Ocean oxygen levels are on the decline

[Righteous]

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-ocean-is-running-out-of-breath-scientists-warn/

 

[Righteous]

As a reef keeper, whenever people come over and want to talk about the tank, I try to work in stuff like this. I feel like when people are oooing and awing over stuff is the time to get a little education in. :D

They also see that you know what your doing to keep such a tank alive, so I think people are more receptive to the information.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

This is grade A global warming alarmism.
Declining O2 levels or not, it is not proof of warming, let alone man made warming.

Did you know that the energy needed to warm the atmosphere by 100C would only warm the ocean by 1C, because of the heat capacity of the ocean is so much larger.

Between 2005 and 2017, the global network of thousands of Argo floats have measured an average temperature increase of the upper half of the ocean of 0.04 deg. C.
That’s less than 0.004 C/year, an inconceivably small number.

How did life in the ocean survive, & how were calcifying organisms able to produce major reef building episodes
when CO2 was on average 5,000 ppm (12.5 times present levels) & global temperatures was on average 8C warmer than now???



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_reef#History

Times of maximum reef development were

A. The Middle Cambrian 513–501 million years ago (CO2 over 5,000 ppm, average temperature 8°C above present

B. The Devonian 416–359 million years ago (CO2 3,000 to 4,000 ppm, average temperature 8°C above present

C. The Carboniferous 359–299 million years ago (CO2 at present level, temperature range 6°C above present to 10°C below present

D. Late Cretaceous 100–66 million years ago (CO2 1,000 ppm, average temperature 8°C above present

E. And all Neogene 23 million years ago to present), owing to order Scleractinia corals. (CO2 above, to well below present levels, temperature range 5°C above present to 10°C below present.


As seen in the graph calcareous reefs in one form or another have evolved & persisted through all the extremes of ocean & atmospheric temperatures ranges, & carbon dioxide level fluctuations imaginable.
CO2 levels from over 5,000 ppm to 150 ppm. Average high temperatures of 10°C above present to 10°C below present. And seal levels that have fluctuated by more than 300 metres, possibly more than 400 metres, over geologic time.

And yet they have persisted. And although reefs that existed during the Middle Cambrian period (513–501 million years ago) resulted from calcareous algae and archaeocyathids, they were still calcifying organisms like corals are today. What was the pH of the ocean at that time when atmospheric CO2 was over 5,000 ppm? 12.5 times higher than today, in water far warmer than now?

 

[kschweer]

Hey all. Just wanted to post here real quick. Historically these threads turn argumentative and political very quickly. We are happy to allow a healthy discussion on this topic but once it turns political, argumentative or has personal attacks we will not allow it. Due to the fact that we have had many issues with these threads, if this one starts to lean that way we will close it right away. Thanks for understanding.

 

[CubsFan]

Just close it.

 

[Fourstars]

"How did life in the ocean survive, & how were calcifying organisms able to produce major reef building episodes
when CO2 was on average 5,000 ppm (12.5 times present levels) & global temperatures was on average 8C warmer than now???"

Let me try. because the reef evolved in those temps over a long time period. The ocean warning we see today is unprecedented in history and the corals can not adapt fast enough?

 

[WVNed]

Here is the caption to the photo in the article

Sediment in the Gulf of Mexico that originates in part from rivers like the Mississippi. The river sediment carries nutrients from fertilizers that fuel algae blooms and deplete ocean oxygen levels. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

That process has nothing to do with global warming.

I stopped reading magazines like this because there is no science in them anymore. We used to keep National Geographic for decades.
Now I read it in 1/2 hour and put it in the trashcan. We canceled 2 years ago and they still send them to us for free.

 

[CubsFan]

There’s all sorts of words in the article...

 

[Righteous]

Did not realize I was opening a can of worms everyone. Just thought some people would like the article. Sorry!

 

[WVNed]

There’s all sorts of words in the article...

There are

Reads like something from Ranger Rick

There is no science in it though.

 

[Fourstars]

No worries, it's just a very inconvenient subject for some. Easier to just shut it down i guess. ;Muted

 

[WVNed]

It is a very important subject. Looks like someone has decided to make some money off of it.

 

[Hemmdog]

This is grade A global warming alarmism.
Declining O2 levels or not, it is not proof of warming, let alone man made warming.

Did you know that the energy needed to warm the atmosphere by 100C would only warm the ocean by 1C, because of the heat capacity of the ocean is so much larger.

Between 2005 and 2017, the global network of thousands of Argo floats have measured an average temperature increase of the upper half of the ocean of 0.04 deg. C.
That’s less than 0.004 C/year, an inconceivably small number.

