For so many reasons, global climate change is the overarching environmental challenge of this century.  Julie Packard, of the Packard family and prime mover behind the incredible Monterey Bay Aquarium, tells us that "the oceans will be our most important battleground".  She reminds us that there is "compelling scientific evidence that climate change is dramatically affecting oceans worldwide in ways that threaten the survival of marine ecosystems and - ultimately - our human societies".  Writing at Huffington Post, Packard talks about the obvious signs: rising sea levels and increasing storm severity.

Then she talks about the less obvious: saltwater contamination of water, including water we rely on for drinking and agriculture; significant coastal erosion; and the possibility of large fisheries die-offs.  Worse is the increasing acidity of the oceans due to absorption of carbon dioxide threatening the growth of the plankton that is the basis of the ocean's food web.  It's all downhill from there - a collapse of the fisheries and the loss of food for millions; increases in the dead zones of the ocean (and Puget Sound), and a decrease in the oxygen available for breathing. 

Today, the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative will release an ambitious blueprint for federal ocean policy.  "It recognizes that many of the limitations in climate science result from an inadequate understanding of ocean-related processes and their interactions with land and atmosphere." 

More reasons for better understanding of the full impact of impending climate change and action that needs to be taken NOW.

Photo of Kalalock beach by Ravenelle under Creative Commons