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Riddles of an acerbic sea: Aside from global climate change, carbon dioxide emissions are contributing to another equally disturbing global problem: Ocean acidification — and its potential effects on marine ecosystems, especially coral reefs — has biologists very concerned

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 12, 2009 at 6:54 am

From Miller-McCune:

Just a quarter of the carbon dioxide generated by burning fuels ends up being recycled through the biological processes of terrestrial plants and animals, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Another quarter of this man-generated carbon dioxide floats aloft in the atmosphere, and the rest, NOAA says, ends up in the drink.

That amounts to 260 billion tons of carbon dioxide dissolved into the sea since the beginning of the industrial era — a good thing when it comes to reducing greenhouse gasses that warm the planet. But, it also lowers the pH of the normally alkaline ocean water moving it toward acidity, and that is not good for marine ecosystems.

In fact, at the recent Aspen Environment Forum, attendees labeled ocean acidification a “planet changer.” And a 648-page draft bill on climate and energy introduced Tuesday in the House of Representatives includes language to “establish an integrated Federal program to assist natural resources to become more resilient and adapt to and withstand the impacts of climate change and ocean acidification.”

Ilsa Kuffner, a marine biologist studying the impact of acidification on coral communities, said the cascade of impacts can lead all the way to the dining room table. North Pacific salmon, for instance, depend heavily upon calcifying snails, known as pteropods, for food. Under conditions of lowered pH, the snails have difficulty forming their shells, putting their survival in jeopardy.

Read more from Miller McCune by clicking here.

April 12, 2009 · Filed Under Other Oceans & Beaches Stories

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