Southern Ocean – Shamskm: A site to exchange knowledge and solutions

Stronger winds explain puzzling growth of sea ice in Antarctica

By Guest PostOctober 9, 2013Environmentantarctic sea ice, Antarctica, atmosphere, axel schweiger, dynamic change, global climate models, jinlun zhang, model experiment, modeling study, natural cycle, ozone depletion, puzzling growth, sea ice, south pole, southern hemisphere, Southern Ocean, stronger winds, thick ice, university of washington, variability, warming climate

Much attention is paid to melting sea ice in the Arctic. But less clear is the situation on the other side of the planet. Despite warmer air and oceans, there’s more sea ice in Antarctica now than in the 1970s – a fact often pounced on by global warming skeptics. The latest numbers suggest the Antarctic sea ice may be heading toward a record high this year.

While changes in weather may play a big role in short-term changes in sea ice seen in the past couple of months, changes in winds have apparently led to the more general upward sea ice trend during the past few decades, according to University of Washington research. A new modeling study to be published in the Journal of Climate shows that stronger polar winds lead to an increase in Antarctic sea ice, even in a warming climate. (more…)

First global atlas of marine plankton reveals remarkable underwater world

By Guest PostAugust 11, 2013Naturebacteria, c more, chaetoceros decipiens, climate change, computer model, data for plankton, diazotrophs, foraminifera, global atlas, hastigerina digitata, impact, jellyfish, maredat, marine biodiversity, marine biota, marine plankton, marine plankton diatom, nitrogen fixing bacteria, ocean acidification, ocean field data, predict, scott doney, South Pacific, Southern Ocean, subtropical ocean gyres, whoi, yawei luo

Under the microscope, they look like they could be from another planet, but these microscopic organisms inhabit the depths of our oceans in nearly infinite numbers.

To begin to identify where, when, and how much oceanic plankton can be found around the globe, a group of international researchers have compiled the first ever global atlas cataloguing marine plankton ranging in size from bacteria to jellyfish. The atlas was published on July 19, 2013, in a special issue of the journal Earth System Science Data. (more…)

Remote Clouds Responsible for Climate Models’ Glitch in Tropical Rainfall

By Guest PostMarch 14, 2013EnvironmentAntarctica, atmospheric scientists, clouds, dargan frierson, equatorial africa, future pattern, global climate models, global climate predictions, Java, modern climate models, prediction, rain in zambia, rainfall, rainfall forecasts, rainfall patterns, shift, simulation of cloud, southern hemisphere, Southern Ocean, tropical island, tropical rainfall, university of washington, warmer ocean temperatures, yen ting hwang

It seems counterintuitive that clouds over the Southern Ocean, which circles Antarctica, would cause rain in Zambia or the tropical island of Java. But new research finds that one of the most persistent biases in global climate models – a phantom band of rainfall just south of the equator that does not occur in reality – is caused by poor simulation of the cloud cover thousands of miles farther to the south.

University of Washington atmospheric scientists hope their results help explain why global climate models mistakenly duplicate the inter-tropical convergence zone, a band of heavy rainfall in the northern tropics, on the other side of the equator. The study appears this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (more…)

Changing Climate, Not Tourism, Seems to Be Driving Decline in Chinstrap-Penguin Populations

By Guest PostNovember 7, 2012Environmentadelie, antarctic peninsula, antarctic science, antarctic site inventory, antarctic treaty nations, asi, baily head, breeding population, changing, chevy chase, chinstrap colony, chinstrap penguins, chinstrap population, climatic condition, data, deception island, gentoo penguins, heather lynch, high resolution, michael polito, national science foundation, nsf, oceanites, penguin dynamics, penguin population, polar programs, ron naveen, satellite imagery, Southern Ocean, steven forrest, stony brook university, temperature, thomas mueller, tinker foundation, tourist location, united states, warm

High-resolution satellite imagery aids in study

The breeding population of chinstrap penguins has declined significantly as temperatures have rapidly warmed on the Antarctic Peninsula, according to researchers funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The study indicates that changing climatic conditions, rather than the impact of tourism, have had the greatest effect on the chinstrap population.

Ron Naveen, founder of a nonprofit science and conservation organization, Oceanites, Inc., of Chevy Chase, Md., documented the decline in a paper published in the journal Polar Biology. Naveen and coauthor Heather Lynch, of Stony Brook University, are researchers with the Antarctic Site Inventory (ASI). (more…)

A ‘B-12 Shot’ for Marine Algae?

By Guest PostJune 7, 2012Environmentalgae growth, andrew allen, Antarctica, antibiotic, antifungal medicines, archaea, atmosphere, b 12 shot, biofuels, cba1, cell walls, christopher dupont, cobalamin, cobalamin acquisition protein, Environment, epifluorescence micrograph, erin bertrand, function, jing bai, mak saito, marine algae, microbes, oceanic food chain, photosynthesis, protein, proteins organisms, proteomics, ruben valas, scarce nutrient, seawater, single celled bacteria, Southern Ocean, trina norden krichmar, venter institute, vitamin b12, whoi

Scientists find key protein for algae growth in the ocean

Scientists have revealed a key cog in the biochemical machinery that allows marine algae at the base of the oceanic food chain to thrive. They have discovered a previously unknown protein in algae that grabs an essential but scarce nutrient out of seawater, vitamin B₁₂.

Many algae, as well as land-dwelling animals, including humans, require B₁₂, but they cannot make it and must either acquire it from the environment or eat food that contains B₁₂. Only certain single-celled bacteria and archaea have the ability to synthesize B₁₂, which is also known as cobalamin. (more…)

Seals, satellites, climate changes

By ShamsAugust 14, 2008EnvironmentAntarctic, climate change, Elephant Seals, ice caps, marine ecosystem, Southern Ocean

It’s not the satellites but the Elephant Seals who are now providing data and info about how quickly the Antarctic Ice caps shrinks and grows (among many other clues). As Seals are natural habitants of the Antarctic marine ecosystem, so they are providing the most valuable and sophisticated data which are 30 times more than conventional sources.

(more…)

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