Ocean Acidification In Alaska Essay

What is your PH level? You don’t know? Well it should be around 7.35 to 7.45 according to AlteredStates.net. PH stands for power of hydrogen. PH level is a measurement of the hydrogen ion concentration in the body. Now imagine you’re peeling an orange with a cut on your finger. When the juice from the orange comes into contact with your cut, it sends a burning feeling to your brain. This occurs because an orange has a PH level of around 2-3 which is acidic burning unprotected cells around the cut. Now imagine you’re stepping into the ocean which has been made acidic causing your cells to burn. This is called Ocean Acidification. Ocean Acidification is the change of our beautiful ocean water into acid. The Oceans acidity is rapidly increasing in certain areas in the pacific due to our actions on this planet, namely Carbon Dioxide Pollution. It is not only endangering ocean life but also Human life on Earth. It is linked to Global Warming but Ocean Acidification is a problem that stands on its own. Therefore, it is evident that we must take action about Ocean Acidification.

The ocean is a very delicate ecosystem in which the slightest change of pH or chemical composition will result in devastating results. Between 25 and 40% of anthropogenic carbon emissions have entered the marine area since the industrial age (Sabine et

Hi Professor Searcy below is the link to the new paper that we briefly talked about in class. I haven't gotten a chance to look over it any further since we talked but maybe if you have some free time and have a strong desire to learn more about the effects that ocean acidification has on yellow tuna fish larvae you could glance it over just to see if there was any significance to them conducting two trials other than just for additional accuracy.

G., Cong-Qiang, L., WeiDong, Z., Minella, M., Vione, D., Kunshan, G., & ... Hiroshi, S. (2016). Reviews and Syntheses: Ocean acidification and its potential impacts on marine ecosystems. Biogeosciences, 13(6), 1767. doi:10.5194/bg-13-1767-2016

The purpose of this study was to understand and based on results to support the predictable negative effects of ocean acidification on phytoplankton and projected pH values. However, changes in ocean pH did not negatively impact the productivity of phytoplankton according to the log response ratios, which compared the growth rates at projected years (2000, 2100,

New studies find Alaska fisheries are defenseless to the effects of ocean acidification as the region’s seas continue to bitter. Alaska’s coastal seas are more prone to acidification due to unique circulation patterns and colder

ocean’s eco-system that we wouldn’t be forced to adjust to prosper in a safe and effective way of survival. An organization once stated that, “the air that you breathe, the water you drink, the food you eat, the products that keep you warm, safe, informed, and entertained — all can come from or be transported by the ocean, you hurt it is, its just going to hurt you back,” (Protect Plant Ocean). That quote relates back to this, ocean acidification is a socio- ecological system that will have to carry out the repercussions of being universal, evidently supported and complex. It is a wicked problem that will be hard to turn around and what our society is doing is we are learning how to deal with the effects by having the ability to survive without

Tetrapods and corals are especially sensitive to changes in pH because their shells are made up of calcium carbonate which, as water acidification rises, becomes more sparse. The deeper portions of the sea are “undersaturated” with the calcium carbonate whereas the upper portions are “supersaturated”, but the acidification of the ocean has caused that saturation horizon to shift further up. These “shell-friendly” parts of the ocean are receding more and more by the year, and if the oceans acidification keeps increasing, these shell fish will soon be extremely endangered, thus disrupting the ecosystem.

Our Oceans are a vital bloodline carrying humans, water, and different types of animals and plants. Now more than ever our oceans are in peril due to the disastrous effects of Ocean Acidification. According to, NOAA Director Dr. Jane Lubchenco (2016), “Ocean Acidification is often referred to as global warming’s equally evil twin” (The Osprey pg.1). Ocean Acidification is an issue that the general public knows very little about yet is just as dangerous. Our Oceans are like a gigantic beaker with a mix of different solutions but because of ocean acidification this might disturb the balance for the planet. According to, Ludwig of The Science Teacher (2015), “OA is a harmful consequence of excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and poses a threat to marine life” (p.42). The high amount of carbon dioxide creates a toxic environment for sea life. As a society, it is our duty to help restore our oceans and prevent the dangerous possibility of massive sea loss, economic downfall, and coral bleaching.

(Funk and Wagnalls 1) Shell-forming animals, such as corals, mollusks, and planktonic organisms could experience reduced growth or death due to this increased hydrogen ion concentration. (Raisman 1) This major environmental issue can cause certain species to be at risk of extinction. High ion concentration also has a major effect on the reproductive capabilities of some ocean life. (Raisman 2) Raisman found that ocean acidification is closely related to climate change as well, causing coral bleaching. (2) Some creatures have adapted to ocean acidification, but others are at a high risk of becoming extinct. The extinction of these organisms would greatly cause harm to wildlife, but would also negatively affect many other processed such as reducing food gained through fishing, income from beach and marine tourism, coastal protection by coral reefs, and cycling of oxygen and other important nutrients. (Funks and Wagnalls 1) These are clearly issues that drastically need a

Due to the ocean’s continued absorption of carbon dioxide, it continues to acidify. This acidification is having a notable effect on the oceanic ecosystem, most notably in the phytoplankton. In fact, the continued acidification is a direct result of the drop in plankton population.

The world we live in is so vast and exciting. Seventy percent of our world is liquid water we call the ocean. In the ocean there are many creatures that each are unique in their own way. However, it is possible that in our lifetime, many marine organisms will become endangered or possibly extinct. The loss of these mejestic marine creatures will be caused mainly because of human advancements in which fossil fuels are used to produce energy. Biodiversity is greatly affected by this increase in acidity. As the ocean acidifies, multiple social and economic issues arise. As humans, we rely on the ocean for almost everything. Much of our food, clothing, cleaning products and cosmetics come from the ocean. With the loss of

Global warming has caused the increase in the acidification of the ocean. The acidification of the ocean has threatened the survival of many marine animals that are essential to the success of the ecosystem. Ocean acidification is the harmful consequence of the overabundance of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that we can’t detect with our five senses, this is possible because its effects are happening undersea. The sources of most carbon dioxide emissions is through the burning of coal , and gas. When carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater, the water becomes more acidic and the ocean’s pH value drops immensely. An example of the effect of ocean acidification on marine species is that of the shells of crustaceans, mussels and many others. These important animals shells are dissolving due to the

One of the most expansive and diverse places on the Earth is dying at the hands of humans. Fossil fuels, fertilizers, and energy plants are releasing chemicals into the environment harming oceans. The ocean's ecosystem can not handle the extensive impact of today’s agriculture. The acidity of the ocean continues to increase, making the ocean’s ecosystem unstable for marine life. In order to restore oceans back to their original state, the government needs to adopt policies to help oceans face today’s agriculture.

Oceans cover 71% of Earth 's surface and are the most diverse biomes in the world. They regulate global temperature by distributing heat around the globe and hold 50 times more carbon than the atmosphere. However, due to the recent increase in CO2 levels, all of the world is being threatened by sea-level rise, melting ice caps, and ocean acidification. If we continue down this path we are bound to repeat the events of the Great Dying, which wiped out nearly all of marine life 250 million years ago. Ocean acidification and increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases are the main cause of global warming, if we are unable to stop this increasing trend of ocean acidification and emission of greenhouse