Episode 5 – Oceans and Climate

8.30pm, RTÉ One, Monday 11th December 2023

The ocean is our planet’s biggest and most important ally against climate change, playing a key role in regulating and redistributing heat, as well as storing large amounts of heat and carbon.

In this episode, we investigate the Atlantic Ocean conveyor belt that moves warm water north and maintains Ireland’s mild climate, check out the latest Irish research monitoring changes in the Gulfstream and Jonathan meet the scientists at Met Éireann who are using supercomputers to produce climate models that are essential to understanding the ongoing impacts of the climate emergency.

Many people don’t realise that Ireland is surrounded by cold water coral reefs that play a major role in stabilising climate change, absorb carbon from the oceans as they grow, and helping to balance the carbon budget on a planetary scale. Kathriona meets researchers seeking to understand the impacts of changes in oceanic atmosphere and rising seawater temperatures on the health and stability of our significant cold water corals ecosystems.

And in Curious Chronicles, Fergus recounts an incredible Irish subsea rescue that’s, quite literally, breathtaking…

🪸🐟Did you know Ireland has cold water corals? On Monday’s @10Things_ToKnow About, Erica Krueger @etk89 tells @KathrionaDev about these amazing creatures & we’re on board #RVCelticVoyager with @samhallam5 to talk all things #oceansandclimate
📺Mon 11th Dec 8.30pm @RTEOne… pic.twitter.com/C84clazfux

— 10ThingstoKnowAbout (@10Things_ToKnow) December 7, 2023