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 Acidification
Ocean Acidification refers to the change in pH in the ocean, caused by the absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is made up of mainly fossil fuels, and the ocean absorbs about 30% percent of all that gets released. While the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases, that also means that the carbon dioxide in the ocean increases which causes lots of sea life to be killed, especially calcifying organisms (shells, oysters, corals), and animals like fish. The large amounts of CO2 being imported into our oceans make it very hard for animals to form their shells because of the increased amount of acidity which slows the calcium carbonate organisms down, causing a lack of growth. Carbon dioxide absorbs in the water, which makes it more acidic. The acidity of the oceans has grown 26% since 1850, which is a rate change of 10 times faster that anything else seen in the last 55 million years, which are prime examples of how large the impact of ocean acidification is. The major effects of this will not only harm the sea life, but it can also lead up to affecting fisheries, and much more. Throughout many different types of research, it has been found that ocean acidification will have an influence on ocean ecosystems changing in the near future. Some very important things we need to do to stop this from happening are reducing our carbon footprint and reducing ocean pollution.
Sources: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/acidification.html , https://coastadapt.com.au/ocean-acidifi … ts-effects