Effect On Ocean Acidification

The rising carbon dioxide (CO2) from the burning of fossil fuels and other human activities continues to affect our atmosphere, resulting in global warming and climate change. This carbon dioxide is also altering the chemistry of the oceans, causing them to become more acidic. From scientists and marine resource managers, to policy and decision-makers, there is growing concern that the process called ocean acidification could have drastic consequences on marine ecosystems. Such as altering species composition, disrupting marine food webs and ecosystems and harming fishing, tourism and other human activities connected to the sea.

Humans are changing the climate right now through deforestation and burning fossil fuels which is also creating ocean acidification. Kolbert writes in The Sixth Extinction that, humans are burning an excessive amount of fossil fuels through coal and natural gas into the air which added tons of carbon into the atmosphere. “SINCE the start of the industrial revolution, humans have burned through enough fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas—to add some 365 billion metric tons of carbon to the atmosphere” (Kolbert, p. 113). It is possible to say that through these burning fossil fuels, ocean acidification are occurring, too, because too much carbon dioxide is being released into the atmosphere and the ocean is absorbing the air into the ocean. Kolbert writes, “Thanks to all this extra CO2, the pH of the ocean’s surface waters has already dropped. Assuming that humans continue to burn fossil fuels, the oceans will continue to absorb carbon dioxide and will become increasingly acidified” (Kolbert, p. 113-114). In addition, our emissions of CO2 modify our atmosphere. Whereas, the gases from the atmosphere get absorbed by the ocean and gases dissolved in the ocean are released into the atmosphere killing most of our species. For example, many mollusks, corals, and single-celled creatures called foraminifera use ingredients in seawater to build their shells and other hard parts and these

“How acidification threatens ocean from the inside out: Carbon dioxide emissions are making the oceans more acidic, imperiling the growth and reproduction of species from plankton to squid”, by Marah J. Hardt and Carl Safina addresses the dangers of increasing acidity in the ocean caused by carbon dioxide. Hardt, a research scientist and writer, is the founder of Ocean Ink. Safina, an adjunct professor at Stony Brook University, is the founding president of the Blue Ocean Institute.

Ocean Acidification is affecting our life more than we ever thought it would be able to. When people first think about oceans, they don’t see the diversity of life that is in there or how much we depend on those organisms and the ocean itself. We only see this ginormous body of water, where some feel like it’s not a big deal if anything happens to it. Ocean acidification (as defined by NOAA) is “ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth’s oceans, cause by the uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, this then creates an acid”. Each year the ocean absorbs at least 25-30% of all CO2 from human activity. This can be a huge threat to the diversity of the ocean and the benefits it provides to society. The rate continues to go up, more so than anyone would have thought it would and as these continue to raise the risks we are facing could be bigger than we thought and we could soon be facing a mass extinction.

As Dr. Stamper discussed, ocean acidification is a major factor that affects the environment. Both of these have had huge effects on the health and vitality of coral reefs. Since the Industrial Revolution, the pH of the ocean has decreased by 30% and this will have ramifications on the health of humans, food supplies and others. Dr. Stamper mentions himself that we are only focusing on calcium molecules in the acidification reactions instead of all the molecules and how they affect the organisms around them. He said changes in the normal calcification can lead to decrease muscle mass and decreased feeding which can harm the vitality of species in the ocean. He suggests gaining more control of our water usage since it generates 3% of our energy produced. In conjunction, he recommends people take personal steps in water conservation and energy conservation by buying energy efficient lights, low-flow toilets or dual-flush toilets, and gaining control of your heating costs by installing a low-energy system.

Ocean acidification means an ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth’s oceans, caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Around 30-40% of the CO2 released by humans into the atmosphere dissolves into oceans, rivers and lakes.

