to the Canada Basin -- far beyond its typical range. He and his collaborators found that the fresh meltwater did not mix into deeper waters, which would have diluted the carbon dioxide. Instead, the surface water soaked up the carbon dioxide until it reached about the same levels as in the atmosphere and then stopped collecting it. They reported this result in a paper in Science in 2010.
That would also change the pH level of the Arctic waters, they knew, reducing the alkaline levels of the seawater and reducing its ability to resist acidification. But how much? And how soon? It took them another decade to collect enough data to derive a sound conclusion on the long-term acidification trend.
Analyzing data gathered from 1994 to 2020 - the first time such a long-term perspective was possible -- Cai, Qi and their collaborators found an extraordinary increase in acidification and a strong correlation with the increasing rate of melting ice. They point to sea-ice melt as the key mechanism to explain this rapid pH decrease because it changes the physics and chemistry of the surface water in three primary ways:
- The water under the sea ice, which had a deficit of carbon dioxide, now is exposed to atmospheric carbon dioxide and can take up carbon dioxide freely.
- The seawater mixed with meltwater is light and cannot mix easily into deeper waters, which means the carbon dioxide taken from the atmosphere is concentrated at the surface.
- The meltwater dilutes the carbonate ion concentration in the seawater, weakening its ability to neutralize the carbon dioxide into bicarbonate and rapidly decreasing ocean pH.
Cai said more research is required to further refine the above mechanism and better predict future changes, but the data so far show again the far-reaching ripple effects of climate change. "If all of the multiple-year ice is replaced by first-year ice, then there will be lower alkalinity and lower buffer capacity and acidification continues," he said. "By 2050, we think all of the ice will be gone in the summer. Some papers predict that will happen by 2030. And if we follow the current trend for 20 more years, the summer acidification will be really, really strong."&nbsp;
No one knows exactly what that will do to the creatures and plants and other living things that depend on healthy ocean waters.
"How will this affect the biology there?" Cai asked. "That is why this is important." —ANI

After discovering acidity levels increasing three to four times faster in the western region of the Arctic Ocean than in any ocean waters elsewhere, an international team of researchers has sounded new alarm bells.

Link Between Ocean Acidification And Fast-Melting Arctic Ice Discovered By Scientists

