via Natural Capital Coalition
Scientists say that only significant cuts in fossil fuel emissions will prevent changes to the environment becoming more widespread
Ocean acidification could have serious consequences for the millions of people globally whose lives depend on coastal protection, fisheries and aquaculture, a new publication suggests.
Writing in Emerging Topics in Life Sciences, scientists say that only significant cuts in fossil fuel emissions will prevent the changes already evident in areas with projected future carbon dioxide levels becoming more widespread.
They also call for a binding international agreement that builds on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to minimise and address the impacts of ocean acidification.
The article was written by Jason Hall-Spencer, Professor of Marine Biology at the University of Plymouth, and Plymouth graduate Dr Ben Harvey, now Assistant Professor at the University of Tsukuba’s Shimoda Marine Research Center.
They and other collaborators have published several studies over the past decade that show the threats posed by ocean acidification in terms of habitat degradation and a loss of biodiversity.
These have centered around the coast of Japan, where they demonstrated ocean acidification is having a major impact on marine life, and in the Mediterranean where they showed it was having a negative impact on wild fish.
Both regions have volcanic CO2 seeps, where the escaping gas dissolves into the sea water and creates conditions similar to that expected to occur worldwide in the coming years.
Their new publication provides a synthesis of the likely effects of ocean acidification on ecosystem properties, functions and services and is based on laboratory experiments and observations along natural gradients in CO2.
It says that studies at CO2 seeps worldwide have shown that reefs made by organisms with shells or skeletons, such oysters or corals, are sensitive to ocean acidification and that degraded reefs provide less coastal protection and less habitat for commercially important fish and shellfish.
This amplifies the risks to marine goods and services from climate change causing shifts to seaweed dominance, habitat degradation and a loss of biodiversity in the tropics, the sub-tropics and on temperate coasts.
Dr Harvey, who graduated from the BSc (Hons) Ocean Science programme in 2008, said:
“We are releasing around 1 million tons of carbon dioxide per hour into the earth’s atmosphere. About 25% of this gas is taken up by the ocean where it reacts with seawater to form a weak acid, causing surface ocean pH to fall by around 0.002 units per year. The chemistry of this rapid change in surface waters is understood, yet there is uncertainty about its effects on society which is what we are trying to overcome in this study.”
Professor Hall-Spencer, the publication’s lead author, added said:
“The Paris Agreement on climate change was welcome. But it does not mention ocean acidification, nor the fact that this rapid change in surface ocean chemistry undermines the social, economic and environmental pillars of sustainable development. The time is ripe for a ‘Paris Agreement for the oceans’, with the specific target to minimise and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels.”
Learn more: Ocean acidification ‘could have consequences for millions’
The Latest on: Ocean acidification
via Google News
The Latest on: Ocean acidification
- Marine Biome: Types, Plants, and Wildlifeon July 31, 2022 at 4:49 pm
The marine biome is the world's largest and most diverse, covering 70% of Earth's surface. Learn about its plants, animals, and the threats it faces.
- Protecting 30% of Australia's land and sea by 2030 sounds great, but it's not what it seemson July 29, 2022 at 7:40 am
You would have heard Australia's environment isn't doing well. A grim story of "crisis and decline" was how Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek described the situation when she launched the State of ...
- No 'safe space' for 12 key ocean species on North American West Coaston July 29, 2022 at 5:34 am
New research led by McGill University Biology professor Jennifer Sunday and Professor Terrie Klinger from the Washington Ocean Acidification Center within EarthLab at the University of Washington ...
- Climate change: why we can’t rely on regrowing coastal habitats to offset carbon emissionson July 29, 2022 at 2:40 am
Removing several hundred billion tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere is now considered necessary to avert the worst effects of climate change. Using nature to help achieve that goal, by allowing ...
- U.S. House OKs semiconductor support in bill going to Bidenon July 28, 2022 at 2:25 pm
Suzanne Bonamici of Beaverton to deal with ocean acidification, regional energy innovation and education in science, technology, engineering, the arts and math. The bill passed on a vote of 243 ...
- A Critical Moment for Our Oceanon July 21, 2022 at 5:41 pm
In his opening speech at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, UN Secretary General António Guterres declared that the world’s ocean is in bad shape.
- Key Observational Changes in Ocean Variability and the Effects of Climate Changeon July 19, 2022 at 10:32 am
As a result of climate change, the ocean has responded in many different aspects, such as sea-level rise, sea temperature change, ocean acidification, and ocean deoxygenation, all of which could ...
- Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre (OA-ICC)on July 18, 2022 at 1:00 am
The OA-ICC is an IAEA Peaceful Uses Initiative project launched at the UN Rio+20 conference in 2012 following increasing concern from IAEA Member States about ocean acidification. The Centre responds ...
- Ocean acidification threatens some of Japan’s favorite seafoodon July 17, 2022 at 4:48 pm
Dubbed “the other carbon dioxide problem,” ocean acidification is getting increasing attention worldwide, as it impacts a wide variety of marine species, including corals and other sea ...
- Warning on the “other CO2 problem”: ocean acidificationon July 12, 2022 at 11:36 pm
The researchers warn that ocean acidification, which they refer to as "the other CO2 problem", could make most regions of the ocean inhospitable to coral reefs by 2050, if atmospheric CO2 levels ...
via Bing News