Acidification and the Ocean’s Changing Climate ( 600-700)
The sole reason for the change in atmospheric temperature can be attributed to Carbon Dioxide emissions. Ocean acidification has occurred due to chemical changes in oceans. Highly concentrated carbonic acid is the product formed due to CO2 entering into the oceans and reacting with water.
Oceans on Acidification
Scott Doney, in 2007 mentioned that ocean life was facing an almost unprecedented environmental challenge. He stated that marine life has endured large climatic changes and acidification discrepancies in the past but the anticipated rates of climate change and ocean acidification over the next century are much rapid than experienced by the planet earlier.
The ocean has always absorbed CO2 from the air. An article presented in Nature August 2012 enlightens that about half of all CO2 generated by human is absorbed by the ocean. This chemical reaction is occurring naturally and the rate at which carbon is being absorbed, the concentration of carbonic acid is increasing. This has overwhelming concerns, particularly for shelled creatures. Animals such as corals, crabs, and calms need calcium carbonate to build their shells. Calcium Carbonate is dissolved by carbonic acid and consequently these animals are incapable of maintaining casings of calcium. Bio geosciences in 2010, suggested that carbon confiscation by oceans and land is lessening, which has the potential to further worsen the impact of carbon emissions.
Ecosystem Mutilation
In absence of calcium carbonate, coral and shellfish can’t survive. The ecosystem of ocean depends on these organisms because they offer a large source of food at the bottom of the food chain. They need to be abundant in order t...
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...nificance that influences the everyday lives of most human beings. Commercial fishing contributes to the world economy and feeds millions of people. Feeder creatures not only provide stability for species like sharks, whales and dolphins but they also provide the commercial food fish which maintains sustainable populations.
Not all fish caught are utilized as food for humans. Popular supplements such as Omega-3 are derived from commercially caught fish. In addition to that daily usage products like fertilizers, cosmetic ingredients, vitamins, gelatins and even pigments can all be prepared from by products of fish that has been commercially caught.
Ocean acidity will spoil marine ecosystems if it remains persistent. Preserving sustainable fishing industries will become unmanageable if the carbon dioxide absorbed by the world’s oceans is not considerably abridged.
In “Chapter 6 – The Sea Around Us” of Elizabeth Kolbert’s The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, the author reveals the fact that the ocean is acidifying due to human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation. In this chapter, Kolbert notes that there was a lack of biodiversity near the vents at Castello Aragonese in order to present the oceans’ future possibility. One of the types of sea creatures that ocean acidification would devastate are the calcifiers, which are organisms that create shells or skeletons made of calcium carbonate (Kolbert 117-122). Credible sources of information, such as the EPA and the Smithsonian Institution, agree that ocean acidification poses a serious threat to marine calcifiers,
...oceans. Anthropogenic systems such as the combustion of fossil fuels since the industrial revolution have greatly increased the rate of acidification to levels where negative impacts ensue. Negative impacts occur both to marine organisms that rely on certain water conditions to maintain vital functions and the environment which is damaged by highly acidic waters. There is great variation in the acidity of each of the oceans, differences caused by the chemical composition of the ocean and biogeography. Understanding of the potential impacts of ocean acidification is relatively new to the scientific community and therefore little is known on how to counteract anthropogenic influences. Although reducing the amount of carbon dioxide produced will in turn reduce the lowering of the oceans acidity levels and reduce negative impacts on the environment and marine organisms.
With carbon dioxide levels continuing to rise over the past few decades (fig. 1) and now into the future, concern has been brought to what is happening to the carbonate chemistry of the oceans. Because of these changes in chemistry, the ocean is becoming more acidic. Along with climate change, ocean acidification may be one of the greatest threats to our planet. The higher the ocean’s acidity level goes, the lower the calcium carbonate levels will drop. Even though this is a big scale issue, my goal is to focus on and underline what these changes will mean for the marine life that depend on the calcium carbonate in seawater. I will go in depth with specific regards to a study regarding pteropods or sea butterflies.
Some studies have found “that atmospheric CO2 concentration is approximately 383 parts per million by volume (ppmv), a level not seen in at least 650,000 years, and it is projected to increase by 0.5% per year throughout the 21st century.” (Guinotte) “This is because…the ocean absorbs about a third of fossil fuel emissions, but this amount is likely to increase to 90% in the future.” (Bralower) As a result, “the chemistry of the world's oceans is changing at a rate not seen for 65 million years, with far-reaching implications for marine biodiversity and food security, according to a new United Nations study...” (Knight) “…This change is cause for serious concern [for] many marine organisms…, [because they] may not be able to adapt quickly enough to survive these changes.” (Guinotte)
1. The practice of commercial and non-commercial fishing which depletes a fishery by catching so many adult fish that not enough remain to breed and replenish the population. Overfishing exceeds the carrying capacity of a fishery.
