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
[google_news title=”” keyword=”ocean acidification” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Ocean acidification
- How this Colorado science teacher helps students become environmental changemakerson April 26, 2024 at 8:08 am
Fuentes-Tauber was named 2023 Earth Science Teacher of the Year by the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists Foundation and was also one of three Colorado science teachers named state finalists in ...
- Museum Program Will Look At Ocean Acidificationon April 25, 2024 at 9:00 pm
The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster will present four sessions of “Ocean Commotion” on Saturdays, May 4 and 18, and June 1 and 15, from 10:30 to ...
- Solar geoengineering to cool the planet: Is it worth the risks?on April 25, 2024 at 8:53 am
When I first wrote about geoengineering in 2012 , it was considered far-fetched at best, and crazy by most. But 12 years later, while there is still controversy and considerable resistance to ...
- International Tribunal Set To Issue Climate Change Opinion On May 21on April 24, 2024 at 11:28 am
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea has announced they will deliver their advisory opinion on climate change and international law on May 21.
- A new electrochemical approach could reduce ocean acidity and remove carbon in the processon April 23, 2024 at 10:40 am
In the effort to combat the catastrophic impacts of global warming, we must accelerate carbon emissions reduction efforts and rapidly scale strategies to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the ...
- Study finds climate change is helping tropical fish invade Australian ocean wateron April 23, 2024 at 10:31 am
A University of Adelaide study of shallow-water fish communities on rocky reefs in south-eastern Australia has found climate change is helping tropical fish species invade temperate Australian waters.
- Elaina’s Experiments: Ocean acidificationon April 22, 2024 at 3:32 pm
On this segment of Elaina’s Experiments observe how water absorbs carbon dioxide causing it to change colors through acidification. Chelsy Lancaster, a STEM ...
- The world dumps 2,000 truckloads of plastic into the ocean each day. Here’s where a lot of it ends upon April 22, 2024 at 6:28 am
The world produces around 400 million metric tons of plastic waste each year. Every day, 2,000 truckloads of it is dumped into the ocean, rivers and lakes.
- Can this ocean-based carbon plant help save the world? Some scientists are raising red flagson April 21, 2024 at 2:00 am
In Singapore, a new plant will turn CO2 from seawater and air into the same material as seashells, in a process that will also produce “green” hydrogen ...
- Video: Is there a quick fix for ocean acidification?on April 15, 2024 at 10:48 am
Acidification is threatening the ocean's ability to pull carbon dioxide out of our atmosphere, so scientists and startups are looking to ocean-sized antacids to raise its pH.
via Bing News