Ocean Acidification

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Recommended: Ocean acidification and its impact on our environment

One very critical, damaging environmental problem caused by society and technology is known as ocean acidification or “OA” for short. When carbon dioxide is absorbed by seawater, chemical reactions occur that reduce seawater pH, carbonate ion concentration, and saturation states of biologically important calcium minerals. Referred to by scientists as “The other carbon problem” (the first being Global Warming), ocean acidification are these chemical reactions. In other words, ocean acidification is caused when ocean water absorbs carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which then causes a reduction in seawater pH and other dreadful effects on the sea. This has very harmful effects on not only the seawater, but also all organisms under water, directly or indirectly. As you will read, we, the industry, have made this such a major issue. What goes around comes around as we have been affected by the curse of our own wrongdoing. Moreover, the government has stepped up and has showed its concern on this issue.

To many marine organisms, calcium carbonate is essential as it is used toward building their skeletons and shells. The seawater is supersaturated with respect to calcium carbonate minerals in areas in which most life assembles in the ocean. As a result of ocean acidification, many parts of the ocean become undersaturated with these minerals. In effect, this will, for the most part, affect the way some of these marine organisms maintain and produce their shells and/or skeletons since they use the surrounding water to build these protective bodily layers. Due to undersaturation, these organisms have to work harder to build their shells or skeletons, forcing them to exert more energy in the process. Therefore, they will have less energy t...

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...ss produce, since that is the main source of mass carbon emissions, in order to stay alive. Or, will we succumb, like these marine organisms, due to our own arrogance?

Works Cited

"Ocean Acidification." - What Is ? N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2014. .

"What Is Ocean Acidification." PMEL Carbon Program. N.P., n.d. Web. 04 May 2014. .

"Ocean Acidification | Marine | Water| Washington State Department of Ecology." Ocean Acidification | Marine | Water| Washington State Department of Ecology. N.p., 13 Feb. 2014. Web. 06 May 2014. .

Kelly RP, Foley MM, Fisher WS, Feely RA, Halpern BS, et al. (2011) Mitigating Local Causes

of Ocean Acidification with Existing Laws. Science 332: 1036–1037.

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