Ocean Acidification Research Paper

Global warming to date has certainly affected species’ geographical distributional ranges and the timing of breeding, migration, flowering, and so on. The most well known study to date, by a team from the UK, estimated that 18 and 35% of plant and animal species will be committed to extinction by 2050 due to climate change. (Can animals and plants adapt to global warming?, 2017 )

The first major effect that Ocean Acidification has is the reduction of pH levels in the ocean. PH is very important in this case because it generally determines how acidic water is. The normal pH balance of water is 7. When Ocean Acidification occurs the pH levels in the ocean can dip below 7 therefore increasing the acidity of the water. Even though humans may be able to adapt to these kind of changes other species in the ocean cannot. Scientists estimate that by the end of this century Ocean Acidification can consequently cause the acidity of ocean water to increase by nearly 150%. That level of acidic water hasn't been seen or thrived in for almost 20 million years. Before major industries were created increasing CO2 in the atmosphere, the ocean relied on minerals carried into the ocean by rivers and lakes to balance out pH levels. Now that humans are producing too much Co2 for the atmosphere to handle the rivers and lakes can not carry enough minerals to keep pH in balance. If pH levels continue to fall major populations that call the ocean home will no longer exist. All it

Ocean acidification is becoming on of the most concerning subjects compared to global climate change. pH is the level of acidity, seven being neutral fourteen being most basic and zero being most acidic. The pH levels in the ocean are dropping and becoming more acidic. This is happening because of increasing carbon dioxide emissions. The ocean is taking in the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Ocean acidification is known as a significant and destructive issue of a substantial amount of carbon dioxide that enters the atmosphere and settles in the ocean. Humans are not able to see or feel this happening based on the fact its process only occurs underwater. Each day the ocean consumes twenty two million tons of carbon dioxide, which originates from burning fossil fuels and destruction of park trees. Carbon dioxide fuses with water, which then generates it to become

OCEAN ACIDIFICATION: THE FACTS "OCEANA calls on world leaders to act immediately on the reducing emissions of carbon dioxide, in order to protect life and oceans marina, which depend hundreds of millions of people. " What is ocean acidification?  Ocean acidification is a process caused by increased emissions human carbon dioxide. 

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 is the process in which the ocean soaks up carbon dioxide and its pH lowers. At the current point in time, the pH in the ocean has dropped 0.1 pH. ALthough this doesn’t seem like much, since pH is logarithmic, this means that the ocean is 30% more acidic than before. This jump in acidity will literally melt the shells of oysters, and sometimes even fish. What causes ocean acidification is carbon dioxide. Normally, carbon dioxide wouldn’t be that much of a problem as the ocean has a natural buffering system. The carbon dioxide would combine with the water molecules and create a bicarbonate ion then it would gain another H+ molecule and would create a carbonic acid. This acid replaces the much needed carbonate molecules which

Global warming is causing possible extinction in the Antarctic ocean by melting all the ice its raising water levels causing fishing grounds to flow colder water that other species may not be used to and can affect them badly, and leaving seals the live on the ice more of chance

Habitat loss is one of the most evident effects of climate change on animals. Forests, as well as deserts support many forms of life. It is the home of insects and animals like bears, and birds. If forests will be cleared out for the development of land for families, business and farming purposes, animals will loose their homes and food. Because of deforestation, many of the trees and the other plants that provide food to the herbivorous animals will get extinct at a faster speed. Droughts caused by global warming could dry up 90 percent of central U.S. wetlands, eliminating essential breeding habitat for ducks, geese and other traveling species (National Wildlife Federation). Climate change is the main reason to wildlife's survival and putting natural resources in danger. The change in temperature caused by global warming has many effects on the habitats of animals. The melting ice will cause the loss of habitat for species such as the polar bears, penguins, and seals. The arctic ice that is melting makes it difficult for polar bears to hunt. Warmer water will also cause the population of fish such as trout

obal Warming is caused by the built up of carbon dioxide and other air pollutions. These absorb sunlight and solar radiation, trapping the heat which causes global temperatures to rise. Ocean Acidification is caused when the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide from the air causing it to be acidic. Scientist believe that the ocean has absorbed about half of the excess carbon dioxide in the past 200 years. This has caused a drop of 0.1 in ph. Since the pH scale is logarithmic, this change represents a thirty percent increase in acidity.

Scientific studies have given evidence for this in the North Sea as fish have old further north into deeper water in order to escape the warmer water. Other species for example penguins Irving on the Antarctic Peninsula region may loose their homes as a result of the sea ice reducing as a result of global warming. Not only the penguins have issues with the reduction of sea ice but walrus too.

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.

Ocean acidification is caused by carbon dioxide emissions. It threatens the health of our oceans and living things under the water. Shell-organism like crab, just like what we had for the investigation, are formed primarily of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Calcium carbonate is formed when calcium ion binds with carbonate molecules. Most CO2 is produced when possible fuels are burned, and once it gets to the air, CO2 is absorbed into the ocean through wave action. Once it gets absorbed, CO2 combines with water to form carbonic acid. Carbonic acid breaks down easily into bicarbonate molecules and hydrogen ions. Calcium and bicarbonate cannot bind together to form shells. Carbonate that usually form shells binds more easily with the hydrogen ions,

I think that the increase in the atmospheric levels of CO2 will definitely have a negative impact (ocean acidification) on coral reefs. Not only would it cause problems with the pH levels but it affects the balance between bicarbonate and carbonate ions. “Oceans are ready 30% More acidic than they were 200 years ago” (European Science Foundation, 2010). With the comparison of current percentages to those from before the industrial revolution, “proportions of bicarbonate and carbonate ions in surface tropical seawaters shifted from 88% and 11%, respectively, to 90% and 9%, respectively” (DUJS, 2012). Coral reefs are specifically vulnerable to ocean acidification because when calcification decreases the reef building capacity also decreases. Kleypas and Langdon have lately demonstrated that: “doubling pre-industrial concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide decreases the calcification rate of corals and coralline algae by 10 to 50%. Furthermore, the decrease in the calcium carbonate saturation state led to increases in reef dissolution rates. Anderson predicts that dissolution of carbonate salts will more than triple by the year 2300. Altogether, the decline in reef calcification and the rise in reef dissolution contributed to the thinning and disappearance of coral reef ecosystems” (J.A. Kleypas. 2009).

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.