From NPR · · 1m 50s
Climate change shifts colors we see
Coral bleaches, Arctic greens, lakes darken as climate change alters natural colors.
In brief
Coral bleaches, Arctic greens, lakes darken as climate change alters natural colors. Climate change is causing coral to bleach, Arctic vegetation to green, and lakes to darken, altering the colors we see in nature. Originally reported by NPR.
Coral bleaching
Warming ocean waters bleach vibrant coral to white, making them vulnerable to disease and death.
“Many young scientists who are working on coral reefs don’t realize that what they’re seeing is vastly degraded”
Arctic greening
Arctic vegetation has become greener since 2000, with 38% of sites showing increased greenness between 1985 and 2016.
“Not everywhere in the Arctic is green, but there’s enough greening that if you look at the average greenness of the Arctic over time, it’s going up”
Permafrost thaw
Thawing permafrost releases nutrients, enabling deeper plant roots and greener landscapes in some areas.
“As permafrost thaws deeper into the soil, nutrients become more available and plants can grow deeper roots”
Lake darkening
Green wavelengths in lakes have declined by 15% since 1984, making lakes darker and storing more heat.
“Researchers found that green values declined by 15% between 1984 and 2019, meaning that, to the naked eye, these lakes got significantly darker”
Orchid bees
Champion orchid bees are shifting from blue-green to orange-red as temperatures rise in Costa Rica.
“Year after year, Suni noticed that one species of bee, the champion’s orchid bee, seemed to shift color from blue-green to orange-red”
Coral fluorescence
Stressed corals produce colorful pigments as a protective response before bleaching.
“A 2020 study in Current Biology found that this excess light encourages coral to produce the shockingly colorful pigments”
Bleaching impacts
Fewer colorful fish are found in reefs after bleaching events, reducing reef diversity and color.
“A 2022 study in Global Change Biology found that fewer fish with colorful bodies were found in the Great Barrier Reef following a specific bleaching event”
Arctic warming
The Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the planet, with increased soot pollution from wildfires.
“We know that the high northern latitudes are warming faster than the rest of the planet”
Soot pollution
Soot from wildfires coats Arctic ice, accelerating melting and sea level rise.
“The dark particles coat white snow and soak up heat from the sun, exacerbating melting that was already happening more quickly because of climate change”
Blue lakes
Approximately 31% of Earth’s lakes are blue, found in cooler regions with winter ice cover.
“Globally, approximately 31% of the Earth’s lakes are blue”
Coral recovery
Corals that bleach colorfully have a higher chance of recovery, but climate change reduces recovery opportunities.
“So the scope for recovery is low”
Color change effects
Shrubs expanding in Arctic regions can shade berry patches, affecting food sources for local communities.
“As shrubs expand across northern lands, they can shade out berry patches that people rely on for food”
Dragonfly color
North American male dragonflies have lost color on wings to stay cooler in warmer climates.
“North American male dragonflies have adapted to warmer climates by losing color on their wings”
Climate change impacts
Climate change is altering the colors we see in nature, from bleached corals to darker lakes.
“Color can be a fleeting, subjective thing, simply how one perceives light reflecting off a surface”
What to remember
Climate change is causing coral to bleach, Arctic vegetation to green, and lakes to darken, altering the colors we see in nature.