Washington: An international team of researchers has found acidity levels increasing three to four times faster than ocean waters elsewhere and a strong correlation between the accelerated rate of melting ice in the region and the rate of ocean acidification. This threatens the Earth's climate and the survival of plants, shellfish, coral reefs and other marine life.
The team, which includes University of Delaware marine chemistry expert Wei-Jun Cai, also identified a strong correlation between the accelerated rate of melting ice in the region and the rate of ocean acidification, a perilous combination that threatens the survival of plants, shellfish, coral reefs and other marine life and biological processes throughout the planet's ecosystem. The new study, published on Thursday, Sept. 30 in Science, the flagship journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, is the first analysis of Arctic acidification that includes data from more than two decades, spanning the period from 1994 to 2020.
Scientists have predicted that by 2050 -- if not sooner -- Arctic sea ice in this region will no longer survive the increasingly warm summer seasons. As a result of this sea-ice retreat each summer, the ocean's chemistry will grow more acidic, with no persistent ice cover to slow or otherwise mitigate the advance. That creates life-threatening problems for the enormously diverse population of sea creatures, plants and other living things that depend on a healthy ocean for survival. Crabs, for example, live in a crusty shell built from the calcium carbonate prevalent in ocean water. Polar bears rely on healthy fish populations for food, fish and sea birds rely on plankton and plants, and seafood is a key element of many humans' diets. That makes acidification of these distant waters a big deal for many of the planet's inhabitants.
First, a quick refresher course on pH levels, which indicate how acidic or alkaline a given liquid is. Any liquid that contains water can be characterized by its pH level, which ranges from 0 to 14, with pure water considered neutral with a pH of 7. All levels lower than 7 are acidic, all levels greater than 7 are basic or alkaline, with each full step representing a tenfold difference in the hydrogen ion concentration. Examples on the acidic side include battery acid, which checks in at 0 pH, gastric acid (1), black coffee (5) and milk (6.5). Tilting toward basic are blood (7.4), baking soda (9.5), ammonia (11) and drain cleaner (14). Seawater is normally alkaline, with a pH value of around 8.1. Cai, the Mary A.S. Lighthipe Professor in the School of Marine Science and Policy in UD's College of Earth, Ocean and Environment, has published significant research on the changing chemistry of the planet's oceans and this month completed a cruise from Nova Scotia to Florida, serving as chief scientist among 27 aboard the research vessel. The work, supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), includes four areas of study: The East Coast, the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Coast and the Alaska/Arctic region. The new study in Science included UD postdoctoral researcher Zhangxian Ouyang, who participated in a recent voyage to collect data in the Chukchi Sea and Canada Basin in the Arctic Ocean.
The first author on the publication was Di Qi, who works with Chinese research institutes in Xiamen and Qingdao. Also collaborating on this publication were scientists from Seattle, Sweden, Russia and six other Chinese research sites. "You can't just go by yourself," Cai said. "This international collaboration is very important for collecting long-term data over a large area in the remote ocean. In recent years, we have also collaborated with Japanese scientists as accessing the Arctic water was even harder in the past three years due to COVID-19. And we always have European scientists participating."
Cai said he and Qi both were baffled when they first reviewed the Arctic data together during a conference in Shanghai. The acidity of the water was increasing three to four times faster than ocean waters elsewhere.
That was stunning indeed. But why was it happening?
Cai soon identified a prime suspect: the increased melt of sea ice during the Arctic's summer season. Historically, the Arctic's sea ice has melted in shallow marginal regions during the summer seasons. That started to change in the 1980s, Cai said, but waxed and waned periodically. In the past 15 years, the ice melt has accelerated, advancing into the deep basin in the north. For a while, scientists thought the melting ice could provide a promising "carbon sink," where carbon dioxide from the atmosphere would be sucked into the cold, carbon-hungry waters that had been hidden under the ice. That cold water would hold more carbon dioxide than warmer waters could and might help to offset the effects of increased carbon dioxide elsewhere in the atmosphere.
When Cai first studied the Arctic Ocean in 2008, he saw that the ice had melted beyond the Chukchi Sea in the northwest corner of the region, all the way to the Canada Basin -- far beyond its typical range. He and his collaborators found that the fresh meltwater did not mix into deeper waters, which would have diluted the carbon dioxide. Instead, the surface water soaked up the carbon dioxide until it reached about the same levels as in the atmosphere and then stopped collecting it. They reported this result in a paper in Science in 2010.
That would also change the pH level of the Arctic waters, they knew, reducing the alkaline levels of the seawater and reducing its ability to resist acidification. But how much? And how soon? It took them another decade to collect enough data to derive a sound conclusion on the long-term acidification trend. Analyzing data gathered from 1994 to 2020 -- the first time such a long-term perspective was possible -- Cai, Qi and their collaborators found an extraordinary increase in acidification and a strong correlation with the increasing rate of melting ice. They point to sea-ice melt as the key mechanism to explain this rapid pH decrease, because it changes the physics and chemistry of the surface water in three primary ways:
The water under the sea ice, which had a deficit of carbon dioxide, now is exposed to the atmospheric carbon dioxide and can take up carbon dioxide freely.
The seawater mixed with meltwater is light and cannot mix easily into deeper waters, which means the carbon dioxide taken from the atmosphere is concentrated at the surface. The meltwater dilutes the carbonate ion concentration in the seawater, weakening its ability to neutralize the carbon dioxide into bicarbonate and rapidly decreasing ocean pH.
Cai said more research is required to further refine the above mechanism and better predict future changes, but the data so far show again the far-reaching ripple effects of climate change.
"If all of the multiple-year ice is replaced by first-year ice, then there will be lower alkalinity and lower buffer capacity and acidification continues," he said. "By 2050, we think all of the ice will be gone in the summer. Some papers predict that will happen by 2030. And if we follow the current trend for 20 more years, the summer acidification will be really, really strong." No one knows exactly what that will do to the creatures and plants and other living things that depend on healthy ocean waters. "How will this affect the biology there?" Cai asked. "That is why this is important." —ANI

An international team of researchers has found acidity levels increasing three to four times faster than ocean waters elsewhere and a strong correlation between the accelerated rate of melting ice in the region and the rate of ocean acidification. This threatens the Earth's climate and the survival of plants, shellfish, coral reefs and other marine life.

