The levels of CO2 uptake in the North Atlantic have dropped by half suggesting an increase in the effects of global climate change, a recent study finds.

Researchers at the University of East Anglia measured carbon dioxide uptake using automated instruments fixed to merchant ships.

The 10-year study found that CO2 uptake decreased by half between the mid-1990's and 2000 to 2005.

The oceans and the ecosphere supply the Earth's primary carbon sinks, absorbing greenhouse gases some say contribute to global warming.

The findings, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, did not conclusively indicate the source of the decreased rate, but scientists are concerned the oceans may in time become saturated with CO2 and reflect the gas back into the atmosphere, the BBC reported.

Increased levels of so-called greenhouse gases in the atmosphere contribute to global climate change through a warming effect.

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