Reddening of Oceans : Prophecy of Algal Blooms and Ocean Acidification (Part-4)


A Study in the Light of Qur’an, Hadith and Paleoclimatology

Devastation of Oceanic Systems

By: Moulana Aneesur Rahman Nadvi

In the previous pages, we have discussed elaborately in the commentary of verse 6 of Surah Takveer various natural phenomena occurring in the oceans of the earth due to global warming and climate change. We had mentioned that in total 7 sayings of the companions of Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) had been narrated in the commentary of this verse. The seven sayings of companions of Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) which has been summarized by Abul Hasan Ali al Mawardi (d. 450 AH) in his commentary of Holy Qur’an Al Nukatu Wal Owun are given below:

1 – Overflowing of the oceans (Rise in the sea level)
2 – Mixing up of salt and fresh water of oceans (Shut down of thermohaline circulation)
3 – Blowing out the seven oceans and making them one (prophecy of methane clathrate explosions)
4 – Movement of oceans like mountains
5 – Reddening of oceans (Prophecy of occurrence of algal blooms and ocean acidification)
6 – Drying up of oceans
7 – Setting oceans on fire.1

We had discussed the initial four of these seven sayings earlier in the light of modern scientific discoveries. There we tried to show that what appears to be a contradiction between these sayings, in fact, is not a contradiction. Instead all these sayings point out towards a chain of diversified and extraordinary natural events which are due to take place in earth’s oceans due to the ongoing global warming and climate change gradually. Hence, there exists no contradiction of any kind between these statements at all.

5 – Turning of ocean water into blood like red
Now, we will discuss the remaining three sayings in the commentary of the above verse in the light of modern scientific discoveries. Hence according to their next saying, ‘tasjeer-e-bahr’ means turning the color of the oceans blood red. The exact meanings of this saying are as follow:

“(tasjeer) means reddening of the color of its water till it becomes blood-like.”2

In fact, reddening of the oceans too is an important and imminent consequential phenomenon of the earth’s global warming and climate change. This prediction of hadith about the oceans turning red clearly indicates towards the algal blooms in the oceans and the ocean acidification. Both these phenomena are considered to be the links in the chain of massive events that are due to take place in the earth’s oceans due to ongoing global warming and climate change. Its details are as follow:

What is algal boom?
The oceans cover about 71 percent of the Earth’s surface. Oceans and seas abound with life, ranging from microscopic unicellular organisms to multicellular animals. Algae are important photosynthetic organisms in the ocean. They are found in oceans in natural balance and this balance is maintained by forces of nature unless some external pressures upset the balance. When a balance upsets, it leads to conditions more favorable for the reproduction and growth of algae, an explosive increase in the number of algal cell density occurs. Such rapid increases in the algae population are called algal blooms.

During a bloom, a litre of water may contain millions of algae. The most widely publicized type of algal bloom is associated with species that produce a toxin harmful to animals that feed on the algae and hence is known as a harmful algal bloom. Algae cause a tint in the water because of the photosynthetic pigments they contain. The latter commonly is known as a “red tide.” The pigments can turn the water red, brown, purple, orange or yellow, depending on the circumstances and species present. When this phenomenon occurs in the oceans, it causes two types of changes in the oceans. It reduces the level of oxygen in the ocean, causing death of oceanic creatures on a large scale. Secondly, oceanic water becomes highly toxic and turns into blood-like red. These sorts of phenomena have started to occur on various coastal areas of planet earth on small scale, and it continues to occur in various parts of the world. There occurrence is increasing day by day. In 2014, the coast of Florida witnessed one such gigantic red tide which was 90 km in length and 60 km in width. There occurred around ten notable red tides between 2005-15, including those of Canada (2005), North California (2011), Gulf of Mexico (2011), Malaysia (2013), Florida (2014), Bohol (2015), Philippine (2015) and Gulf of Mexico (2015). Algal blooms are found on all of the coasts of USA. Florida witnesses red tides almost each year.3

Devastating effects of algal blooms
According to scientists, toxic algal blooms will have fatal and destructive effects on sea animals including humans. Scientists have long known that so-called red tide phytoplankton is toxic to marine life, but new research from the University of Connecticut is suggesting that it’s actually far deadlier than we feared. Prof. Hans Dam from the Department of Marine Sciences has sounded the alarm on the red tide, saying that it could have grave consequences for entire marine food chains. According to his findings, the plankton produces not one, but two deadly toxins – one that’s deadly to large organisms, and one that’s deadly to small predators. Because of its ability to kill both of these groups of animals, it has led them to label it as the potential “killer of the ocean world.” 4

Red tide poses no immediate threat to humans, but its effects could impact on lobsters, clams, and fish. If humans eat them it could cause human deaths. In fact, it has caused several human deaths in the above mentioned instances of red tides.

