We have gigantic creatures in the sea which can sing for hours and have arteries so big you can crawl through them. (whales)
We have birds that fly 50,000 miles every year. From the antarctic to the arctic and back again. (arctic tern)
We have living creatures which never get old and never die naturally. (jellyfish)
We have animals which you can force through a sieve, and they can reassemble themselves. (sponges)
We have an ancient line of animals which once had 30 or more successful species, and has gone extinct down to just one single representative, and that representative has conquered the entire world (us).
We have horrors that look just like rocks and if you step on them your whole world becomes agonizing pain. (toadfish)
We have animals who hide inside other animals, and when you eat that animal, they enter your intestines and live there. (tapeworms)
We have plants which live on other plants and never touch the ground.
There's a fruit tree that grows around another tree, and eventually kills and replaces it. (strangler fig)
We have gliding lizards, marsupials, snakes, frogs, and rodents.
What the heck do you need fairies for?
The Oceans are Losing their Breath. Theyâre no longer just "buffering" climate change; they are reaching a structural breaking point. In this second article in a series on Ocean Stratification (the layering of water that prevents mixing), Jan and I examine a "triple whammy" of environmental failures:
The Deoxygenation Crisis: Warmer surface layers are trapping heat and losing oxygen. Since the mid-20th century, 1%â2% of global ocean oxygen has vanished, creating "dead zones" where marine species literally struggle to breathe.
Chemical & Visual Shifts: We have officially breached the Planetary Boundary for Ocean Acidification, threatening foundational species like coral and shellfish. Simultaneously, the oceans are "darkening" as biomass and particles accumulate in the surface, further trapping heat in a dangerous feedback loop.
A Stalling Carbon Pump: The "biological pump"âthe process where marine life moves carbon to the deep oceanâis slowing down. Rising temperatures are creating a "thermal wall" that disrupts the (vertical)migration of carbon-recycling species.
The Bottom Line: The ocean's capacity to absorb our emissions is flattening. As stratification strengthens and marine heatwaves become the "new normal," the transition of our oceans from a stable climate sink to a volatile risk source is one of the most significant challenges of this century.
Links to this new article and the first one covering the physical aspects of Ocean Stratification are in the comments. h/t Tom Harris and Jan Umsonst
The Great Decoupling 2: Changes in Ocean Biochemistry Driven by Strengthening Stratification https://t.co/RRdDtMrMT5
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