Data

We explore data published in the scientific literature to create artworks that tell a story of ocean climate change and the impacts on marine species locally. Our mission is to bring this data to life, to invite questions that nurture greater understanding, and to inspire action to protect our oceans.

Header image: Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations measured at Moana Loa rise steadily year-on-year since they were first measured in 1958. The sawtooth pattern shows the small regular summer dip and winter peak as Earth’s biosphere flourishes and rests with the seasons. The ocean absorbs around a third of human carbon dioxide emissions, and the resulting acidification is one of the most serious threats to marine life from all human activities.

Data sourced from Dr. Pieter Tans, NOAA/GML (gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/) and Dr. Ralph Keeling, Scripps Institution of Oceanography (scrippsco2.ucsd.edu/). Artwork by Drew Oliphant & Cathy Cole.

Data References

Cook, F., Mackie, D., Shears, N., Jillett, J., Evans, J., Atkins, J., Roughan, M., Bowen, M. Suanda, S., Smith, R. Two long-term coastal sea surface temperature records (54-68 years) from New Zealand [In Preparation for Scientific Data]. Available on request from marine.studies@otago.ac.nz 

Donlon et al. (2021) Egg laying and embryo development of Octopus huttoni in response to temperature and season Marine and Freshwater Research, 72, 638–646

IPCC, 2021: Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, A. Pirani, S.L. Connors, C. Péan, S. Berger, N. Caud, Y. Chen, L. Goldfarb, M.I. Gomis, M. Huang, K. Leitzell, E. Lonnoy, J.B.R. Matthews, T.K. Maycock, T. Waterfield, O. Yelekçi, R. Yu, and B. Zhou (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press. In Press.

IPCC, 2019: Summary for Policymakers. In: IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, V. Masson Delmotte, P. Zhai, M. Tignor, E. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Nicolai, A. Okem, J. Petzold, B. Rama, N.M. Weyer (eds.)]. In press.

Kluibenschedl et al. (2021). Low irradiance amplifies negative effects of ocean acidification on recruitment of coralline algae communities. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 674, 103-113

MacDiarmid AB, McKenzie A, Sturman J, et al. (2012) Assessment of anthropogenic threats to New Zealand marine habitats. New Zealand Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Report No. 93.255 p.

Mattern et al. (2017), Quantifying climate change impacts emphasises the importance of managing regional threats in the endangered Yellow-eyed penguin. PeerJ 5:e3272; DOI 10.7717/peerj.3272)

Ministry for the Environment & Stats NZ (2019). New Zealand’s Environmental Reporting Series: Our marine environment 2019. Available from www.mfe.govt.nz and www.stats.govt.nz 

Munida Timeseries: New Zealand Ocean Acidification Observing Network (NZOA-ON) data sourced from NIWA https://marinedata.niwa.co.nz/nzoa-on/  

Thomsen et al. (2019). Local Extinction of Bull Kelp (Durvillaea spp.) Due to a Marine Heatwave. Frontiers in Marine Science 6:84. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2019.00084