Oceans are changing colour due to climate change, research finds

According to a recent study conducted by a team of researchers from the National Oceanography Center in the UK and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US, it has been found that the colour of the ocean has undergone significant changes in the last 20 years.

These changes are likely attributed to human-caused climate change rather than natural variations.

In their statement, the researchers revealed that over 56% of the world's oceans have experienced colour shifts that cannot be explained by natural variability alone.

The study, published in the journal Nature, highlighted that tropical oceans near the equator, in particular, have exhibited a noticeable increase in green hues over the past two decades. This change in colour is indicative of alterations within the ecosystems of these regions.

The researchers employed satellite technology to monitor changes in ocean colour by measuring the reflection of green and blue light from the sea surface. They utilized data collected by the Aqua satellite, which has been observing ocean colour alterations for over 20 years. This satellite can detect differences that are not perceivable to the human eye.

By analyzing data on colour variations between 2002 and 2022, the researchers then employed climate change models to simulate the potential impact on the oceans under two scenarios: one with additional planet-heating pollution and the other without.

Remarkably, the observed changes in colour closely aligned with the predicted outcomes if greenhouse gases were introduced into the atmosphere.

According to the study, approximately 50% of the world's oceans experienced a colour change, confirming the correlation between human-induced climate change and the alteration of oceanic hues.

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