Basking sea turtles not as common due to warming seas

With the seas warming overtime, sea turtles that bask on the beach, to regulate their body temperature and aid their immune systems and digestion, may stop. According to a survey, turtles have been found basking more often each year when the sea surface temperatures drop. Along with this survey, a study shows that "if global warming trends continue, this behavior may cease globally by 2102 or even earlier." Kyle Van Houtan and his team conducted a study, using six years of turtle count data, to see the amount of turtles basking over the years. According the Houtan, "by comparing turtle basking counts with sea surface temperatures, we found that green turtles tend not to bask when local winter sea surface temperatures stay above 23 degrees Celsius." The study found the counts to be regular, seasonal fluctuations in the number of turtles basking. The fluctuations correlated with sea temperatures, leading to sea turtles basking more when the water is cool. More research is needed to understand the importance of basking and the climate change. With beach basking being observed in tropical places, such as Hawaii and the Galapagos, the sea surface temperatures have been warming at three times the global average rate. According to Van Houtan, "the next step for us is to look at how turtles are storing climate data in their bodies - in their tissues, shells, and bones, and how we can tease that out. I find this article very informative and interesting to see something that we do for pleasure and happiness is really important to sea turtles. With warming sea temperatures, sea turtles are at risk of stopping and possibly basking in the water.

Melting glaciers have a large effect on sea level rise!

Alaska is known for having the most beautiful, yet icy scenery. When my family and I went skiing in Alaska, we were given the opportunity to take a helicopter ride to the glaciers high up in the mountains. It was a spectacular view and an amazing experience of walking in an ice cave that naturally built itself for over seven years. While staying there, many Alaskans were not fazed by the fact that global warming could happen and that with losing 75 billion tons of ice per year from the melting glaciers has a large impact on sea level rise. This article shows that we are on the brink of devastation that can effect everyone. About 94% of the loss comes from glaciers that are located on land or by lakes where the heat beats down on them. One of the most viewed glacier in Alaska is the Columbia glacier in Prince William Sound, which is a large shedder of ice, having an annual loss of mass at more than 3 billion tons a year. This glacier has retreated more than 12 miles since 1980. According to Shad O'Neel, a USGS research geophysicist, "the glaciers are on the border of all the climate divides. Climate zones are separated by mountains, so the fates of glaciers at the tops of those peaks are dependent in part on slope location."

I took this photo from the helicopter!

I took this photo from inside the ice cave!

Coral Reef Bleaching

Coral bleaching has become an evident and problematic phenomenon among various species of coral in our oceans. The relationship between coral and bacteria can be compared to that of a married couple. They thrive off of each other, creating a life-long lasting relationship. When the coral is subjected to climate change and human pollution, the bacteria growing in the tissues of the coral begins to withdraw, taking the bright colors and vital nutrients along with it. The coral becomes a bleached white color and is susceptible to deadly diseases. Certainly, a coral can survive a bleaching, but its life expectancy drops substantially. Efforts have been conducted to figure out how to reverse the effects of a bleached coral and ultimately bringing them back from certain death, however, research has been inconclusive at this time due to the increasing effects of pollution. This comes at a important time with human pollution and global warming in the spot light. Many scientists believe that if pollutants are decreased, corals around the world can be saved. I agree that if pollutants are somehow decreased, the global ecosystem will improve.

Coral bleaching over a span of 20 years.

Zooplankton May be in Trouble

According to the University of Rhode Island's research on zooplankton, they may be forced to enter high predator areas. Since zooplankton are at the bottom of the food chain, their importance is unmeasurable.

They usually go into the deeper waters during the day where their predators can not reach them due to the low oxygen levels. At night they rise up to get their necessary nutrition. Global warming is enlarging the low oxygen water area making the normal oxygen water smaller. With less room, the zooplankton population may decrease because of the difficulty of dodging predators.

If less zooplankton are present in the aquatic environment, it will negatively affect the entire food chain.

Warmer Weather Responsible for Increased Prices in Food

According to an article in Science News analysts are blaming warmer temperatures for a decrease in global production of corn and wheat. Farmers around the world have produced 3.8% less corn and 5.5 % less wheat between 1980-2008. This loss in production has created an increase in the price.

The price of corn has risen 6.4% and the price of wheat has risen 18.9% since 1980. Technological advances have increased production of corn and wheat, but according to David Lobel a land-use scientist at Stanford University farmers could have produced a lot more food if the weather was cooler. " For every decade of climate change, it sets you back a year."

These factors coupled with pollution which is linked to global warming will have a detrimental effect to our food sources in the future. Hopefully we will be able to find better sources of energy that are less harmful to our environment.

Giant fossil ants linked to global warming

The Proceedings of the Royal Society B, a British scientific journal, published on May 4th that their study "Intercontinental dispersal of giant thermophilicants across the Arctic during early Eocene hyperthermals."

The fossil of the winged queen ant is about 50 million years old and lived in the Eacene Epoch.

Its body is is over 5 centimeters long, which is comparable to a humming bird. The ant lived in areas that had hot climates. The researchers also looked at the habitats of the largest modern ants and found that most live in the tropics. Which they believe indicates that in order for an ant to be that large it has to live in hot climates.

During the Eocene Epoch animals and plant species migrated between Europe and North America through the Artic lands. But in order for these ants to migrate through cold temperatures they believe that global warming occured in episodes around this time allowing for the giant ants to do so. They note that also this will help them understand the impacts of global warming on life.

article: http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-05-giant-fossil-ants-linked-global.html

I am a little grossed out that an ant could be that big and I still don't understand a lot about global warming. But this article made a lot of sense on the matter.