Chinese scientists recently introduced how the seas around China have changed in the past decades and are projected to change under a warming climate, according to the Institute of Oceanology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). 

Relevant findings were published in the journal Nature Reviews Earth & Environment on July 18.

The seas around China, including the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the South China Sea, are undergoing multifaceted changes due to the influence of climate change and human activities, according to the research. 

Wang Fan, a researcher at the institute and first author of the paper, said that their research integrated physical, biogeochemical, and biological findings and analyzed the changes in the seas, such as temperature rise, heat waves, circulation and more.

The study showed that since 1950, the surface temperature of these seas has increased by an average of 0.10 to 0.14 degrees Celsius per decade. Among them, the East China Sea warmed the fastest, with the temperature rise in winter being faster than that in summer.

The frequency, duration and average intensity of marine heatwaves have increased, leading to coral bleaching and losses in fisheries and aquaculture, it said.

Terrestrial input has increased nutrient concentrations and composition changes in coastal waters, according to the paper, adding that the warming and nutrient changes have increased the severity of hypoxia and acidification.

Changes to marine organisms, such as plankton, benthos and fish, are also apparent, causing the northward invasion of warm-water species and miniaturization.

It also said that nutrient concentrations and their impact have been alleviated since the beginning of this century, due to the country's efforts in ecological construction and environmental protection.

(Cover: A vessel passes by on the surface of the Yellow Sea, September 10, 2022. /CFP)