Oceans Becoming More Acidic, Threatening Underwater Ecosystems

great-barrier-reef.jpgA pronounced lack of growth rate among some corals in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef leads scientists to believe this is the first sign of ocean acidification, something scientists world wide are beginning to fear.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) dissolves in seawater, that increases acidity, making it more difficult for marine organisms to grow and maintain their shells.

Scientists from the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences have studied porites, a common coral species growing along the northern end of the Great Barrier Reef, and discovered that calcification had slowed by 21% over the past 16 years. Calcification is the process used by corals to extract calcium carbonate from seawater to build their shells.

While more research is needed, scientists say this may be the very first signs that human-created CO2 is beginning to show it’s effects in the world’s oceans.

The study, conducted by The Royal Society, and published in Global Change Biology is available in PDF at this link.

According to the article in Times Online, 49 billion tons of CO2 are produced by humankind every year, and between 40 to 50 percent of that amount is absorbed by the oceans, which could slow climate change, but increase the amount of hydrogen ions in seawater. That causes acidity and scientists fear it could prove more destructive in the short term than climate change.

5 thoughts on “Oceans Becoming More Acidic, Threatening Underwater Ecosystems”

  1. Борщев Петр

    Хе, почему ж вот так то? Думаю, каким образом расширить данную тему.

  2. Абамов Гена

    Хе, почему ж так вот? Размышляю, как нам уточнить данную гипотезу.

  3. Anthony J. Gerst

    Good post Max. For the record this comment is not directed at you. It continual cracks me up how articles refer to things as the first evidence of this or that. That statement is like, global warming may or may not be caused by humans. It is how the information is censored when it is released. Max, like you and I, knows that the oceans have been acidifying. The global growth of cynobacteria for starters, the encreased jelly fish populations as well indicate this. The huge crashes of sea species from Sharks to Krill indicate the posioning of the oceans, leading to more acidification.

    The good readers of Planet Save can and do look between the lines and understand. As long as mass media continues to put forth the wording of doubts. How are we to convince those who lack the ability to look through and beyond the linguistic coverings of the all allusive, “They.”

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