Rising sea levels sound alarm as oceans heat up

By Nuran Erkul

PARIS (AA) — The record-breaking rise in ocean sea levels due to global warming poses an acute risk to the planet's oxygen balance, as well as its land and marine population.

For World Ocean Day, marked yearly on June 8, the UN renewed its warnings of global warming's devastating effects on the oceans and seaside communities with this year's theme, "Tides are Changing."

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) expects global temperatures to rise 1.15 C in 2022 above pre-industrial levels, making the past eight years the hottest on record, according to information compiled by Anadolu.

Warming oceans has resulted in rising sea levels worldwide, affected not just by temperature increases but also by melting ice sheets and glaciers.

WMO data reveals that the global sea-level rise has accelerated to a 30-year high and continues to pick up speed, doubling over the past three decades.

At the current rate, sea levels are projected to rise by 1-1.6 meters (3.28-5.25 feet) by 2100, posing significant risks to coastal communities and ecosystems.

Besides contributing to the atmospheric greenhouse effect, carbon emissions also increase ocean acidity, jeopardizing marine organisms, ecosystems, and food security. The oceans, a significant carbon sink, have also suffered in their ability to absorb carbon from the atmosphere as acidity levels rise.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that the increasing sea level puts livelihoods, health, well-being, food availability, water resources, and culture at risk, leading to the loss of coastal ecosystems, the salinization of groundwater, and infrastructure damage.

According to UN data, approximately 900 million people living in coastal areas globally are vulnerable to climbing sea levels, with nearly one in ten people facing significant danger.

Furthermore, the destructive impact of rising sea levels extends to marine biodiversity, with 90% of large fish populations and 50% of coral reefs already decimated.

Taking action to reduce carbon emissions and limit the temperature rise to 1.5 C can help mitigate the impact of rising sea levels, with estimates suggesting a reduction in costs from 4% to 0.5% of global gross domestic product.

- Oceans by human-induced climate disruption

Speaking to Anadolu, The Ocean Foundation President Mark Spalding expressed deep concern over the threat posed to the oceans by human-induced climate change.

Spalding emphasized that climate change was the biggest threat facing ocean health, with severe implications for the entire "marine ecosystem, food-web security, and oxygen production."

The warming of the global ocean has profound consequences, Spalding said. "The ocean is going to become hotter, with less oxygen to support life, and more acidic. The warming will cause sea level rise, king tides, and nuisance flooding. It will foster severe storms, extreme rain events, and coastal storm surges. This will result in flooding, coastal alteration, and erosion."

Heat-driven expansion of water and melting glaciers also contribute to rising sea levels, endangering coastal infrastructure and communities, he said.

However, projections indicate that the planet is on track to pass the 1.5 C threshold within about the next three years, he said, calling on policymakers, governments, and communities to protect the oceans.

"We need a very rapid, just transition away from fossil fuels to eliminate as many CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions as possible.

"Furthermore, urgent measures are needed to address methane emissions, which also contribute to climate change," he added.