Scientists Find Link Between Fast-Melting Arctic Ice And Ocean Acidification

Tokyo (Japan): According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, SSTs in August 2020 in the southern region of Japan and the northwest Pacific Ocean reached previously unheard-of heights (JMA).
The record-high northwestern Pacific SST seen in August 2020 could not be anticipated to occur without human-induced climate changes, according to a recent study that was released in January 2021.
Since then, the JMA has once more reported that record-breaking SSTs were seen close to Japan in July and October 2021 as well as from June to August 2022. However, it is still unknown how much climate change has affected the possibility that these regional extreme warming episodes would occur.
"Impacts of global warming are not uniform, rather show regional and seasonal differences," said a co-author Hideo Shiogama, the head of the Earth System Risk Assessment Section at Earth System Division, NIES. "A comprehensive analysis of regional SSTs for a long period may provide a quantitative understanding of how much ocean condition near Japan has been and will be affected by global warming. This better informs policymakers to plan climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies."
The study, which was published in Geophysical Research Letters, examines the role that global warming plays in the distinct monthly intense ocean warming events that occur in Japan's marginal seas and that, in the preindustrial age, might have happened less frequently than once every 20 years.
The Japan Sea, East China Sea, Okinawa Islands, Taiwan's east coast, and the Pacific shores of Japan were among the ten monitoring zones that the JMA uses in its daily operations. With the exception of the area east of Hokkaido, the scientists confirmed that the observed SST variations between 1982 and 2021 were accurately simulated by 24 climate models taking part in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6sixth )'s phase.
In order to determine the contribution, exceptional ocean warming occurrences were then discovered in nine monitoring regions.
Extreme ocean warming and climate change
"In the present climate, every extreme ocean warming event is linked to global warming," said corresponding lead author Michiya Hayashi, a research associate at NIES. The scientists estimated the occurrence frequencies of each event in the present and preindustrial climate conditions from January 1982 through July 2022 based on the CMIP6 climate models.
"We found that the occurrence probability of almost all the extreme ocean warming events has already at least doubled since the 2000s than the preindustrial era. It is increased more than tenfold in sizeable cases since the mid-2010s, especially in southern Japan."
For instance, the extreme ocean warming episodes in July 2022 are identified as the anomalously high SSTs detected in five monitoring areas, including the Japan Sea (Areas 1, 3), East China Sea (Areas 5, 8), and south of Okinawa near Taiwan (Area 10).
The updated results based on the preliminary data downloaded from the NEAR-GOOS RRTDB website on September 15, 2022 (not included in the paper published) reveal that the events are also identified in six monitoring areas south of 35°N for August 2022: the East China Sea (Areas 5, 8), the south and east of Okinawa (Areas 10, 9), the southeast of Kanto (Area 7), and the seas off Shikoku and Tokai (Area 6). "We estimate that, in all of these identified events in July and August 2022, the occurrence frequencies are increased at least doubled due to climate change, and more than tenfold for those in the south of 35°N except for the north of East China Sea," stated Hayashi. "Climate change impacts on extreme ocean warming events in northern Japan began to emerge relatively late compared to southern Japan," noted Shiogama. The increased global aerosol emissions until the 1980s tend to cool the Earth's surface, which is more substantial in the North Pacific especially near northern Japan via atmospheric large-scale circulation changes. In addition, the year-to-year natural variability of SST is large in northern Japan so the global warming signal was less detectable than in southern Japan. Since in the last decades global aerosol emissions have been reduced, the cooling effect becomes less dominant to human-induced greenhouse gas warming.
"Our study indicates," continued Shiogama, "that the contribution of climate change to SST extremes has been already discernible beyond natural variability even in northern Japan under the present climate condition."
What about the predicted changes in ocean conditions? Using the results from 24 CMIP6 climate models from 1901 to 2100, the researchers further examined the likelihood of exceeding the monthly record high SSTs around Japan at various levels of global warming from 0°C to 2°C. Tomoo Ogura, a co-author and the chief of the Climate Modeling and Analysis Section at Earth System Division, NIES, stated, "Once global warming exceeds 2°C, all of nine monitoring regions are predicted to experience SSTs warmer than the past highest values at least every two years."
He continued, "Limiting global warming below 1.5°C is important to prevent the new normal climate in Japan's peripheral waters becoming the record warm circumstances."
According to a quantitative investigation of SSTs near Japan, climate change is already the main cause of the majority of the recent record-high SSTs. Future analysis of the dynamics of each significant warming event must take into account both long-term climate change and annual natural variability, according to Hayashi.
"However, we anticipate that our statistical findings based on the most recent climate models will contribute to the implementation of climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies." —ANI

