Spring 2020 news
Seagrass restoration to fight climate change
Seagrasses are the unsung heros of our coastal seas. As much as 92% of the UK’s seagrass has been lost, restoring it is vital for ocean health.
Seagrass has huge benefits. It can protect coasts, improve water filtration and plays the following important roles:
Fisheries Support – 20% of the world’s biggest fisheries are supported by seagrass meadows as fish nurseries.
Biodiversity Support – 50 species of fish live in or visit UK seagrass, supporting 30 times more animals than nearby habitat.
Fight Climate Change – Seagrasses store carbon 35 times faster than forests. Restoring them traps carbon dioxide.
Seagrass Ocean Rescue (https://www.projectseagrass.org/seagrass-ocean-rescue) plans to restore seagrass in a small experimental two hectare area (approximately two rugby pitches) in collaboration with local people in Dale in West Wales. Over the coming years we also aim to inspire future major projects in other areas to restore the UK’s seagrass meadows to help support our climate, our fisheries and our coastal livelihoods.
Further information
https://www.wwf.org.uk/what-we-do/planting-hope-how-seagrass-can-tackle-climate-change
Antarctic heatwave
In February, Antarctica recorded its highest ever temperature of 18.3°C, beating the previous record of 17.5°C set in March 2015. The record temperature, measured at an Argentinian research station on the Antarctic Peninsula, is further evidence that this region is one of the fastest warming places on Earth.
Scientists are concerned that increased melting of ice shelves by warmer seawater incursions may ‘unlock’ glaciers resulting in glacial surges and a significant increase in the rate of melting and consequent sea level rise.
The recent high temperatures were exacerbated by the Fohn effect, where fast moving north-westerly winds warmed as they streamed down the steep mountain slopes. Most commonly associated with the European Alps, the Fohn effect also explains the occasional significant warming in Eastern Scotland during periods of strong westerly winds particularly in the spring.
Further information
Climate change benefits plants on Mount Everest
The area around Mount Everest is becoming greener according to a recent study published in the journal Global Change Biology. Researchers measured a range of vegetation including mosses, lichens and shrubs across the Himalayas at altitudes between 4,150 and 6,000m above sea level.
Using NASA satellite data between 1993 and 2018, they discovered an increase in greenery at all altitudes suggesting that plants were benefiting from the increases in temperature.
Whilst plants may be benefiting from the rising temperatures, melting ice and snow poses significant long-term effects on water supplies in the region threatening the survival of towns and villages.
Further information
Global Change Biology (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652486) is a fascinating journal with frequent articles on climate change and the water/carbon cycles.
UK viticulture to benefit from global warming
As temperatures increase and the UK experiences more frequent hot and dry summers, winemakers are likely to benefit as southern Britain becomes one of the world’s premier wine-growing regions of the world.
Pixels purple-grapes-vineyard-napa-valley-napa-vineyard-39351
Wine production in the UK has soared in recent years to about 16 million bottles a year from virtually nothing at the start of the century. As temperatures increase, a vast range of sensitive grape varieties will be able to be grown in the UK boosting the industry considerably. In contrast, many of the world’s traditional winegrowing areas will become too hot if average global temperatures rise by 2°C.
Scientists writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences see wine as the ‘canary in the coalmine’ for climate change, as grapes are so very sensitive to temperatures. If global temperatures were to rise by 4°C, 85% of land currently used for growing vines would be unviable.
Further information
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