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Marine Mission
Mrs. Blakely
Fuzzy Sheetz
March 16, 2016
Ocean Acidification According to the article “On the potential for ocean acidification to be a general cause of ancient reef crises,” “In conjunction with climate change, ocean acidification (OA) is perhaps the most severe threat to marine ecosystems acting at global scales…” (Kiessling & Simpson, 2011). Ocean acidification has increased exponentially, since the Industrial Revolution, and has been a key contributor to an approximate 0.74 degrees celsius rise in global temperature over the past 100 years. (Hale et al., 2011). In the atmosphere, carbon dioxide levels influence the ocean’s acidity. Partial pressure of carbon dioxide has increased the amount of dissolved carbon dioxide in the ocean, which is causing the shift in the ocean’s pH, or acidity. Quoted from the article “Interactive effects of metal pollution and ocean
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While it affects all environments, it has an extreme effect on coastal environments and estuarine environments since these environments rely heavily on chemical concentrations and pH balances. The pH balances have decreased majorly over the recent years since the industrial revolution because of increased partial pressure of carbon dioxide released into our environment and into the oceans. Because of this, ocean pH balance has now reached a record low for the past two million years. The high amount of carbon dioxide is increasing the levels of calcium carbonate, which is altering the performance of calcifiers and other marine organisms like the algal community. Lastly, the decreased pH balance in the seawater is causing high metal pollution, which also affects marine organisms(Ivanina & Sokolova, 2015). If ocean acidification is continually overlooked, then temperatures will continue to rise, and the lives of marine organisms and humans will continue to be
"An Ocean Of Trash." Scholastic Action 33.12 (2010): 16. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 31 Jan. 2014.
...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.
Even though the study of the deterioration of pteropods in high acidity water may seem unimportant in the grand scheme of the ocean, it is crucial to start somewhere. In this case the pteropods happen to be one of the most obvious examples of marine life that will be influenced by the ocean acidification. It is without a doubt clear that ocean acidification is an up and coming problem that will change the chemistry of the ocean and not only the effect the ocean’s ecosystem and creatures, but most likely the rest of the environment as well. Even though there is copious amounts of research available concerning ocean acidification, it is unclear whether model predictions will come to fruition in the future, or if actual results will completely differ from projections. Currently, the only clear path to try to delay the progression of ocean acidification is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions exponentially. The chart below (Fig. 5) gives a concise and detailed account of what is happening, what will happen and what needs to happen if ocean acidification is going to be
Raven, J., Caldeira, K., Elderfield, H., Hoegh-Guldberg, O., Liss, P., Riebesell, U., ... & Watson, A. (2005). Ocean acidification due to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide. The Royal Society
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.
Carbon dioxide disturbs ecosystems candidly, both positively and negatively. On land it increases growth in various trees and plants, an influence occasionally called ‘CO2 fertilisation’. Absorption of CO2 into the oceans triggers ‘ocean acidification’, obstructing shell formation by organisms like corals and affecting coral deterioration or
is the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans, caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere
High carbon monoxide, ocean heating, glacial melt, acid rain, ocean acidification, and coral bleaching are just a small number of the adverse effects that we as humans are having on the planet. The earth’s waters are an excellent source to find out the adverse effects of climate change. The surface of the earth is covered in more water than land and knowing how our waters are affected is a key element to understanding the true dangers of climate change.
Guinotte, J. M. and Fabry, V. J. (2008), Ocean Acidification and Its Potential Effects on Marine Ecosystems. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1134: 320–342. doi: 10.1196/annals.1439.013
Our oceans take a large beating every day by the extremely large amount of pollution humans produce. Our society easily dumps their waste into the oceans to dispose of the excessive amount of garbage, sewage, and chemicals, but this small and simple solution is creating an even bigger problem. The way humans dispose of their wastes is causing the death of our beloved marine life. Not only are we killing off our animals, our food source, and our resources, we are also minimizing our usable water. By having a better understanding of the problem on the severe dumping, it will be easier to find ways to help minimize the pollution that is going into the ocean.
Ocean acidification is caused due to rising CO2 emissions created by industrial development and greenhouse gases. This increase in carbon dioxide causes changes within the ocean’s biochemistry. Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are expected to rise from pre-industrial level of 280 to 540-970 ppm by the year 2100, depending on future emission scenarios (IPCC, 2001). Eventually the oceans will become highly acidic if mankind is unable to control their CO2 emissions. About 30% of CO2 emissions are taken up by the oceans today (Freely et al. 2004) and this percentage will continue to rise if nothing is done to prevent it, potentially leading to enhanced levels of ultraviolet radiation at the earth’s surface (Harley, C. D. G., et al, 2006). While many marine organisms have adapted to thermal fluctuations in the last few million years, the expected changes in pH are higher than any other pH changes inferred from the fossil record over the past 200–300 million years (Caldeira & Wickett 2003; Feelyet al. 2004). The following diagram represents the effect of greenhouse gas emissions on the oceans causing increased CO2, decreased pH, sea level rise, storm frequency and potential upwelling.
The coral reefs of the world are of vast importance because they host 25% of all marine life on the planet. Now that corals have been briefly described, we can see why the effects of climate change damage coral reef systems. Ocean acidification is a result of climate change. Acidification is caused by an increase in carbon dioxide in our oceans and leads to a decrease in the pH levels of seawater. This pH decrease reduces the ability of corals to make their hard skeletons.
Many of the small bait fish that eat microbes or shelled organisms would lose sources of food and their numbers would decline rapidly. This would lead to less food for the larger marine creatures like tuna or cod — undoubtedly resulting in a decline in the already faltering fishing industry. Fish prices would increase as supply goes down. It is very clear that ocean acidification will have detrimental effects upon the fishing industry.
Although one anthropogenic polluter that is highly important is ocean acidification. For millions of years the Earths oceans have maintained a very stable acidity level. It’s within these steady ecosystems that the opulent and diverse millions of species in today’s seas have developed and thrived. However research has proven that the acidity balance is slowly being unfastened by a recent and fast drop in surface
By the oceans being polluted not only are animals affected humans are too. What some people don't know is that they are killing of and disturbing offspring by polluting waters. "Ocean pollution results in smaller catches of fish all over the world, either by killing fish directly, preventing them from breeding, or causing birth abnormalities. Seabirds are unable to breed and whales are poisoned. Pollution also seems to be responsible for a new disease among seals. Without even swallowed, plastic can kill seabirds, turtles, and other creatures by trapping them. People drinking water from polluted seas can become sick. Deadly infectious diseases like cholera and typhoid can break out." There are many different types of sizes of plankton everywhere in our ocean waters.