The oceans of the earth are a massive part of the natural cycles that make this planet habitable. They regulate global temperatures, absorb carbon dioxide, provide a home for millions of plants and animals that make up various levels of the food chain, and so much more. They are a resource given for us to use and benefit from, however, it is also a resource that needs to be protected. It is the fountain of life for the planet and drastic changes to the makeup of the oceans could be detrimental to life as we know it. Ocean acidification is a problem which has come to light in the last decade, but is becoming increasingly concerning to many scientists (1). In this essay I will attempt to direct your attention to some of the

The issue on ocean acidification is popularizing but what exactly is ocean acidification? It occurs when carbon dioxide is absorbed in the ocean’s waters from then on a series of chemical reactions take place which lowers the ocean’s water pH, carbonate ion concentration, as well as the saturation states of the calcium carbonate minerals ( “What is Ocean Acidification?”). Since we are addressing the issue on ocean acidification we will touch on the marine creatures that are harmed and will possibly be harmed due to the acidification of the seawater. A background of the chemicals involved as well the beneficial usage of the chemicals will be described in order to address the solution to this environmental problem.

Over the last decade, there has been much focus in the ocean science community on studying the potential impacts of ocean acidification (OA). Ocean acidification describes a change in the ocean’s carbon chemistry which is an emerging global problem. Oceans cover nearly 70 percent of the planet’s surface and play a crucial role in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide through the interaction of physical, chemical, and biological processes (Orr, Fabry, Aumont, Bopp, Doney, Feely, ... & Key, 2005). As a result of anthropogenic emissions from fossil fuels, cement manufacturing, changes in land use and other human activities, carbon dioxide levels have built up in the atmosphere (Orr et al., 2005). Excess levels of CO2 then dissolve

Weather has often changed through of planet history due to changes associated to the solar activity, but since the Industrial Revolution, human action plays an indisputable role in this process. From the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, oceans have absorbed around 30% of the CO2 emissions, resulting in too big consequences to chemical composition of sea water, ecosystems, and biodiversity. Acidification is one of the different CO2 emissions consequences that, at the same time, has accelerated weather changes. Recently, scientists have shown that burning oil, coal or gas, change quickly ocean basic chemistry, which makes the water to become more acid. Every day there is more evidence that acidification affects marine life around the

Ocean acidification is the continuous decrease of our ocean’s pH balance, which is caused by the intake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere around us. A pH balance is best

The ocean is becoming increasingly acidic and it is posing a threat to ocean life in more ways than one. Animals with shells have trouble building them due to the acidity of the ocean, and corals have trouble building their skeletons as well. However, the acidity of the ocean is also interfering with the many of the bodily functions of all underwater life, including things such as growth and reproduction. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would be much higher if the oceans didn’t absorb nearly one third of the carbon dioxide. This helps to reduce global warming but is having negative effects on the ocean. Over the past 20 years the pH of the all of the ocean’s surface has decreased by .12 down to 8.1 which is still basic

Ocean acidification is probably the main issue on Earth because it affects the entire planet. We’re blowing all this Carbone Dioxide into the atmosphere that enters into the Ocean and changes the seawater chemistry. I am pretty sure that is we continue on this track many species which lives in the ocean will one day, disappear. Twenty one percent of the air in our atmosphere is oxygen which animal need to survive. At least half of our oxygen comes from phytoplankton in the ocean. We can turn this around, we have the ability on our hand and we are not doing anything. In a hundred years, this planet can be gone. Most of the previous

Ocean Acidification is the ongoing decrease pH of the Earth's ocean, caused by the uptake of Carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that we exhale in our daily lives. Plants use carbon dioxide to create oxygen that all mammals use. However, carbon dioxide can also change the chemistry of the ocean, this is often referred to as ocean acidification. The excess carbon dissolves into oxygen in the water, producing a chemical called carbonic acid. This acid causes the ocean to become more acidic. In the eighteenth century, the pH was 8.07 which was slightly basic. Currently, the pH is around 8.01 this is about a twenty-five percent increase in acidity. (National geographic) While this slight change may not seem outrageous, it is causing multiple marine life struggles. The acid melts the shells of pteropods causing a low supply of food that would support larger fish.