BY “SOFAR OCEAN”
For years, the ocean helped us mitigate the early effects of human emissions by absorbing greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide and heat, from the atmosphere. As a result, more than 90 percent of the warming that happened on Earth between 1971 and 2010 occurred in the ocean. A selfless act by Mother Nature, but it's catching up to us.
Climate change, which describes long-term changes to temperature and typical weather, is accelerating at an alarming pace—and the impacts are hard to ignore. In both developed and developing countries globally, rural to urban migration tends to concentrate in coastal areas – allowing for both ease of global trade and access to oceans. Research shows that coastlines are an area at increased risk of natural hazards that are heightened by climate change. Therefore, understanding the impacts that climate change has on our oceans is a key to creating resilience in many aspects of international development.
3 Ways Climate Change Affects Our Ocean
Rising sea levels
Sea levels are rising at the fastest rate in 3,000 years. From 2018 to 2019, the global sea level rose to 6.1 millimeters, while the average rate of rise since 1993 has been 3.2 millimeters per year. The two major causes are thermal expansion (warm water expands) and melting glaciers and ice sheets. Why should we care? Rising sea levels increase the amount and severity of floods and shoreline erosion. It may also destroy wildlife habitats on the shoreline, interfere with coastal farming, and contaminate potable water sources. Additionally, countries with their population and urban hubs concentrated along coastal areas rely on opportunities in tourism, industry, and aquaculture to sustain economic development goals. For example, Vietnam’s coastal provinces contributed 60 percent of the national gross domestic product in 2016.
Ocean acidification
Ocean acidification is a chemical imbalance that stems from large amounts of carbon dioxide. Put simply, it increases the concentration of hydrogen ions and reduces the number of carbonate ions. Shellfish and other sea life rely on carbonate ions to grow their shells and thrive. But with fewer carbonate ions, shells become thin and brittle, growth slows down, and death rates increase. Since the Industrial Revolution, ocean acidity has increased by 30%. With large shellfish die-offs, the whole marine food chain is affected—severely impacting communities that rely on finishing for income.
Extreme weather events
With more heat in the atmosphere and warmer ocean surface temperatures, the world is experiencing an increase in the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events. For example, research suggests that the number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes—characterized by higher wind speeds and more precipitation—is steadily increasing. As mentioned, sea-level rise and a growing population along coastlines will exacerbate their impact.
Mitigating These Effects With Data
The current scale, pace, and practice of ocean scientific discovery and observation are not keeping up with the changes in ocean and human conditions. Current data is siloed and inaccessible—hindering a unified knowledge base for strategies and policymaking. Improving access and quality of data can help international development practitioners, local governments and communities understand the impacts of climate change and thus alter the course on development goals. Here are a few ways that data needs to improve:
1) Affordability: According to the Global Ocean Science Report (compiled by UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission), ocean research is currently led by a small number of industrialized countries. Why? Because they can afford investments in data technology. Many coastal nations are not involved in building this knowledge base simply because they can't afford the tools.
By providing real-time information in actionable forms, this technology is incredibly useful for driving innovation. In order to accelerate the co-creation of knowledge and strategies, these tools need to be accessible to developing countries as well. Affordability and accessibility is the driving force behind Sofar Ocean’s Spotter buoys and looks to strengthen the resilience these developing countries can have in adapting to climate change realities more efficiently.
2) Open data sharing: A major stumbling block to universal data synthesis is ownership. Government agencies, research, and private companies are all key players in ocean data collection and management, keeping these insights locked away for their own specific purposes.
Data tagging, federated data networks, and data lakes should be combined to create a new era of open and automated ocean data access. Governments can lead the way by declassifying and sharing data that are relevant to ocean science and management. They can also incentivize companies and researchers to share data by making it a condition for access to public resources, such as funding for ocean research, permits for coastal development, or licenses for oil exploration or fishing.
A molecule of CO2 emitted in India or China has the same effect on the climate system as a molecule emitted in the United States. No matter where we are, climate change affects us all the same. Transformative changes require a unified approach. And we believe that starts with data. Building better data systems can allow for development actors to strengthen their approaches to the world’s most challenging threats, whether climate change, sustainable cities, or poverty reduction.
PHOTO CREDIT: Free use image by Canva Pro.