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, SSTs in August 2020 in the southern region of Japan and the northwest Pacific Ocean reached previously unheard-of heights (JMA).

Extreme Ocean Warming Near Japan Now At Least Twice More Likely Due To Global Warming

Gothenburg (Sweden): Sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is melting as a result of climate change. According to a study published in the journal Science and co-authored by researchers from the University of Gothenburg, carbon dioxide intake increases and disrupts the aquatic food chain when the Arctic ocean loses its sea ice cover.
Researchers have been able to observe how the pH of the ocean north of Alaska and Siberia has dramatically reduced by comparing data from numerous Arctic missions. The Arctic Ocean has been becoming more acidic at a rate that is three to four times quicker than that of other oceans in recent decades.
This is due to the fact that seawater absorbs more carbon dioxide when it comes into direct contact with the atmosphere without the help of ice. The sea ice has historically prevented carbon dioxide from becoming saturated in the seawater around the North Pole. "The time series of pH measurements made in the Arctic Ocean is long. The oldest are from an expedition in 1994 when the ice sheet was extensive and thick, and measurements were taken in the leads between the ice floes. On the expedition in 2014, the icebreaker Oden was able to travel in open water halfway from Siberia to the North Pole," says Leif Anderson, a researcher in marine chemistry at the University of Gothenburg and one of the authors of the study.&nbsp;
Acidification most significant in cold oceans
The pH scale, the measured acidification during the past 30 years is equivalent to around 0.1. If carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere continue to rise at the same rate they are now, the researchers predict that the pH value will drop by another 0.3 by the turn of the century. The coldest oceans will be most affected. How much carbon dioxide can be dissolved in the ocean depends on the temperature of the water. Due to alterations in the chemistry of saltwater, more freshwater from melted sea ice also has a greater acidification effect by absorbing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Strong Pacific Ocean currents are pushing nutrient-rich water up to the northern oceans, and the Arctic's ice-free waters are experiencing a high rate of phytoplankton primary production throughout the long summer days. Because phytoplankton absorbs a lot of carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, the water is undersaturated with carbon dioxide as it travels further north under the polar ice. However, because there is less sea ice throughout the summer, the seas are getting more acidic as a result of the seawater's continued absorption of carbon dioxide.
Sea butterflies may be adversely affected
Marine life in the arctic oceans is already being affected by acidification, according to researchers.
"Phytoplankton, which takes up carbon dioxide, are benefiting from climate change. For other species, however, the news is not so good. Sea butterflies are a species of predatory sea snail that have shells of aragonite which they form from calcium and carbonate ions. We have measured lower and lower aragonite saturation levels of in the ocean from our expeditions," says Leif Anderson. For many whales that often move up to the Arctic Ocean to graze and gain weight, sea butterflies are a crucial species and an essential staple meal. However, there may be less food in the pantry right now.
Polar seas are getting increasingly acidic due to a number of factors, including a decrease in sea ice cover and the warming of the high Arctic tundra. There is a significant release and transport of organic carbon into the Arctic rivers, where it breaks down into carbon dioxide and other compounds, lowering pH levels.
"All of these factors are consequences of climate change, and more open waters in the Arctic is amplifying their effects," says Leif Anderson. —ANI

 Sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is melting as a result of climate change. According to a study published in the journal Science and co-authored by researchers from the University of Gothenburg, carbon dioxide intake increases and disrupts the aquatic food chain when the Arctic ocean loses its sea ice cover.

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