What's Causing Ocean Acidification?

1024 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Impact of ocean acidification on the environment

Ocean acidification is defined as “…the perturbation to the ocean carbonate system directly caused by ocean uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to the atmosphere.” (Turley) Overtime, our oceans have become more acidic due to rapidly evolving technology and a growing dependence on fossil fuel. In fact, our “oceans have become 26% more acidic since the start of the Industrial Revolution.” (Cullinane) Unfortunately, this acidity continues to rise and “…the pH of surface oceans…is projected to drop another 0.3–0.4 pH units by the end of this century, [which] has not occurred for more than 20 million years of Earth's history.” (Guinotte) Why our oceans today so acidic and what can we to control these pH levels?
Some studies have found “that atmospheric CO2 concentration is approximately 383 parts per million by volume (ppmv), a level not seen in at least 650,000 years, and it is projected to increase by 0.5% per year throughout the 21st century.” (Guinotte) “This is because…the ocean absorbs about a third of fossil fuel emissions, but this amount is likely to increase to 90% in the future.” (Bralower) As a result, “the chemistry of the world's oceans is changing at a rate not seen for 65 million years, with far-reaching implications for marine biodiversity and food security, according to a new United Nations study...” (Knight) “…This change is cause for serious concern [for] many marine organisms…, [because they] may not be able to adapt quickly enough to survive these changes.” (Guinotte)
Over the last century, [it is evident that] the current levels are beginning to impact organisms that make their shells out of the minerals aragonite and calcite…” (Bralower) “Coral reef[s] are highly vulnerable to ocean acidific...

... middle of paper ...

...ion-Background." EARTH 103: Earth in the Future. The Pennsylvania State University, 2014. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
Cullinane, Susannah. "CO2 Causing Oceans to Acidify at 'unprecedented' Rate, Scientists Warn." CNN. Cable News Network, 14 Nov. 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
Guinotte, J. M. and Fabry, V. J. (2008), Ocean Acidification and Its Potential Effects on Marine Ecosystems. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1134: 320–342. doi: 10.1196/annals.1439.013
Knight, Matthew. "Oceans failing the Acid Test, U.N. Says." CNN. Cable News Network, 02 Dec. 2010. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
Turley, Carol. "Ocean Acidification." Managing Ocean Environments in a Changing Climate. 2013. 15-44.
Le Quesne, Will,J.F., and John K. Pinnegar. "The Potential Impacts of Ocean Acidification: Scaling from Physiology to Fisheries*." Fish and Fisheries 13.3 (2012): 333-44. ProQuest. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • A Rhetorical Analysis Of Kolbert's The Sea Around Us

    1031 Words  | 3 Pages

    The bubbling pool of acid: Acidification most disastrous event in the history of our planet

    Read More

  • ocean acidification

    1828 Words  | 4 Pages

    The reduction in photosynthesising biomass led to an increased reliance on the Worlds other carbon sink, Oceans. Between 26-44% of CO2 in the atmosphere is absorbed by oceans by photosynthesising organisms, mainly phytoplankton (Archer, D. and Pierrehumbert, R., 2011), seawater chemically reacts with aqueous Carbon Dioxide, one of the end products is Hydrogen ions (H+) (NOAA, 2013). The increased concentration of H+ results in the ocean becoming more acidic, since pH is determined by concentration of Hydrogen ions.

    Read More

  • Acidification and the Ocean’s Changing Climate

    638 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ocean acidity will spoil marine ecosystems if it remains persistent. Preserving sustainable fishing industries will become unmanageable if the carbon dioxide absorbed by the world’s oceans is not considerably abridged.

    Read More

  • Geoengineering and The Global Climate Crisis

    1868 Words  | 4 Pages

    The use of fossil fuels has greatly increased the amount of atmospheric and oceanic CO2 to a point where it’s ruining the natural flow of the world; the earth’s temperature is rising. As a result, the polar ice caps are melting causing the seas to rise. With only a 1 meter increase in sea level the United States alone could lose over 10,000 square miles of land, and thousands of houses will be destroyed. The effects will be just as prominent around the world: many islands will become submerged, 17% of Bangladesh will be underwater, and tens of thousands of people will be displaced (“Global Warming” 3).

    Read More

  • Ocean Fertilization

    1975 Words  | 4 Pages

    Cao, L., Caldeira, K. “Can ocean fertilization mitigate ocean acidification?” Climatic Change. Vol. 99, #1-2, 295-329.

    Read More

  • Climate Change: We Need a Carbon Tax

    1182 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the most compelling and difficult environmental problems society faces today is climate change. People do not realize how much the environment has changed for the worse in the last ten years, until they are told that the last two decades of the 20th century have been the hottest in the last 400 years, according to climate studies (Conserve Energy Future). Today, the carbon dioxide levels have reached 396.81 parts per million (ppm). “Carbon dioxide (CO2) has also increased over the last 100 years-- from about 300 ppm to 370 ppm. Interestingly, the majority of these additions have occurred in the last 50 years, when temperature increases have been the slowest” (geocraft).

