Anthropogenically created carbon dioxide is dissolving in the ocean and forming carbonic acid, decreasing the pH of the water. Professor John Beardall from the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University believes that ocean acidity levels will more than double by the end of the century. This is alarming to the scientific community because it is unclear how biological life will adapt to these changes, or if many aquatic species will simply be unable to cope with the changes and begin to die out. Specifically, Professor Beardall hopes to research the effects of said acidity on key Australian phytoplankton species.
06 May 2012
Scientific community expresses alarm at effect of CO2 levels on ocean pH
Anthropogenically created carbon dioxide is dissolving in the ocean and forming carbonic acid, decreasing the pH of the water. Professor John Beardall from the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University believes that ocean acidity levels will more than double by the end of the century. This is alarming to the scientific community because it is unclear how biological life will adapt to these changes, or if many aquatic species will simply be unable to cope with the changes and begin to die out. Specifically, Professor Beardall hopes to research the effects of said acidity on key Australian phytoplankton species.
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This sounds like the definition of a positive feedback system to me! Carbon dioxide, partly responsible for climate change, is slowly killing marine plankton, which are responsible for half of the world's oxygen production. Unfortunately, as amazing as the natural world is at adapting to an ever-fleeting and transient environment, i doubt the plankton will be able to adapt this quickly to oceans with significantly lower pH levels.
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