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We have reason for great concern that our oceans are going through a rapid change that may create severe problems for ourselves and disaster for our children and grandchildren. Here are some of the problems:

"A computer simulation of the Earth's climate 250 million years ago suggests that global warming triggered the so-called 'great dying'."

"A dramatic rise in carbon dioxide caused temperatures to soar to 10 to 30 degrees Celsius higher than today, say US researchers."

"Some 95% of lifeforms in the oceans became extinct, along with about three-quarters of land species."

The ocean currents are changing, with massive changes in our climate to follow. "A paper in this week's issue of Nature reveals that the Gulf Stream current system--a band of water that brings tropical warmth to the North Atlantic, keeping Europe from being as cold as it should be--circulates 30 percent less water than it did in the past."

The rate of global warming may increase at a very rapid rate and stay for a very, very long time. "The Arctic, particularly, is filled with what amount to flippable climate switches, including natural repositories of carbon, like boggy tundra, that could emit vast amounts of greenhouse gases should the current warming trend pass certain points, said Jonathan Overpeck, the director of the Institute for the Study of Planet Earth at the University of Arizona."

"This could amplify warming and take the climate into a realm beyond anything experienced through human evolution."

"Another lesson of deep planetary history, Overpeck said, is that, once set in motion, such warm-ups can happen fast and then last a very, very long time."

"Evidence for abrupt climate change is readily apparent in ice cores taken from Greenland and Antarctica. One sees clear indications of long-term changes discussed above, with COČ and proxy temperature changes associated with the last ice age and its transition into our present interglacial period of warmth. But, in addition, there is a strong chaotic variation of properties with a quasi-period of around 1500 years. We say chaotic because these millennial shifts look like anything but regular oscillations. Rather, they look like rapid, decade-long transitions between cold and warm climates followed by long interludes in one of the two states." Includes an animation showing the global oceanic conveyor of warm and cool currents."

The food chain in the oceans is threatened. "Rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is threatening to make oceans too corrosive for marine organisms to grow protective shells, according to researchers."

"If emissions continue unabated, the entire Southern Ocean, which stretches north from the Antarctic coastline, and subarctic regions of the Pacific Ocean will soon become so acidic that the shells of marine creatures will soften and dissolve making them easy targets for predators. Others will not be able to grow sufficient shells to survive."

"The loss of shelled creatures at the lower end of the food chain could have disastrous consequences for larger marine animals."

Our coral reefs are in danger from global warming and coral reefs are important to ocean life--and humans. "Discusses the many values of the reefs, such as protecting over 500 million people from sea surges and storms along coasts. "Fish caught around coral reefs are an important source of food for hundreds of millions of people, especially in the developing world, many of whom have no other source of animal protein." "Reefs are also home to an extraordinary variety of marine plants and animals, including a quarter of all marine fish species"

Mercury from human pollution now poisons the oceans sufficiently to make eating large seafood unsafe.

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