Causes of algal blooms and red tides
Traditionally, several causes were attributed to the spread of algal blooms. Nevertheless, two causes are emerging as the main culprits for their spread in the oceans in the light of modern scientific discoveries. One of them is the global warming and climate change, and the other is ocean acidification.

Global warming and algal blooms
Modern scientific researches have plentifully confirmed that the oceans of planet earth are at risk of algal blooms due to the ongoing climate change. According to scientists, climate change will cause an increase in both the frequency and severity of algal blooms in the oceans.

According to scientists, harmful algae usually bloom during the warm summer season or when water temperatures are warmer than usual. Hence scientists believe that when oceanic water warms up due to global warming, it will definitely lead to the algal blooms drastically. Warmer water due to climate change might favor harmful algae in a number of ways:

  • Toxic algae prefer warmer water.
  • Warmer temperatures prevent water from mixing, allowing algae to grow thicker and faster.
  • Warmer water is easier for small organisms to move through and allows algae to float to the surface faster.
  • Algal blooms absorb sunlight, making water even warmer and promoting more blooms.
  • Climate change might lead to more droughts, which make freshwater saltier. This can cause marine algae to invade freshwater ecosystems. This phenomenon is being observed in USA.
  • Algae need carbon dioxide to survive. Higher levels of carbon dioxide in the air and water can lead to rapid growth of algae.
  • Climate change might affect rainfall patterns, leading to alternating periods of drought and intense storms. This can cause more algal blooms.
  • Scientists predict that sea level could rise up to one meter by the year 2100. This would create more shallow and stable coastal water, conditions that are perfect for the growth of algae.5

    Ocean acidification
    The above study about the algal blooms and red tides in the oceans in the light of modern scientific researches made it very clear that the phenomena of algal blooms and red tides are going to become global threats due to the ongoing global warming and climate change. It will not only affect the earth’s oceans but also the continental fresh water reservoirs.

    Further studies in this regard shed further light on the issue that the ocean poisoning will not stop here alone, but there will emerge more devastating phenomena which will worsen the situation further, and the oceans will get trapped in a cycle of destruction. One of these phenomena is the acidification of oceans. Its details are as follow.

    In chemistry, pH is a scale used to specify the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. The pH stands for the potential of hydrogen in a solution. Acidity and basicity in a solution is measured between 0-14. Pure water is neutral, at pH 7. Solutions with a pH less than 7 are acidic. The acidity of a solution increases as its pH starts to decrease towards 0. The more it is nearer to 0, the more will be its acidity. Solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic. Lemon juice tastes sour because its pH is 2.2 (high acidity).

    Oceans too acidify. The acidification of oceans is attributed to the CO2 present in the atmosphere which the oceans absorb. In fact, about 30-40% of carbon dioxide emitted in the atmosphere today is absorbed by the oceans. According to an estimate, the oceans of earth have absorbed more than 80% of the planet’s heat. Hence, the earth’s oceans are acidifying constantly with their warming. According to an estimate, the acidity of oceans has fallen by 0.1 ph. Scientists estimate that by the end of this century the pH value of oceans will fall up to 0.3-0.5.

    The acidification of oceans will have dual fatal consequences for the planet earth: Firstly, the disadvantages of acidification itself in which oceans will become corrosive. Secondly, ocean acidification will lead to algal blooms more rapidly and more severely. Several studies in this regard suggest that till 2050, the oceans in the Polar Regions will become corrosive, and this characteristic will gradually spread to other oceans of the planet earth. Among the other destructive effects of ocean acidification, it will destroy food chains in the oceans; coral reef will be lost, which will endanger the marine organisms. Ocean acidification will also have direct and indirect effects on humans too. An increase in ocean acidification may even threaten the movement and travel through oceans.

    Relationship between ocean acidification and algal blooms
    In addition to all these destructive effects, ocean acidification will have another fatal consequence. It will be extremely helpful and supportive to the spread of toxic algal blooms,6 i.e., the more the atmosphere will absorb CO2, the more heat the oceans will absorb from the air. This will cause a surge in ocean acidification. Consequently, it will lead to an increase in toxic algae blooms in same proportion due to the increase in ocean acidity.

    It should be borne in mind that the increase in ocean acidification is also attributed to the increase in global warming as it was elaborated earlier. Similarly, the algal blooms too is the direct consequence of global warming on the one hand, and on the other, indirectly the increase in ocean acidification is also contributing to the spread of algal blooms. In this way, global warming is contributing in more than one way to the spread algal blooms and the oceans are poised to be blood-like red completely.

