Japan's Tokyo Bay has seen a series of bizarre sights in recent years due to the warming of the sea, and these changes have not only attracted the attention of local residents and fishermen, but also caused concern among scientists around the world. The continuous rise in sea temperature not only affects the marine ecosystem, but may also have a profound impact on human society.
The coral reefs of Tokyo Bay have experienced significant growth over the past few years. As the sea temperature rises, the growth rate of corals increases, and the large corals continue to extend on the seabed, and the variety gradually increases. This phenomenon has attracted a lot of attention among diving enthusiasts and researchers. They observed a significant increase in coral populations over the past five or six years. Researchers at the University of Tsukuba point to rising sea temperatures as the main reason for the acceleration in coral growth. However, the rapid growth of corals has not directly affected local fisheries, but the associated increase in tropical fish has had an impact on fishers' livelihoods.
As the sea temperature rises, so does the abundance of tropical fish in Tokyo Bay. Fishermen at Katsuyama Fishing Port in Tokyo Bay say that the fish they catch are mainly tropical fish, which has led to many fishermen switching careers. This change in fish composition has had an important impact on local fisheries, and fishermen's incomes have been affected. Fishermen have had to adapt to the new marine environment and find new ways to make a living.
Global warming is the root cause of the warming of sea waters. In an interview with Kyodo News, the director general of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Petri Taalas, warned that global warming will lead to a continuous rise in sea levels, affecting not only island countries, but also coastal cities such as Tokyo in Japan and New York in the United States. According to WMO data, between 1971 and 2006, sea levels rose at an average annual rate of 1.9 cm, while between 2013 and 2022 the average annual rate of rise reached 4.5 cm, more than double the previous rate. These changes indicate the potential threat of global warming to human life and the economy.
An international research team led by the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences released a study on changes in the global marine environment (thermohaline), pointing out that ocean warming continued in 2020, making it the warmest year for the ocean since records began with modern ocean observations. The report also mentions that increasing changes in ocean salinity and increasing vertical stratification of seawater could lead to a rise in global temperatures and affect the health of marine ecosystems. More than 90% of the heat of global warming is absorbed by the ocean, and the heat content of the ocean has become one of the best indicators to judge whether the world is warming. In 2020, compared to 2019, 2×10^22 joules of heat absorbed by the upper 2,000 meters of the global ocean could boil the water of 1.3 billion 1.5-liter electric kettles at the same time. Over the past 80 years, the oceans have been warmer in every decade than the previous one. Warming oceans are also increasing the number of strong typhoons/hurricanes and extreme rainfall. In addition, the strengthening of ocean stratification will inhibit the vertical heat exchange and dissolved oxygen transport in the ocean, further contributing to the rise of global temperature and affecting the health of marine ecosystems.
Despite a slight decline in global carbon emissions in 2020 due to the pandemic, global ocean temperatures continue to warm and reach record highs. Due to the slow and lagging nature of the ocean's response to climate change, impacts such as ocean warming caused by past carbon emissions will continue for at least decades. This phenomenon highlights the important role of the ocean in global climate change.
In the face of these challenges, the international community needs to work together to take effective measures to combat global warming. This includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting and restoring marine ecosystems, and strengthening research on the impacts of climate change. Through these efforts, we can slow the rate of climate change, protect our marine environment, and ensure the sustainable development of human society. The bizarre sight of Tokyo Bay is a wake-up call that we must act now to prevent even worse climate change impacts.