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For Immediate Release:

OCEAN CHANGES TRIGGERED BY WARMING POSE GROWING DANGERS TO HUMAN, ANIMAL LIFE

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 29)—The world’s oceans are under stresses today from global warming and changes in coastal marine ecosystems resulting in loss of aquatic life and increasing dangers to human health, according to leading experts gathered today on Capitol Hill for House and Senate briefings organized by the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School.

According to a white paper report issued by the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School, mounting pressures – including fertilizer and sewage, toxic chemicals such as mercury, pesticides, dioxin and PCBs, along with a loss of coastal wetlands, warmer ocean temperatures and intense storms – are combining to create crises for the world’s oceans. The signs of the growing stresses include “dead zones,” extensive loss of coastal wetlands, alterations in ocean salinity, contamination of food sources, and the increase in extreme weather associated with climate change are affecting agricultural production, forests and the patterns of human and animal diseases. The briefings on Capitol Hill were being
held in anticipation of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy report, set to be released to Congress later this month.

Paul R. Epstein, M.D., Associate Director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School said “the ocean environment plays a crucial role in sustaining basic human needs. The changes we are seeing now are having profound impacts on our health and the livelihoods of many communities.”

According to Dr. Ruth Curry, Research Specialist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, changes in ocean salinities are now being observed that reflect shifts in our planet’s hydrologic cycle. “On a global scale the oceans are heating up, evaporation rates are increasing, and glaciers and sea ice are melting.” The tropical oceans have recently become markedly saltier as evaporation and precipitation patterns change in response to warming temperatures. The extra evaporated ocean water is being dumped at high latitudes. Continued freshening of the Nordic and Labrador Seas could decrease the amount of heat that is transported by the North Atlantic Current and is responsible for Europe's relatively mild climate. "If these observed trends persist, there will be very real impacts on human health, agriculture, water distribution, and ecosystems worldwide -- they may even be dramatic."

On a more regional scale, Dr. Epstein states that weather volatility and warmer sea surface temperatures associated with climate change affect the occurrence and distribution of toxins, harmful algal blooms (HABs) and marine diseases. “Heavy rains flush nutrients into waterways, helping to trigger HABs,” he said. “In addition, runoff from storms can introduce pathogens (disease agents) into shellfish beds. Also, prolonged ocean warming harms coral reefs and seagrass beds, thus fisheries – essential sources of nutrition.”

Gulf States are particularly vulnerable to Sea Level Rise, according to briefing participant Dr. Virginia Burkett of the United States Geological Survey’s National Wetlands Research Center. “Recent projections of sea-level rise during the next 100 years (480 millimeters), coupled with recent monitoring, show that areas of New Orleans and vicinity that are presently 1.5 to 3 meters below mean sea-level will likely be 2.5 to 4.0 meters or more below sea level by 2100,” Dr. Burkett said.

Dr. Philippe Grandjean, adjunct professor of environmental health at the Harvard School of Public Health, added that dependence on fossil fuel affects human health and the oceans beyond climate change: “Methylmercury, with sources primarily being coal-fired power plants, incineration, and other industries is contaminating an otherwise very healthy source of nutrition,” said Dr. Grandjean. Recent research in several countries has shown that even small amounts of mercury from seafood can have adverse effects on health. In particular, methylmercury interferes with the development of the brain in the fetus and the small child. Even small deficits may be of substantial importance, because complete brain functions are so crucial for quality of life and success in society.

Today’s morning House briefing was sponsored by Reps. Tom Allen (D-ME), Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), Sam Farr (D-CA), Wayne Gilchrist (R-MD) Jim Greenwood (R-PA) and Curt Weldon (R-PA). Sponsors for the afternoon Senate briefing were Sens. John Breaux (D-LA), Fritz Hollings (D-SC), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), John Kerry (D-MA), John McCain (R-AZ) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME). Support for the briefing was provided by the Energy Foundation and the Civil Society Institute.