Research in Hawaii shows serious impact of climate change on oceans

[caption id="attachment_20741" align="alignleft" width="300"] Hawaii beach[/caption]

Carol Forsloff----“The consequences of these co-occurring changes are massive – everything from species survival, to abundance, to range size, to body size, to species richness, to ecosystem functioning are affected by changes in ocean biogeochemistry,” said Mora.

Hawaii’s location in the Pacific allows excellent opportunity to study the world’s oceans.  And the research is showing considerable evidence that climate change is getting worse and much of it is man-made.

Camilo Mora is an assistant professor at the Department of Geography at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  She goes on to say with reference to recent findings: “The consequences of these co-occurring changes are massive – everything from species survival, to abundance, to range size, to body size, to species richness, to ecosystem functioning are affected by changes in ocean biogeochemistry,” said Mora.

In 2011 Forbes magazine underlined the vulnerability of Hawaii to climate change, specifically in reference to changing sea levels and acidity.  Due to its isolation, Hawaii is especially vulnerable and experts are recommending the islands become more self sufficient because of that.

And what scientists say is that Hawaii reflects the changing earth’s climate with a number of ongoing features that have occurred and continue to occur that include rising air temperatures, increase in rainfall, rising water levels and the ocean acidifying.

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