Climate Change and the Ocean - New England Aquarium

Just as human systems affect the ocean, the ocean affects life on land.

Human systems—like energy production, agriculture, transportation, and manufacturing—are interdependent with the ecosystems and habitats that support life, including the ocean.

Perhaps the most serious stress on the oceans today comes from our dominant way of producing energy. When we burn fossil fuels for energy, it releases carbon dioxide. This gas builds up in the atmosphere, where it traps in heat. This “blanket effect” is increasing, disrupting environmental systems—including our weather. The oceans function like the heart of Earth’s climate system, pumping heat and moisture around the globe. Ocean currents regulate the temperature and precipitation on the continents, shaping the climate that shapes human cultures and activities.

As the stress on the climate’s heart increases, it is “beating” irregularly, and long-standing weather patterns are shifting. Scientists expect stronger storms, more frequent droughts, and increased heat waves, putting people’s health and safety at risk. Some of the rampant carbon dioxide is also being absorbed directly into the sea, changing the ocean’s chemistry. This disruption is causing a variety of problems for different marine species, weakening the food web.

We all have a responsibility to protect the oceans—and we can fulfill that duty. Explore these pages to learn more about what we know about how a changing climate is affecting the oceans, and what the Aquarium and others are doing to make a positive difference, and how we can all act together to protect the blue heart of our climate.

Blue Impact Videos

Expand your students’ knowledge of climate change and draw connections between climate change and changes in the oceans. Originally developed as a tour for visitors to the New England Aquarium, this video series presents the challenges ocean animals face from global climate change, and how communities are working together to make a difference for the blue planet.