Greenhouse gases in oceans are altered by climate change impact on microbes

The ocean serves as a vital support mechanism for our planet, playing a key role in regulating the global climate. It acts as a sink for the majority of carbon emissions and excess heat in the atmosphere, which are byproducts of human activities. This has resulted in phenomena such as ocean warming, acidification, and deoxygenation.

A global life-support system, the ocean experiences alterations to its delicate microbial population due to climate change causes such as ocean warming, acidification, deoxygenation, and nitrogen-deposition. The marine microbial community holds a significant role in producing greenhouse gases like nitrous oxide and methane.

Impact of climate change on marine microbes

Recently, the team of scientists published a study in the Marine Pollution Bulletin, exploring the impact of climate change on marine microbes. Their research serves to raise awareness about the severity of climate change and the importance of ocean resources.

Additionally, increased nitrogen deposition from human sources has significantly affected marine ecosystems. Within these ecosystems, marine microbes, particularly prokaryotes, are crucial in managing the levels of greenhouse gases like nitrous oxide and methane. Researchers at Incheon National University have delved into the effects of climate change on these marine microbes, highlighting the urgency of climate change and the need to protect our oceanic resources.

The ocean’s role as an essential life-support system is underscored by its capacity to absorb carbon emissions and heat, mitigating the impact of human-induced climate change. However, this has led to a series of changes in the ocean’s environment, including warming, acidification, and reduced oxygen levels.

Furthermore, the deposition of nitrogen from human activities has had a profound impact on the marine habitat. These changes significantly influence the production of greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide and methane, which are regulated by ocean-dwelling microbial organisms known as prokaryotes.

While numerous studies have examined these individual processes, the collective effect on marine ecosystems remains underexplored, a gap that scientists at Incheon National University are addressing through their research. Their work is crucial in raising awareness about the severity of climate change and the importance of conserving ocean resources.

Greenhouse gases in oceans

In a recent study, a team of researchers led by Prof. Il-Nam Kim, Associate Professor of Marine Science at Incheon National University, evaluated the prokaryotic population changes and metabolic modifications due to the concurrent impact of OW, OA, OD, and AND across the Western North Pacific Ocean.

“Climate change leads to marine environmental changes and this study can enhance our understanding of their impact on human life,” Prof. Kim says.

The researchers conducted a comprehensive study on the impact of climate change across different oceanic layers: the surface layer (SL), intermediate layer (IL), and deep layer (DL). They assessed the marine microbial community and their role in controlling the cycles of nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) through biogeochemical analysis and sequencing of microbial genomes.

The findings revealed a strong connection between prokaryotes, which are microbial organisms, across all ocean layers and the factors driving climate change. Over time, the delicate marine ecosystem of the Western North Pacific Ocean (WNPO) could suffer from increased N2O production, leading to changes in pH levels and a rise in CH4 emissions. This research challenges previous assumptions about the capabilities of prokaryotes and the biogeochemical processes associated with climate change, shifting the focus to the broader implications for the open ocean ecosystem. Dr. Kim emphasizes that this study is crucial for enhancing awareness of climate change’s severity and the significance of ocean resources.

This groundbreaking research has the potential to influence future studies of marine ecosystems. Implementing policies to reduce ocean acidification and warming could stabilize these essential microbial communities and the balance of greenhouse gas cycles.

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