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Climate Change

    1787 Words  | 4 Pages

    Australia, specifically, is home to some of the most unique species of animals and geographic phenomena that are found nowhere else in the world. The Great Barrier Reef is one of these magnificent natural wonders, but the fragile ecosystem of the reef is under extreme stress from a changing environment. If a healthy climate depends on the amount of various gases in the atmosphere and most gases have lengthy residual lives, our actions are essentially mixing a lethal cocktail of poison into the air and ocean on a daily basis. Scientists are just beginning to document this reaction and the tragic changes to marine life caused by excess carbon dioxide absorption in the ocean. Absorption of CO2 not only raises ocean temperature but it also changes the pH balance of ocean waters (“Ocean Acidification”) because unlike freshwater, seawater is generally alkaline. The current average pH level of the ocean near its surface at 8.1, a slight decrease from pre-industrial revolution estimates of 8.2 (Brewer and James). This decrease, although seemingly small, is particularly alarming since it was observed after a period of only 80 years and even the slightest change in the pH level of the ocean can upset the ecological balance of a marine ecosystem (Bohensky et al.). It is naïve and unrealistic to deny the effect our everyday actions are forcing on the environment. In a fatalistic and eye-opening

    Read More

  • Annotated Bibliography Of Coral Reef Bleaching

    1269 Words  | 3 Pages

    This article discusses how important the organisms symbiotic with coral reefs are, as well as how important coral reefs are to our environment. Also explained is how natural and non natural things things like hurricanes and overfishing affects them. A study is quoted about how water acidity also plays a role in the bleaching of corals. Lastly, restoration and conservation efforts are discussed and how we could possibly help our oceans.

    Read More

  • Ocean Acidification Research Paper

    446 Words  | 1 Pages

    Ocean acidification causes many problems with marine life. It affects both shelled and not shelled life in a negative way. With more acidity in the water, coral and shelled animals cannot build their shells or skeletons. Animals without a shell have interference with some basic bodily functions like growth and reproduction. The acidification of the ocean is caused by carbonic acid, which is formed by CO2 reacting with seawater. In fact, the ocean reduces global warming by absorbing one third of carbon dioxide. In recent studies, the acidic levels have increased by six percent in the last 15 years. There has not been a rapid shift in pH in millions of years and the marine life is not accustomed to it. Paleontology studies show that with a significant change, it usually led to huge losses of sea life. Due to the acidification, marine

    Read More

  • Ocean Acidification

    633 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ever since the industrial revolution, humans have been responsible for the releasing of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as a result of industrial and agricultural uses. The ocean absorbs roughly a quarter of this carbon dioxide. Originally, scientists believed this to be a benefit because the ocean was removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Ocean acidification, however, began to change the chemical composition of the water. NOVA’s documentary, Lethal Seas, explores the effects of ocean acidification located in Papua New Guinea, Aurora Australis, and on America’s northwest coast.

    Read More

  • Fossil Fuels vs. Renewable Energy

    1889 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ever since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution at the end of the 18th century, fossil fuels have been used constantly, slowly changing the planet’s atmosphere. According to Mann, “the preindustrial level of CO2 was 280 parts per million (ppm)” (N. pag). He predicts that at current rates, we will reach 560 ppm by the end of the 21st century. To make matters worse, Mann states that 450 ppm is dangerous as it will cause an increase in Earth’s average temperature by 2 Celsius. He recommends taking measures to keep CO2 at less than 405 ppm (N. pag). Mann takes note that in 2013, the value managed to reach 400 ppm (N. pag). It is needless to say that the point of no return is right around the corner. Unfortunately, the affects of pollution are already felt around the world. Pollution can cause many health issues and damage several organs in the body. When people think ...

    Read More

  • Ocean Acidification And Climate Change

    2195 Words  | 5 Pages

    Climate change caused by increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide has been a front-runner in the global environmental quality debate for years; however, the other side of atmospheric carbon dioxide’s effect on our world - the massive absorption of carbon dioxide by the ocean - has received far less attention. While climate change is a change in global or regional climate patterns attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels, ocean acidification, often called climate change’s “evil twin,” refers to a reduction in the pH of the ocean over an extended time due primarily to the uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by the ocean. This carbon dioxide influx is a direct consequence

    Read More

  • How Does Ocean Acidification Affect Humans

    274 Words  | 1 Pages

    Like climate change and overfishing, ocean acidification will affect humans as well. Acidification will affect the food we eat since as most of our shellfish requires calcium carbonate to form or to fortify their shells. If shellfish disappear, the ocean food chain is weaker and the fish we catch for food will also be at risk of extinction. Healthy coral reefs are imperative as we rely on them for food, coastal protection, medicines, and tourism dollars.

    Read More

  • Final Essay

    1475 Words  | 3 Pages

    Bowermaster, Jon. Oceans: The Threats to Our Seas and What You Can Do to Turn the Tide: A Participant Media Guide. New York: PublicAffairs, 2010. Print.

    Read More

  • We Can Stop Climate Change

    1009 Words  | 3 Pages

    The burning of fossil fuels has greatly harmed our environment and is a leading cause as to why climate change has become such a threat to our way of living. In May of 2013, the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere reached 400 parts per million, an increase of more than 40 percent since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. This could cause the Arctic Ocean to be nearly ice-free during the summer by 2020(Overland and Wang, 2013).

    Read More

More about What's Causing Ocean Acidification?

Open Document