World Maps of Ocean Environment Variables

Abstract Understanding the ocean environment at a global scale has never been so important due to the need to predict the effects of climate change and its consequences for biodiversity, including the ecosystems and species which are influenced by, and in turn alter, their environment. Here we present world maps of long-term (annual and decadal) averages of the following ocean environment variables: seabed depth and slope; sea surface and near seabed temperatures; current velocity and wind speed; wave and tide height; dissolved, saturated and utilized oxygen; effects of water transparency on photosynthetic radiation and depth; phytoplankton productivity and calcite; nutrients; salinity, pH, and suspended particulates; and summer and winter ice cover. We point out some of their key geographic features, correlations between variables, and interrelationships.