The State of the Ocean Report of the Copernicus Marine Service, an ocean observation program funded by the European Commission and implemented by Mercator Ocean International, the global ocean analysis and forecast center, has been published. The report was created within the framework of international scientific cooperation with the contribution of more than 80 participants from 30 institutions in 14 countries.
The report analyzed a number of unusual developments in ocean systems, including a decline in ocean circulation, changes in biological production, and intensifying heat waves.
Accordingly, the global sea surface temperature reached a record level of 21.1 degrees in April, and intense marine heat wave events occurred in various parts of the oceans between June and August, causing negative effects on climate, biodiversity and communities.
Researchers found that the oceans are warming and rising faster than in the last century.
Marine heatwave events have become more common, increasing every 5 to 10 years, while cold waves have become rare. Heat waves, which pose a threat to marine species and human activities that depend on the health of the oceans, have the risk of affecting the entire ecosystem by permanently changing marine natural habitats and food chains.
Sea level rose fastest in the Baltic Sea
Sea ice in Antarctica shrank dramatically this year, reaching its lowest level on record in May and June. Antarctic ice has lost 2.2 million square kilometers, corresponding to an area more than 7 times the size of Poland.
It was found that Arctic sea ice has been decreasing steadily, losing 3.5 million square kilometers since 1979. This figure is equal to an area 7 times the size of Spain.
Sea level rose fastest in the Baltic Sea, followed by the North West Shelf and the Iberian-Biscay-Irish Seas.
Due to the increase in temperature in the oceans and unusual weather conditions, the waters around Scotland experienced two marine plankton blooms in the summer of 2021, turning the sea turquoise.
Following Storm Blas, a severe cyclone in November 2021, the Balearic Islands experienced the most intense swell in the last 9 years. Coastal swell connects offshore waters and coastal ecosystems, negatively affecting water quality, fisheries and aquaculture.
According to the report, a decrease of between 4 and 9 percent in ocean heat exchange over the Greenland-Scotland Ridge was recorded in the 2017-2019 period.
