Ocean acidification: Connecting science, ...
understand one of the most important issues from this century: the ocean and our future on the earth Sep 18
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Ocean acidification already well beyond natural variability
Trends can be difficult to detect in real-world data, and the noisier the data, the tougher the task becomes. A longer time series can help limit the impact of noise, but these can be difficult to come by. Verifying the human alteration of ocean chemistry requires tackling challenges like these. Ocean acidification entails a decrease in the pH of ocean water as the carbonate that buffers it is consumed. That carbonate does more than just maintain pH, though.Ocean Acidity Rise Unprecedented in Past 21,000 Years, Researchers Say
23 Jan 2012: Ocean Acidity Rise Unprecedented in Past 21,000 Years, Researchers Say Carbon dioxide emissions caused by human activities over the last century have increased the acidity of the world’s oceans far beyond the range of natural variations , which may significantly impair the ability of marine organisms such as corals and mollusks to form their skeletons or shells, a new study says. Using computer modeling to simulate climate and ocean conditions from 21,000 years ago to the end of the 21st century, an international team of researchers calculated that current saturation levels of aragonite — a form of calcium carbonate and key indicator of ocean acidification — have already dropped five times below the pre-industrial range of natural variability in several critical coral reef regions.
Acidic oceans threaten fish
Ocean acidification — caused by climate change — looks likely to damage crucial fish stocks. Two studies published today in Nature Climate Change reveal that high carbon dioxide concentrations can cause death 1 and organ damage 2 in very young fish. The work challenges the belief that fish, unlike organisms with shells or exoskeletons made of calcium carbonate, will be safe as marine CO 2 levels rise. Fish could be most susceptible to carbon dioxide when in the egg, or just hatched.
Learn more about Ocean Acidification: The Other CO2 Problem To learn more about the science behind the film , see a list of citations. ACID TEST, a film produced by NRDC, was made to raise awareness about the largely unknown problem of ocean acidification, which poses a fundamental challenge to life in the seas and the health of the entire planet.
Ocean Acidification: The Other CO2 Problem
Oregon Sea Grant videos on ocean acidification
Dr. Richard Feely of NOAA’s Pacific Marine Experimental Lab discusses new findings about how increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is making the oceans more acidic, and what that bodes for ocean ecosystems and the marine animals that inhabit them. (1) What is ocean acidification (1:38)
For tens of millions of years, Earth's oceans have maintained a relatively stable acidity level. It's within this steady environment that the rich and varied web of life in today's seas has arisen and flourished. But research shows that this ancient balance is being undone by a recent and rapid drop in surface pH that could have devastating global consequences. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution in the early 1800s, fossil fuel-powered machines have driven an unprecedented burst of human industry and advancement. The unfortunate consequence, however, has been the emission of billions of tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases into Earth's atmosphere. Scientists now know that about half of this anthropogenic, or man-made, CO2 has been absorbed over time by the oceans.
Ocean Acidification
Posted on 10 June 2011 by Rob Painting Numerous lab experiments have shown that ocean acidification is harmful to marine life. Creatures that build chalk-like shells (or skeletons) fare poorly under conditions which mimic the low ocean pH levels expected later this century.
Ocean acidification: Some Winners, Many Losers
Oregon Sea Grant videos on ocean acidification
Dr. Richard Feely of NOAA’s Pacific Marine Experimental Lab discusses new findings about how increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is making the oceans more acidic, and what that bodes for ocean ecosystems and the marine animals that inhabit them. (1) What is ocean acidification (1:38) (2) How are ocean animals affected?
Baby clownfish use hearing to detect and avoid predator-rich coral reefs during the daytime, but new research from the University of Bristol demonstrates that ocean acidification could threaten this crucial behaviour within the next few decades. Since the Industrial Revolution, over half of all the CO2 produced by burning fossil fuels has been absorbed by the ocean, making pH drop faster than any time in the last 650,000 years and resulting in ocean acidification. Recent studies have shown that this causes fish to lose their sense of smell, but a new study published today in Biology Letters shows that fish hearing is also compromised.