    Ocean acidification and algal blooms in geological history
    Another shocking discovery with regard to the ocean acidification and algal blooms is that the earth has witnessed the phenomenon of ocean acidification and algal blooms in its geological history. In earth’s geological history, when this phenomenon occurred, the earth has witnessed same kind of global warming and climate change as it is occurring on the earth today. Its further details are given below.

    The Planet Earth has repeatedly passed through a cycle of climate changes in its geological history similar to the one it is passing through today. One of these climate changes had occurred some 55.5 million (5.5 crore) years ago, which is called Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). PETM too occurred due to the increase in the global temperatures. Global temperatures increased by 5–8 °C. At that time too the excessive release of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was the culprit.

    There exist more similarities between the current and the past climate changes of the earth. According to the recent researches of paleoclimatology and paleoceanography, earth’s oceans witnessed high levels of ocean acidification and algal blooms at the time of this climate change. In sediment cores, this period shows up as a layer of red clay sandwiched between two white layers of calcium carbonate. This indicated towards ocean acidification and algal blooms in that period. That period also witnessed extinction of species on a large scale. Scientists are predicting same sort of extinctions in the wake of the current climate change.

    To find a period analogous to the present, you have to go back at least 55 million years, to what’s known as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum or PETM. During the PETM huge quantities of carbon were released into the atmosphere, from where, no one is quite sure. Temperatures around the world soared by around ten degrees Fahrenheit, and marine chemistry changed dramatically. The ocean depths became so corrosive that in many places shells stopped piling up on the seafloor and simply dissolved. In sediment cores the period shows up as a layer of red clay sandwiched between two white layers of calcium carbonate. Many deepwater species of foraminifera went extinct.7

    Diversified scientific marvels of Holy Qur’an and hadith
    We can draw a number of inductive conclusions from the detailed study presented above with regard to the algal blooms and ocean acidification and the hadiths narrated in this regard.

    1- The phenomena of algal blooms and ocean acidification are a consequential phenomenon of ongoing global warming and climate change on earth. This phenomenon will take the form of a global threat as the global warming intensifies. The predication of hadith about the reddening of oceans indicates towards the occurrence of this phenomenon. The hadith instead of describing minute details of ocean acidification and algal blooms, sufficed on describing its last and final part.

    2- The second point in this regard is that the phenomenon of ocean acidification and algal blooms will be a global phenomenon. The evidences in this regard are piling up from three sources: First, from the scientific explanations and the law of cause and effect, its occurrence seems to be an inevitable one. Second, the ocean sediments are providing us an instance of its occurrence in the earth’s geological past. Third, the hadiths are predicting its occurrence once again.

    3- Hadiths describe the phenomenon of algal bloom and red tides as one of the signs of doomsday. According to the concept of doomsday in Islam, all the living creatures will be wiped out of planet earth at the time of its occurrence. The geological history of earth also providing us the evidence that during the occurrence of algal blooms at the time of PETM, similar mass extinction had occurred, as we have discussed its details. According to scientists, this mass extinction event is called as Paleocene-Eocene Mass Extinction (PEME) in which about 50% of species wiped out of planet earth.8 In view of all these evidences, scientists today are predicting extinction similar or severe than the PEME event.

    4- What illuminates these great scientific marvels of hadith further is the fact that the hadiths narrated in the commentary of the above Qur’anic verse in fact are the sayings of companions and companion’s companion of Prophet Mohammed, which are either hadith maqoof (sayings or deeds attributed to the companion) or hadith maqtoo (sayings or deeds attributed to the companion’s companion). Hence these hadith are lower in status than the hadith marfoo (sayings or deeds attributed to Prophet Mohammed). It is evident that the source of these sayings of companions and companion’s companion could only be the Prophet himself. It couldn’t be their ijtihad (juristic deduction), since they are related to the universal mysteries. Hence existence of such magnificent scientific marvels in hadith maqoof and hadith maqtoo provides ample evidence to the veracity and validity of whole collection and science of hadith.9

    References:
    1 – Tafseer Al Nukat wal Ouyoun (Tafseer Al Mawardi), Abul Hasan Ali Al Mawardi, V. 6, P. 213, Darul Kutub Al Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon.
    2 – ibid.
    3 – Refer: wikipeida.org/Red_tide.
    4 http://oceanservice.noaa.gov
    5 – Impacts of Climate Change on the Occurrence of Harmful Algal Blooms, EPA, May 2013.
    6 – http://ec.europa.eu
    7 – http://ngm.nationalgeograp
    hic.com/print/2011/04/ocean-acidification/kolbert-text
    8 – For a detailed study about the past climate changes planet earth and its causes, refer the second part of this book.
    9 – For a detailed study on this topic, refer my book “Islamic Concept of Earthquakes”, Furqania Academy Waqf, Bangalore, 2011.