Copernicus Marine Data And Adapting To Climate Change


The oceans are undergoing sweeping, severe, and unavoidable changes. Sea level rise, extreme weather events, and changing marine ecosystems are becoming a fact of life, particularly affecting coastal communities — making understanding and measuring the ocean an essential step towards ensuring our relationship with the ocean is sustainable and resilient. Accurate, global data like that provided by the Copernicus Marine Service will be increasingly vital if we are to make well-informed decisions as we adapt to Earth’s changing ocean and climate.

Climate Change Impacts Life Under the Sea

The composition of plankton in the oceans is changing as a result of global warming. Living marine organisms generally move towards the poles to remain under the same temperature conditions. And when fish, for example, leave the Equator the fish fauna erodes in warmer sea areas.

Professor Thomas Kiørboe, Centre for Ocean Life at DTU, studies marine ecosystems, their functions and ability to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. He works on clarifying the basic processes determining carbon cycling in the oceans, as it has a decisive impact on our climate.