Ocean Acidification And Water Concentration

What is the main source of the increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

G., Cong-Qiang, L., WeiDong, Z., Minella, M., Vione, D., Kunshan, G., & ... Hiroshi, S. (2016). Reviews and Syntheses: Ocean acidification and its potential impacts on marine ecosystems. Biogeosciences, 13(6), 1767. doi:10.5194/bg-13-1767-2016

What is your PH level? You don’t know? Well it should be around 7.35 to 7.45 according to AlteredStates.net. PH stands for power of hydrogen. PH level is a measurement of the hydrogen ion concentration in the body. Now imagine you’re peeling an orange with a cut on your finger. When the juice from the orange comes into contact with your cut, it sends a burning feeling to your brain. This occurs because an orange has a PH level of around 2-3 which is acidic burning unprotected cells around the cut. Now imagine you’re stepping into the ocean which has been made acidic causing your cells to burn. This is called Ocean Acidification. Ocean Acidification is the change of our beautiful ocean water into acid. The Oceans acidity is rapidly increasing in certain areas in the pacific due to our actions on this planet, namely Carbon Dioxide Pollution. It is not only endangering ocean life but also Human life on Earth. It is linked to Global Warming but Ocean Acidification is a problem that stands on its own. Therefore, it is evident that we must take action about Ocean Acidification.

The purpose of this study was to understand and based on results to support the predictable negative effects of ocean acidification on phytoplankton and projected pH values. However, changes in ocean pH did not negatively impact the productivity of phytoplankton according to the log response ratios, which compared the growth rates at projected years (2000, 2100,

The map above shows a depiction of aragonite saturation, a form of calcium carbonate that many marine species also rely on to build their protective shells. It is anticipated that a high volume of species relying on carbonate ions to form outer layers and exoskeletons will be negatively affected by the changing chemistry of seawater. Even a slight drop in pH levels will mean higher concentrations of hydrogen ions will be available to bond with carbonate ions, forming more bicarbonate than normal. Marine calcifying species are this put at a higher risk for predation. Ocean researchers and marine biologists are hopeful that some marine species that calcify for survival will be able to adapt to the changing pH levels in the oceans. Others are not so optimistic, and expect that an acidic oceanic environment may result in mass extinction and serious disruptions to aquatic food chains.

Ocean Acidification is affecting our life more than we ever thought it would be able to. When people first think about oceans, they don’t see the diversity of life that is in there or how much we depend on those organisms and the ocean itself. We only see this ginormous body of water, where some feel like it’s not a big deal if anything happens to it. Ocean acidification (as defined by NOAA) is “ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth’s oceans, cause by the uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, this then creates an acid”. Each year the ocean absorbs at least 25-30% of all CO2 from human activity. This can be a huge threat to the diversity of the ocean and the benefits it provides to society. The rate continues to go up, more so than anyone would have thought it would and as these continue to raise the risks we are facing could be bigger than we thought and we could soon be facing a mass extinction.

The ocean is a very delicate ecosystem in which the slightest change of pH or chemical composition will result in devastating results. Between 25 and 40% of anthropogenic carbon emissions have entered the marine area since the industrial age (Sabine et

This fluctuation occurs due to an uptake of Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere. When this Carbon Dioxide is absorbed by the ocean it changes the chemical composition of the water. When Carbon Dioxide dissolves in the ocean, Carbonic Acid is created. This acid begins to raise the acidity of the water, primarily close the surface, which has been proven to impede the growth of the shells of certain marine species such as corals, oysters, and lobsters. Carbonic Acid has also been proven to be a leading cause of reproductive disorders in some fish species. On the pH scale, substances are rated from 0 to 14. The lower numbers of the scale, such as those with pH levels of five or under, are considered to be more acidic. Conversely, the higher numbers on the scale such as numbers nine or higher, are considered to be more basic. A pH level of seven is perceived as neutral. Examples of substances believed to be more acidic include: (in order from most acidic to least) battery acid, sulfuric acid, vinegar, et cetera. Some of the substances perceived to be more basic include: drain cleaner, bleach, and Ammonia. As far back as records have been made, the ocean’s pH has been a tad basic, averaging about 8.2. Today, the pH is approximately 8.1, a descent of 0.1 pH units. This drop in pH represents a 25-percent

The main factors in this climate change are observed to be the increase in temperatures and the resulting acidification of the oceans. The previously mentioned changes and others in the report are readily observable, such as the uptake of anthropogenic carbon since 1750 that has led to the ocean becoming more acidic, with an average decrease in pH of 0.1 units and in some instances blatantly obvious, even to the average layperson. It is difficult to conclude what the rate of change in the future will be and the effects of observed ocean acidification on the marine biosphere.

An economic shortage would also occur because both the fishing industry and the shellfish industry will simply have less products to sell. The consequences of ocean acidification don’t just affect the ocean, it directly affects humans too.

Ocean acidification is becoming on of the most concerning subjects compared to global climate change. pH is the level of acidity, seven being neutral fourteen being most basic and zero being most acidic. The pH levels in the ocean are dropping and becoming more acidic. This is happening because of increasing carbon dioxide emissions. The ocean is taking in the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The world we live in is so vast and exciting. Seventy percent of our world is liquid water we call the ocean. In the ocean there are many creatures that each are unique in their own way. However, it is possible that in our lifetime, many marine organisms will become endangered or possibly extinct. The loss of these mejestic marine creatures will be caused mainly because of human advancements in which fossil fuels are used to produce energy. Biodiversity is greatly affected by this increase in acidity. As the ocean acidifies, multiple social and economic issues arise. As humans, we rely on the ocean for almost everything. Much of our food, clothing, cleaning products and cosmetics come from the ocean. With the loss of

Our ocean is made of many beautiful, aquatic marine animals. Us, as humans, are creating many of the problems within the ocean. Aquatic sea creatures are dying because of our lack of interest in the ecosystem. Ocean Acidification is important to many marine biologists, and we should support and help our ecosystem as God has supported and helped us.

The earth is able to hold many types of gases and is capable of amazing things along with that. Carbon Dioxide is nonreactive with most of the things on earth so we hardly notice the increase in carbon dioxide levels that are occurring. With its non-reactivity it can slowly build up and the only way we will notice the increase of the carbon dioxide here is by the climate change here on earth. Although there many gases and other compounds that have an effect of the climate change, carbon dioxide seems to be the leading compound that is causing climate change on earth. From 1750 to 2005 carbon dioxide the radiative force of carbon dioxide had increased 1.6 which means it is causing the earth to get warmer. There are other gases that have more

Leading up to the present, levels of CO2 have fluctuated due to geochemical processes such suspension of the gas in sediment, silicate rock weathering, and volcanism. Also, human activity plays a large part in carbon deposition into the atmosphere predominantly through the burning of fossil fuels and the cultivation of livestock. On a drastically larger time-scale the carbon cycle is ever so slightly reducing atmospheric CO2 , which will ultimately bring the concentration down near zero, causing all life on the planet to be wiped out. The carbon cycle, including both terrestrial and aquatic processes, is the foundation under which photosynthesis is possible. Aside from the carbon cycle, CO2 is a key element in many other natural processes and phenomena such as the “Greenhouse Effect” and “Global Warming”.