Oceans and IPCC AR-5

From the IPCC AR-5 Summary for Policymakers Report, following is a statement about how the oceans are involved in absorbing the added heat input from the greenhouse gas effect:

Ocean warming dominates the increase in energy stored in the climate system, accounting for more than 90% of the energy accumulated between 1971 and 2010 (high confidence), with only about 1% stored in the atmosphere. On a global scale, the ocean warming is largest near the surface, and the upper 75 m warmed by 0.11 [0.09 to 0.13] °C per decade over the period 1971 to 2010. It is virtually certain that the upper ocean (0−700 m) warmed from 1971 to 2010, and it likely warmed between the 1870s and 1971. 

And a significant additional change is also taking place....ocean acidification:

Since the beginning of the industrial era, oceanic uptake of CO2 has resulted in acidification of the ocean; the pH of ocean surface water has decreased by 0.1 (high confidence), corresponding to a 26% increase in acidity, measured as hydrogen ion concentration. 

Two observable effects from these changes are, one, sea level rise due to thermal expansion of the warming oceans, and two, deterioration of marine ecosystems dependent on calcified exoskeletons, such as shellfish and coral reefs.

So is there any good news from the oceans? I think there is a lot, and one specific item is Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, or OTEC. More on that in my next post. 

And below, a few pics of zero carbon energy generation based at sea. The top pic is of the Pelamis wave powered electric generator, and bottom, sea based wind turbines. 
Source: BBC article, In Pictures: Green Energy Awards photography contest.