Ocean Acidification

Presented in an informal style of writing, “What Is Ocean Exploration and Why Is It Important?” inform its readers about the importance of researching and discovering the unknown ocean. It explains how much work is needed for the documentation of the ocean in varies areas, at the same time it addresses that scientist will be able to better understand the unknown oceans. For example, the time needed to obtain and study the result, as well as answer how the change in atmosphere will cause the ocean to react and affect life. The information obtain will also provide the baseline for scientist, researcher and government agencies to make important and dangerous decisions for the future. Sometime during research amazing things happen and new resources may be revealed. Besides informing about the ocean researching, the article also has a background idea as it is trying to encourage and get its readers interested into joining the field of ocean researching by emphasizing the role the ocean plays and how it will help ensure that ocean resources are well managed for future generations to enjoy.

Ocean Acidification is a process that occurs everyday and majorly affects our planet, but most people don’t even realize it exists. Though it can technically be argued that Ocean Acidification has some benefits for the planet, most of the time the effects of this process are very poor and negatively affect the entire world around us. Human evolution has played a major role in contributing to Ocean Acidification. Whenever humans use energy we release Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere or also known as CO2. This can be in the form of burning fossil fuels from the ground or the removal of national forest by burning. CO2 is a greenhouse gas, which means whenever we can emit it in large quantities or unnatural amounts it can have negative effects on the atmosphere. These high levels of CO2 in the atmosphere result in climate change and more specifically Ocean Acidification. Ocean Acidification occurs when excess Carbon Dioxide is absorbed into the ocean. When this process takes place it can completely disturb the chemical balances of the water. For example, it can reduce pH levels, Biodiversity, and the abundance of calcifying species.

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, mankind has slowly increased the total greenhouse gas emissions that enter the atmosphere. Over time, this pollution began to add up. Now planet Earth is struggling to maintain its health with the combined forces of global warming and ocean acidification looking to bring demise. From all portions of the world, troubling changes are emerging in the chemistry of our oceans’ waters. The oceans takes in around a quarter of the Carbon Dioxide that mankind releases into the atmosphere every year, so as atmospheric Carbon Dioxide levels rise, so do the

The authors of the article starts by explaining ocean acidification, the aftermath of excessive carbon dioxide reacting with seawater resulting in carbonic acid, could negatively affect one of the core strategies of survival: sex (p.68). As the ocean decreases in pH level, marine life is impeded and interfered. Shells and skeletons of clams and mussels become harder to develop and the health of countless organisms are threatened. Although the oceans absorb one-third of all CO2 produced by humans thus reducing global warming, it is at the expense of organisms in the sea (p.69).

Ocean Acidification began over 200 years ago when the industrial revolution came along. This caused carbon dioxide levels to rise.

With emissions from cars and deforestation at an all time high, so is the amount of carbon dioxide being dissolved into the world’s oceans. There are seemingly endless things people could be doing to help stop this, but don’t. This is because ocean acidification is one of the least advocated problems. Ocean acidification is one of the largest factors affecting today’s oceans and affects every ocean organism.

Ocean acidification has recently become a big problem. Coral reefs and fish are dying, causing local economies to lose up to $375 billion every year from lack of tourism and fishing profits (Worland). Ocean acidification is caused mainly by carbon dioxide being pumped into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels. The carbon dioxide “reacts with water molecules to form carbonic acid,” thus increasing the acidity (Stone). “The ocean currently absorbs about a third of human-created CO2 emissions, roughly 22 million tons a day,” according to National Geographic. We’ve already “disposed” of 530 tons billion tons of carbon dioxide into the ocean. Because of this scientists are now studying the ocean and have thought of two possible ways to reduce acidity - geoengineering and cutting carbon emissions.

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 active decrease in the ocean’s pH is called ocean acidification. The pH of ocean water has dropped because of humans releasing carbon dioxide into the air. The ocean absorbs about a third of the carbon dioxide released by human activity. The absorption of carbon dioxide leads to changes in the chemistry of the sea water which causes it to becomes more acidic. Seawater generally has a slightly basic pH of 8.2, but in the past two hundred years, it has increased by 0.1 units to an 8.1 pH.

It’s not secret that the human race is harming the planet. People cut down forests, release toxic gases into the air, and dump pollutants into the waterways. It’s a way of life and some of these activities are actually necessary to carry on civilized life. Nevertheless, there are ways to reduce harmful effects on the planet, and the human race is actually making progress in reducing emissions and replacing the trees that are constantly cut down. However, not all options are being pursued. Reasons for this go beyond the general skepticism of global warming and the like. There is both economic and political favorability in environmental negligence, and behind every one of these reasons, one simple truth

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

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.

14.1 by 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, particularly from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution

The issue is simple and rather obvious; climate change is real and a problem. With a changing climate comes rising sea levels, hotter days, and stronger and wilder storms, and long painful droughts. What most people can’t seem to agree on is whether or not human activity is playing some role in it. From media outlets to internet forums, the debate is being fought on all fronts. Most of these arguments, however, are just personal opinions and poorly-made observations from the comfort of a gas-guzzling SUV. Honestly, it doesn’t take a genius to look up a legitimate scientific paper and see the data for yourself. Human activity is influencing the global climate in a negative way, with plenty of evidence to prove it and very little disagreement in the scientific community.

Humans may be causing the world to end? According to Melissa Davey, “Greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans over the past 45 years, on the the other hand, ‘have increased the rate of temperature rise to 1.7 degrees Celsius per century, dwarfing the natural background rate,”’...(Okco 2). Furthermore, scientists have proved that simple chemistry, the monitoring of climate control, and the ruling out of natural factors were an essential part in proving how this had hurt our climate. Climate change will be disastrous if not changed.