As human populations grow, so do their influence on the oceans. In our cultural history, the ocean exerts a mighty force on our collective imaginations, a source of destructive power to be feared and respected. However, the oceans probably have more to fear from us.

Rapid climate change, caused by the burning of fossil fuels, is overwhelming ocean ecosystems, reducing their ability to support life and regulate the weather. Researchers at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences have been developing tools to forecast changes in ocean temperatures.