How did life in the ocean survive, & how were calcifying organisms able to produce major reef building episodes
when CO2 was on average 5,000 ppm (12.5 times present levels) & global temperatures was on average 8C warmer than now???



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_reef#History

Times of maximum reef development were

A. The Middle Cambrian 513–501 million years ago (CO2 over 5,000 ppm, average temperature 8°C above present

B. The Devonian 416–359 million years ago (CO2 3,000 to 4,000 ppm, average temperature 8°C above present

C. The Carboniferous 359–299 million years ago (CO2 at present level, temperature range 6°C above present to 10°C below present

D. Late Cretaceous 100–66 million years ago (CO2 1,000 ppm, average temperature 8°C above present

E. And all Neogene 23 million years ago to present), owing to order Scleractinia corals. (CO2 above, to well below present levels, temperature range 5°C above present to 10°C below present.


As seen in the graph calcareous reefs in one form or another have evolved & persisted through all the extremes of ocean & atmospheric temperatures ranges, & carbon dioxide level fluctuations imaginable.
CO2 levels from over 5,000 ppm to 150 ppm. Average high temperatures of 10°C above present to 10°C below present. And seal levels that have fluctuated by more than 300 metres, possibly more than 400 metres, over geologic time.

And yet they have persisted. And although reefs that existed during the Middle Cambrian period (513–501 million years ago) resulted from calcareous algae and archaeocyathids, they were still calcifying organisms like corals are today. What was the pH of the ocean at that time when atmospheric CO2 was over 5,000 ppm? 12.5 times higher than today, in water far warmer than now?

So happy you posted this. I recently have done a lot of research on Paleozoic corals and shallow reefs looking for similarities to what we have going on now with our reefs dying. You are spot on. It wasn’t just gradual changes back then either. supervolcanos erupting so big they change the entire composition of the atmosphere in months not millions of years. Meteor showers so hardcore the dust from their impact blocks out the sun for decades, it was hell back then. All these “events” were extinction events, 90% of shallow water marine species lost several times, yet life finds a way. The things we do aren’t helping, but the earth has shown time and time again it likes to give itself a little “reset” every 50million years or so.

The one thing I still don’t understand is anoxic zones. This is a major cause of all the issues globally, both marine and atmospherically. People say now they are from run off and fertilizer, but these zones have formed all over the place since the oceans were created. I’m just curious in how they are formed without solely blaming humans.

 

[jabberwock]

The lack of science in science these days is pretty sad.

 

[CubsFan]

There are

Reads like something from Ranger Rick

There is no science in it though.

I see mention of scientific studies and citations from them. Ranger Rick is a magazine for children that educates them about nature through scientific studies.

 

[Fourstars]

So happy you posted this. I recently have done a lot of research on Paleozoic corals and shallow reefs looking for similarities to what we have going on now with our reefs dying. You are spot on. It wasn’t just gradual changes back then either. supervolcanos erupting so big they change the entire composition of the atmosphere in months not millions of years. Meteor showers so hardcore the dust from their impact blocks out the sun for decades, it was hell back then. All these “events” were extinction events, 90% of shallow water marine species lost several times, yet life finds a way. The things we do aren’t helping, but the earth has shown time and time again it likes to give itself a little “reset” every 50million years or so.

The one thing I still don’t understand is anoxic zones. This is a major cause of all the issues globally, both marine and atmospherically. People say now they are from run off and fertilizer, but these zones have formed all over the place since the oceans were created. I’m just curious in how they are formed without solely blaming humans.

So you're okay with human activity causing a mass extinction because in a couple hundred thousand years the reefs will find a way to come back. Ask your kids what they think of that attitude.

 

[Hemmdog]

So you're okay with human activity causing a mass extinction because in a couple hundred thousand years the reefs will find a way to come back. Ask your kids what they think of that attitude.

No? I just said I was researching it. I was asking about anoxic zones. I live in California you really think I’m anti-environment?

 

[Fourstars]

:) I read to much into that post. Guess I better just shut up.

 

[Hemmdog]

:) I read to much into that post. Guess I better just shut up.

It’s all good :) I just try to keep myself unbiased when researching something. It’s hard, but I try, lol.

 

[WVNed]

Home of environmentalists
a river in California

Owens Lake
The water goes to LA now.

There are many more. But why bother
I was in California. So I take my camera and head for the hills.
It's beautiful

Because there are sprinkler heads all over the area
otherwise none of this stuff would grow there

Do as I say. Not as I do