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 occurs when the ocean absorbs some of the CO2 from our atmosphere. This CO2 causes the chemistry of the water to change. The increase in hydrogen ions causes the water to become more acidic and causes there to be fewer carbonate ions. This can be worrying because carbonate ions are essential for the building of shells and coral. If Ocean Acidification continues, the coral and seashells will decrease in abundance. Many animals use coral and seashells to hide from predators, and a loss of this can disrupt the ecosystem.
I never realized how much of an impact this had on our oceans. It is so interesting that fish and creatures needed the corals and plants so much apart from just being food.
Yes, ocean acidification is a huge problem and it is all due to the amount of CO2 in our atmosphere. This directly corresponds with global warming. in the past 300 million years, ocean pH has been slightly basic, averaging about 8.2. Today, it is around 8.1, a drop of 0.1 pH units, shows a 25-percent increase in acidity over the past two centuries. If we keep polluting at the rate we are then our oceans pH will become more and more acidic.