Earth's oceans are growing darker, threatening marine life worldwide: study

Oceans around the globe have become darker over the last two decades leaving researchers fearful for their marine inhabitants according to a new analysis Professor Thomas Davies of the University of Plymouth mentioned in a examination published in the Global Change Biology journal there is growing concern for the marine ecosystem Satellite statistics from NASA's Ocean Color Web figures portal exhibited of the planet s oceans had darkened between and According to Davies the majority of marine life lives in the photic zones of the ocean which is where sufficient light penetrates to stimulate photobiological processes RARE COLOSSAL BABY SEA CREATURE CAUGHT ON CAMERA FOR THE FIRST TIMEThe photic zone which is meters deep is where global nutrients and carbon budgets sustain the planetary fish markets This is the area where light reaches marine life that lives closer to the surface of the ocean These ocean inhabitants rely on both the moonlight and sunlight for hunting mating reproduction and other essential milestones SPOOKY DEEP-SEA FISH RARELY SEEN BY HUMANS CAUGHT ON CAMERA IN SHALLOW WATER NIGHTMARE FUEL The upper level of the ocean is where microscopic organisms and different types of plankton live With the oceans beginning to darken it will cause creatures that rely on light to begin moving closer to the surface potentially creating a cramped living space Using satellite details and an algorithm-derived measure of the attenuation of light in seawater Davis was able to measure how deep each photic zone was around the world Among the darker oceans of their photic zones were meters more shallow and of the oceans' photic zones were meters more shallow The reasoning behind the darkening of oceans far offshore is less clear Global warming and changes in ocean currents are thought to be involved in this phenomenon according to the evaluation Despite an overall darkening about of oceans or million square kilometers have become lighter over the past years the assessment revealed CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPIt also uncovered that greater part coastal areas have seen an increase in light However the evaluation located that this does not translate into a net reduction in photic zone depth near shorelines Davies predicts the implications of ocean darkening could be severe for marine food webs global fisheries and carbon and nutrient budgets