{"id":297524,"date":"2025-09-10T00:50:53","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T00:50:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newhampshiredigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/10\/5-ways-the-ocean-keeps-our-climate-in-check\/"},"modified":"2025-09-10T00:50:53","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T00:50:53","slug":"5-ways-the-ocean-keeps-our-climate-in-check","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newhampshiredigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/10\/5-ways-the-ocean-keeps-our-climate-in-check\/","title":{"rendered":"5 ways the ocean keeps our climate in check"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The ocean is more than a backdrop for sunsets and surf \u2014 it\u2019s the origin and engine of all life on Earth, responsible for regulating our climate, absorbing heat, circulating currents and producing oxygen.<\/p>\n

But human-driven climate change is pushing the ocean past its limits. As waters heat up and currents shift, a delicate balance is starting to wobble \u2014 with consequences that reach far beyond the waves.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are five ways the ocean keeps our climate in check \u2014 and what we can do to help keep these systems running.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. It soaks up heat.<\/span><\/h2>\n

The ocean is Earth\u2019s ultimate climate buffer. Since the 1970s, it has absorbed more than 90 percent<\/a> of the extra heat trapped by greenhouse gases, along with about a third<\/a> of all human-driven carbon emissions since the Industrial Revolution. Imagine how much hotter the planet would be if all of that heat were in the atmosphere.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the ocean can\u2019t keep absorbing unlimited heat. As humans pump more carbon into the atmosphere, ocean temperatures are continuing to rise, straining the systems that have kept Earth\u2019s climate stable. In fact, as waters continue to warm, they\u2019re beginning to actually release carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere \u2014 turning this crucial buffer into a potential amplifier of climate change.<\/span><\/p>\n

Only by cutting emissions now and protecting nature can we begin to ease this pressure and keep the ocean working in our favor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Further reading:<\/strong> Heal our planet: Protecting nature for climate<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\"ci_58605586\"\/\u00a9 Comstock Images<\/span><\/p>\n

2. It shapes climate shocks on land.<\/span><\/h2>\n

What happens in the ocean shapes how climate change is felt on land. This is because virtually every drop of rain begins in the ocean. The ocean holds about 97 percent<\/a> of all the water on Earth, making it the primary source for evaporation into the atmosphere. This constant exchange between sea and sky fuels storms, fills rivers and sustains the freshwater systems that all life depends on.<\/span><\/p>\n

But warming oceans are shifting this ancient rhythm<\/a>. Hotter seas speed up evaporation, sending more moisture into the atmosphere \u2014 which means heavier downpours in some regions and longer dry spells in others. From the Mongolian steppe<\/a> to the shrublands of southern Africa<\/a> and the mangrove forests of India<\/a>, the climate shocks on land often have their roots in record ocean heat.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. It keeps global temperatures in balance.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Ocean currents act like a giant conveyor belt, carrying warm water from the tropics toward the poles and sending colder water back again. This steady circulation evens out temperatures across the globe, making much of the planet habitable. Without it, the equator would be far hotter, the poles even colder, and life as we know it would look very different.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the most important currents is the Gulf Stream, which transports warm water from the tropics to the North Atlantic, regulating the climate of Western Europe. But as melting ice sheets pour fresh water into the sea, that delicate balance of heat and salinity is being disrupted \u2014 pushing the system toward a critical tipping point<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

We know it can happen: Around 13,000 years ago, a shutdown of the Gulf Stream plunged Europe into a sudden ice age. Today, scientists warn that human-caused climate change could trigger a similar collapse within our lifetime<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Further reading:<\/strong> 5 things you didn\u2019t know about sea-level rise<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\"ci_38570359\"\/\u00a9 Levi S. Norton<\/span><\/p>\n

4. It produces oxygen.<\/span><\/h2>\n

The ocean is full of tiny marine plants known as phytoplankton that are responsible for generating about half of the world\u2019s oxygen supply<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t a new role. Billions of years ago, microscopic organisms in the ocean began releasing oxygen, gradually transforming Earth\u2019s atmosphere into one that could support complex life. Without them, neither humans nor many of the
\n species we know today would exist.<\/span>\n <\/p>\n

Now, that life-support system is under pressure. Rising ocean temperatures and acidification are threatening species of plankton, which are also the base of the marine food web. Heatwaves<\/a> can trigger massive die-offs, while excess carbon<\/a> in the water makes it harder for plankton and other marine life to thrive. If these organisms disappear, the effects on the food web ripple all the way up \u2014 through marine ecosystems, into human economies and even into the air we breathe.<\/span><\/p>\n

Luckily, science shows that healthy and diverse ecosystems are more resilient<\/a> and tend to recover better from climate stressors like heatwaves and acidification. Through the Blue Nature Alliance<\/a>, Conservation International and partners have launched an unprecedented effort to double the amount of ocean area under protection \u2014 from the glacial waters of Antarctica\u2019s Southern Ocean to the teeming tropical shores of Costa Rica.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. It locks away carbon in coastal ecosystems<\/span><\/h2>\n

Where land meets sea, coastal ecosystems like mangroves, seagrass meadows and tidal marshes act as powerful carbon sinks. They absorb massive amounts of carbon from the atmosphere and lock it away in waterlogged soils, keeping it out of the air and slowing climate change. These \u201cblue carbon<\/a>\u201d ecosystems also protect coastlines from storm surges and sea-level rise, support fisheries and sustain livelihoods for local communities.<\/span><\/p>\n

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