Sentences with phrase «ocean ecosystem structure»

This would then lead to large, unpredictable changes in ocean ecosystem structure and productivity, on top of other large unpredictable changes to be expected from ocean acidification, the other great oceanic consequence of high atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations from fossil fuel burning.

Not exact matches

Bryozoan skeletons - like coral's - usually build the basic structure of isolated small reefs (known as patch reefs) and contribute to the formation of the known coral reefs, fragile ecosystems that are sensitive to the ocean acidification.

«The near extinction of sea otters is one of the most dramatic examples of human - induced impacts to the structure and functioning of temperate nearshore marine ecosystems,» said Rebecca G. Martone, of the Center for Ocean Solutions at Stanford University.

From the ocean, the fresh water flows into the Greenland fjords where is influence local circulation with impacts on the production and ecosystem structure.

Her international research programme focuses on the impacts of global climate change and ocean acidification on coastal marine biodiversity and the consequences for ecosystem structure and functioning, and spans the UK, Europe, USA and NZ.

There is concern that elevated sea temperatures and ocean acidification may influence the resilience of coral reefs, inherently affecting their vital role of providing the structure which maintains ecosystem services around the world.

-- Climate impacts: global temperatures, ice cap melting, ocean currents, ENSO, volcanic impacts, tipping points, severe weather events — Environment impacts: ecosystem changes, disease vectors, coastal flooding, marine ecosystem, agricultural system — Government actions: US political views, world - wide political views, carbon tax / cap - and - trade restrictions, state and city efforts — Reducing GHGs: + electric power systems: fossil fuel use, conservation, solar, wind, geothermal, nuclear, tidal, other + transportation sector: conservation, mass transit, high speed rail, air travel, auto / truck (mileage issues, PHEVs, EVs, biofuels, hydrogen) + architectural structure design: home / office energy use, home / office conservation, passive solar, other

«The authors write that «the El Niño - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a naturally occurring fluctuation,» whereby «on a timescale of two to seven years, the eastern equatorial Pacific climate varies between anomalously cold (La Niña) and warm (El Niño) conditions,» and that «these swings in temperature are accompanied by changes in the structure of the subsurface ocean, variability in the strength of the equatorial easterly trade winds, shifts in the position of atmospheric convection, and global teleconnection patterns associated with these changes that lead to variations in rainfall and weather patterns in many parts of the world,» which end up affecting «ecosystems, agriculture, freshwater supplies, hurricanes and other severe weather events worldwide.»»

Shifts in the structure of ocean ecosystems can influence the rate of CO2 uptake by the ocean (Bopp et al., 2005).

This new concept of anthropogenic impacts on seawater pH formulated here accommodates the broad range of mechanisms involved in the anthropogenic forcing of pH in coastal ecosystems, including changes in land use, nutrient inputs, ecosystem structure and net metabolism, and emissions of gases to the atmosphere affecting the carbon system and associated pH. The new paradigm is applicable across marine systems, from open - ocean and ocean - dominated coastal systems, where OA by anthropogenic CO2 is the dominant mechanism of anthropogenic impacts on marine pH, to coastal ecosystems where a range of natural and anthropogenic processes may operate to affect pH.

Accordingly, there are three main vectors of anthropogenic impacts on marine pH: (1) emissions of CO2, and other gases affecting marine pH, to the atmosphere; (2) perturbation of watershed processes affecting the inputs of nutrients, organic and inorganic carbon, acids and carbonate alkalinity to the ocean; and (3) impacts on ecosystem structure (Table 1).