Climate Change
The ocean plays a fundamental role in governing climate by storing and distributing heat, water and carbon, yet our understanding of these processes is inadequate for accurate climate modeling. The ocean and its coastal zones are threatened by climate change through warming waters, precipitation changes and ocean acidification, as well as the alteration of currents, salinity, sea level and hurricanes. To address these threats, we recommend the following actions:
- Increase basic and applied research and the highest quality ocean observations from sea and space to better understand and model climate change and ocean acidification, including environmental changes in the Arctic;
- Expand research to understand the ocean’s role in governing climate by storing and distributing heat, water and carbon;
- Investigate the impacts of climate change on the ocean and living marine resources to help society and economies adapt to and mitigate impacts;
- and Establish an integrated national climate service enterprise that leverages the extramural science community’s understanding of the climate system to describe and predict climate variability.
Ocean Leadership Policy Documents
6/09: Deciphering the Ocean Climate System, An Ocean Leadership Policy Document
View other Ocean Leadership Policy Documents here.
