What Is Ocean Acidification?

Some of the carbon dioxide is being combined with our oceans to make up carbonic acid. Thus decreasing the PH of the oceans, and with this acidification it is known to be dangerous for many reason. Many of the large animals are losing key nutrition, it is hindering photosynthesis and is even wiping out existing ecosystems. The one key group that is harmed the most is creatures that are classified as Calcifiers. They are one of the most common animals in the sea, which means that, if the acidity of the oceans continue to rise, a significant chunk will die out or have to adapt rapidly to the environmental change. The reason they are in the most danger is because with the ocean becoming more acidic it is eroding the shells off of the sea

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.

Especially in the last two hundred years, carbon dioxide has increased in the atmosphere. This is happened in effect of the constant burning of fossil fuels and land use change. In the ocean, carbon dioxide reacts with seawater to form carbonic acid.The ocean actually absorbs thirty percent of all of the carbon dioxide emitted in the atmosphere. When

About half of that man-made CO2 has been absorbed by the oceans, increasing the concentration of carbonic acid, which has caused the oceans to become more acidic. Over the past 300 million years, ocean pH has averaged about 8.2. Today, it is around 8.1, a 25% increase in acidity over the past two centuries. That increase is projected to reach 150% by the end of this century, a rate of change not seen in 65 million years. A more acidic ocean inhibits shell growth in marine animals such as corals, crustaceans and mollusks, and disrupts entire food chains all the

“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.

“Shellfish growers who live on the West Coast of the U.S. are taking steps to adapt to ocean acidification” (What Can We Do 1). By monitoring the seawater chemistry and adopting new practices, shellfish growers are making the most out of this situation that can be easily resolved.

Coral bleaching is happening because of the high sea temperatures. Coral bleaching leads to coral death and causes habitats to be loss to species in need. There is carbon dioxide is extremely concentrated in the atmosphere which increases the absorption of carbon dioxide in the ocean. Ocean acidity is subject to become a more frequent trend as the carbon dioxide continues to increase. The increase in ocean acidity affects the plankton, shellfish and mollusks. Coral are very sensitive to the acidity which makes it difficult for them to create a maintain its structure for species that need that

Ocean acidification isn’t hard to understand because the name is self-explanatory but in simpler terms, carbon dioxide is pushed into the water become more acidic. Ocean acidification has much effect on how the flora and fauna of the sea adapt and live. The “subtle change in chemistry lowers the water’s saturation in aragonite” that Slezak (1) explains can be very effective how coral grow and build. Currently, oceans are staying at a rate of 3.8 aragonite saturation which isn’t entirely horrible but slezak (1) mentions many scientists believe “corals will stop building reefs when the saturation state drops below 2.5”. However, coral will just begin to ache once it hits the 2.5 point, but it’s “not a point of no return beyond to which they

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.

As a science teacher, I feel that it is important to bring awareness to crucial topics as well as issues that are occurring in the world at this current time. I chose the article Ocean Acidification: Hands-on Experiments to Explore the Cause and Consequences because Ocean Acidification (OA) is an important issue that is affecting oceans around the world.

When carbon dioxide (CO2) is absorbed by seawater, chemical reactions occur that reduce seawater pH. This is called “ocean acidification.” Due to the Industrial revolution in the 1800s, the use of fossil-fuels have resulted in billions of tons of Carbon dioxide into Earth's atmosphere (Ocean Acidification). Over time, oceans have absorbed large amounts of the carbon dioxide emitted. On the pH scale, solutions with those with higher numbers are considered basic, while low numbers are considered acidic. On a scale one to 14, seven is neutral. Over the past 300 million years, ocean pH has been close to basic, averaging at about 8.2. Today, it is around 8.1, which indicates a drop of 0.1 pH units. Based on the last two centuries, this represents

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,

Global warming is a serious worldwide issue. Its effects are devastating; the increased heat waves that it causes will negatively affect wildfires, insect infestations, sea level rise, agriculture and human health. Moreover, the current issue is the elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide. This involves a process called ocean acidification, in which it is catastrophic for the life of the oceans. To better understand the concept behind ocean acidification, you must understand that pH represents the concentration of hydrogen ions. In addition, chemicals known as buffering agents are able to resist changes in pH. Now you may be wondering what buffer has to do with this article; well, little did you know the seawater acts as a buffer. The dissolved

Ocean acidification is sometimes called “climate change’s equally evil twin.” It 's a significant and harmful consequence of excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that we don 't see or feel because its effects are happening underwater. At least one-quarter of the carbon dioxide released by burning coal, oil and gas doesn 't stay in the air, but instead dissolves into the ocean. Since the beginning of the industrial era, the ocean has absorbed some 525 billion tons of CO2 from the atmosphere, presently around 22 million tons per day.

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.