In addition to the famous impacts of atmospheric carbon on global warming, there is an equally worrisome effect of carbon dioxide on the oceans: ocean acidification (or OA for short). Here at I2SEA we have a series of resources about OA, including Our Acidifying Ocean, which is an introductory activity and virtual lab (note: now mobile compatible!).
A student suggested that we start a conversation topic about OA, and here it is! Have you heard about Ocean Acidification? If so, are you worried about it? How do you think we can best raise awareness about it among your fellow students and the general public? Have you seen particularly good links or films about OA that you would like to share? What are you doing to address the problem?
Ocean Acidification >
Ocean accidifacation in english and german
English:
hi my name is stella and I origanate from Germany and am currently in a school in USA. I am worried about our ocean.Ocean acidification is a change in the properties of ocean water that can be harmful for plants and animals. Scientists have observed that the ocean is becoming more acidic as its water absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Water is needed to live but is something very dangerous. Have you ever been scuba diving or something like that? If yes the you see how pretty the ocean is. Our ocean is dying though. All the animals are endagered and their is so much trash everywhere in the ocean. This problem also makes global warming worse by hindering the oceans' ability to absorb CO2. Also think of all the animals that are dying. Some examples of animals that are dying are corals, crabs, oysters and urchins. Ocean acidifacation is a danger for all marine species.
German:
Hallo, mein Name ist Stella, ich komme aus Deutschland und besuche derzeit eine Schule in den USA. Ich mache mir Sorgen um unsere Ozeane. Die Ozeanversauerung ist eine Veränderung der Eigenschaften des Ozeanwassers, die für Pflanzen und Tiere schädlich sein kann. Wissenschaftler haben beobachtet, dass der Ozean saurer wird, da sein Wasser Kohlendioxid aus der Atmosphäre aufnimmt. Wasser ist zum Leben notwendig, aber etwas sehr Gefährliches. Warst du schon mal tauchen oder so? Wenn ja, sehen Sie, wie schön das Meer ist. Unser Ozean stirbt jedoch. Alle Tiere sind vom Aussterben bedroht und es gibt so viel Müll überall im Ozean. Dieses Problem verschlimmert auch die globale Erwärmung, indem es die Fähigkeit der Ozeane behindert, CO2 zu absorbieren. Denken Sie auch an all die Tiere, die sterben. Einige Beispiele für sterbende Tiere sind Korallen, Krabben, Austern und Seeigel. Die Ozeanversauerung ist eine Gefahr für alle marinen Arten.
Very true, I agree. I liked how you did talked about this in two languages. Well done.
Hello, I am a student in maine who has been raised around water my whole life. My family has a plot of land with a house on a very very small rural island in Abaco Bahamas. My Dad was raised there and his love for the ocean has rubbed off on me. Some of my earliest memories of the ocean are from here. I go snorkeling and scuba diving and admire the beautiful fish and coral. My Dad has said that when he was a kid all the coral was more vibrant.
As I previously said I live in maine; my Mom grew up here also on the water. I spend all the seasons except winter sailing admiring the water it means a lot to me. I also have a lot of concern around it.
Unfortunately Island was hit directly by hurricane Dorian and the people of the island are still greatly affected to this day the economy is torn because so many residents moved away and sadly his childhood home was left in ruins. I’d say that the scale of hurricane Dorian was 100% a result of climate change.
Good morning, my name is Violet and I am also a student from Maine. I come from a family of lobstermen and women, and have been on the water since I was six weeks old. I have also seen the affects of climate change on our oceans. The lobsters are migrating north, for it is too warm here to survive, as are seals, and with them, sharks follow. Consequently, there has been an increase in Great White Shark sightings in Maine, to the surprise and horror of our locals. Additionally, I do not see the diversity of creatures that my grandparents spoke of when they were young, for many species have died out or migrated. All of these events are due to warming oceans and climate change. We need to create policies to prevent global warming, ocean pollution, and to protect our native creatures. We need to save the sea, for it is our home.