Human activity can fundamentally alter the chemistry of the oceans, including how much oxygen is dissolved within the oceans. In fact, studies show that global ocean oxygen levels have dropped dramatically in the past 50 years and are to likely to continue to do so. What does this mean for the ecosystems we rely on? Understanding ocean oxygenation over time is critical because oxygen is important for organisms big and small, from large marine mammals to fish harvested for human consumption to the microscopic organisms that form the base of marine food webs. It is important to extend records of ocean oxygenation into the distant past in order to understand potential changes in the future. This week our group discussed on a paper on utilizing ocean oxygen history as a lesson for the future. We focused on 1) what factors affect ocean oxygenation, 2) what tools are used to study oxygen in the past, 3) how oxygen has changed over the last 20,000 years, and 4) how this information can help scientists predict future changes in ocean oxygenation.
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ArchiveSea Levels: Past, Present and Future
How has El Niño changed in the past? Lessons from paleoclimate archives Paleoclimate into Policy: is there a bright future for learning from the past AuthorsWritten by the members of UC Davis GEL 232: K. Barclay, R. Banker, P. Edwards, C. Fish, K. Hewett, T. Hill, G. Hollyday, C. Livsey, H. Palmer, P. Shukla, D. Vasey. Categories
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