Southern Indian Ocean losing saltiness faster than anywhere else

Technology Feb 20, 2026

A new study has found that the Southern Indian Ocean, especially off Western Australia, is losing its saltiness faster than anywhere else in the Southern Hemisphere.
Scientists say climate change is shifting winds and pushing more freshwater into this area, driving a sharp decline in salinity.

Rapid change could disrupt global ocean currents

Lead author Gengxin Chen and Professor Weiqing Han said the drop was significant, with salty seawater shrinking by 30% over 60 years primarily driven by climate-driven wind shifts that redirect freshwater from the Indo-Pacific freshwater pool rather than by rainfall alone.
This rapid change could disrupt global ocean currents and mess with nutrient flow, putting marine life like plankton and seagrass—and the whole food web—at risk.