Overfishing is a global environmental, social and economic issue which affects the population of fish available as a renewable food source in an area. Overfishing involves the catching of fish in surplus amounts, faster than they can reproduce. As a consequence,
of the fishing practices. Fish as such has historically been a main food, and still constitutes
Overall, marine life is a huge part of oceans and is a bloodline to our planet, but when marine life is affected by climate change the planet and the ecosystems struggle.
Climate change: it has become a touchy subject in today’s society. Some claim that it “isn’t real or isn’t happening” despite the overwhelming evidence that proves it is affecting the planet. Human activity has led to a startling increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. For the past 650,000 years, the atmospheric level of carbon dioxide had been relatively steady, never reaching above 300 parts per million. In the past 50 or so years, the rate has skyrocketed from 315 to 400 parts per million. The rate in which carbon dioxide is increasing will prove to be catastrophic if it continues on its current path as it has already affected many ecosystems, and in particular, the ocean. The increase in carbon dioxide has two major effects on the
Ocean acidification will have harsh outcomes for shelled organisms and coral reefs. But don’t you wonder what type of effect it will have on you! People have a misconception that if the ocean turns into acid that it’ll be hazardous to get in the water. Ocean acidification isn't gonna harm humans directly. As you all know though humans are inextricably linked to the health of the ocean. Ever since i can remember humans have depended on the sea for more things then land. The ocean provides resources like food, recreation, transportation, and medicines. People need to realize they need the ocean for more things then they can imagine. Not to mention the guilt you’d feel if the ocean was extinct and you didn't do anything to help prevent it.
The NOAA reports that one quarter of fish species are in danger including shark, blue-fin tuna, Atlantic Cod, Eel, just to name a few. To fulfill the demand of fish, imitation fish is brought in, while doctors recommend fish over red meat imitation fish may not have the same nutrients as real fish. How can we be sure that what we eat is real fish meat, or the fish we intend to eat? The answer is we can’t, or know if were getting those intended nutritional benefits. Not only is commercial fishing increasing fish extinction and the increase of imitation fish, but it can help invasive species take over waters. For example, in South America we killed off a lot of sharks, making the jellyfish population grow bigger; because of this the water became unsafe for humans to enjoy. Even though there are good things that come from commercial fishing such as job opportunities, replenish marine life, and healthier people it can make seas polluted. Commercial fishing can make seas uninhabitable by destroying homes for many fish, and causing pollution that can make the water even unbreathable for them. If this continues, there will be no more marine life, we must cut back our fish demand before it is too
The Earth's surface is roughly 70% covered by the ocean. Little did we know that the ocean is a vital aspect of our lives. The ocean plays a crucial role in maintaining the biogeochemical cycle, and it contributes the most to the aquatic life biodiversity. However, many people aren't aware that their activity on land is also affecting the ocean. The pollution produced from factories and motor vehicles contribute the most to the output of carbon dioxide gas into the air. Over time, this gas will be accumulated in the air and will then be absorbed by the ocean. Recently, environmentalists are raising concerns about Ocean Acidification. Ocean Acidification is a sudden decrease in the pH of the ocean water over an extended time. The decrease in pH is due to the reaction between water and the dissolved carbon dioxide which forms a carbonic acid and hydrogen ions. When at high concentration, this acidic
For centuries cultures worldwide have depended on fish, and seafood as one of the most important parts of their diet. Fish is also a much more efficient protein to harvest,and takes less freshwater to produce than other protein sources. (Savitz , J) The demand has risen throughout the years, while the global fisheries have been depleted. Corporations have effectively discovered techniques to harvest more fish, and technology and boats that can track fish to the end of the earth.
Ocean acidification is on the rise. All the extra CO2 in the world today as to go somewhere. That “somewhere” is our oceans. The extra CO2 is what’s making our oceans have a higher acidity. It’s quite scary what the projected acidity of the oceans are going to be. In the year 2100, the ocean is supposed to be 50 times more acidic than what it is today. That is an extremely big deal. It’s a giant conundrum because organisms can’t live in an ocean that is so acidic! Their exoskeletons will start to disintegrate and they will try and save energy by not growing as large just to try and save their exoskeletons. This might not seem important if clams, crabs, etc., become extinct, but what eats those organisms? What do clams and crabs eat? If these organisms become there will be huge algae blooms that cause other organisms in the
Climate change is caused due to the release of few carbon compounds into the atmosphere, which drastically brought the weather changes all over the world. Climate change is not confined to a single region. It has become an important issue all over the world for the past few years.