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One-Fifth of Global Ocean Has Darkened Since 2003, Shrinking Key Sunlit Zones
- Scientists at the University of Plymouth discovered that over the two decades from 2003 to 2022, darkening occurred across more than one-fifth of the world’s oceans, leading to a reduction in sunlit marine zones spanning approximately 75 million square kilometers.
- This darkening results from shifts in plankton communities, algal blooms, nutrient runoff, and warming-driven ocean circulation changes affecting light penetration in surface waters.
- The photic zone, where nearly 90% of ocean life depends on sunlight, has contracted by more than 50 meters in 9% of ocean areas, forcing animals closer to the surface and intensifying competition for resources.
- Dr. Thomas Davies explained that darkening of the ocean’s surface limits the habitats accessible to marine species that depend on sunlight and moonlight for their life processes, posing threats to ocean ecosystems and humanity’s ability to adapt to climate change.
- These changes threaten marine biodiversity, fisheries, oxygen production, and carbon absorption, suggesting fundamental disruptions to ocean ecosystems and the climate system supporting life on Earth.
57 Articles
57 Articles
The Ocean Is Getting Darker, Threatening All That Lives Within
Almost all life in the ocean depends on the upper waters where sunlight filters in, known as the photic zone – but new research suggests this narrow window of valuable marine light is shrinking in oceans worldwide.
Heartbreaking Video Shows Fish Fleeing Huge Nets
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20% of Earth's oceans have darkened in recent decades. What to know
Related video: Coral bleaching has now hit 84% of the Earth's reefs (NewsNation) — More than 20% of the Earth's oceans have darkened over the last 20 years, potentially leaving some marine life in the dark, according to new research from the University of Plymouth. Researchers observed darkening in the photic zone of the oceans, where light filters through water in a sufficient enough way to sustain species that rely on sunlight and moonlight. I…
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