From here on the Falkor, sitting atop 2,000 m of water, in the 30°C warm air offshore of Cape York in the far northern GBR, there is seemingly no sign of the large, beating heart of the global oceans – the Southern Ocean
This cold and dense, life-sustaining deep water was born in the Southern Ocean
The ocean is the caretaker of the atmosphere, mediating the growing atmospheric carbon dioxide and heat levels. We have asked a lot of the ocean over the last century - to take on far more carbon dioxide and heat than it normally would in that relatively short time. Consequently, the atmosphere hasn’t felt the full effect of rising carbon dioxide and temperatures, as the ocean has largely absorbed this. Cold water is very efficient at absorbing carbon dioxide; however, that ability will diminish as the waters remove atmospheric heat and retain it. Then we expect the globe will heat at a faster rate than it currently is.
The Great Barrier Reef has been impacted more than most other places by the ever-rising atmospheric carbon dioxide and temperatures. As shallow waters absorb carbon dioxide, the water becomes corrosive and dissolves the delicate carbonate structures that make the reef so unique. The Southern Ocean’s ability to lock in excess carbon dioxide and heat for centuries means it is working hard to keep some of the effects of climate change at bay.
So, even here in this tropical climate, the Southern Ocean is assisting in sustaining life and maintaining the delicate balance of temperature and chemistry along the edge of the Great Barrier Reef.
