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Ocean acidification is a serious matter we need to address. It’s a global threat to the world’s oceans as well as to human life. Although the seawater’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide is beneficial, it also tips the balance of the basicity of the ocean. Thus, adversely affecting marine life.
What is Ocean Acidification?
Oceans absorb some of the carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere. This remarkable work of Nature is of great help in order to achieve equilibrium in the direct air-to-sea exchange. However, the oceans can only take so much. Once CO₂ is dissolved in the ocean, a carbon atom stays there and reacts with the seawater to form carbonic acid. This reaction process is called ocean acidification. Over time, carbonic acid causes the basicity level of the oceans to decrease. It makes seawater more acidic. A high concentration of the gas adversely impacts marine life.
According to scientific studies, the oceans have already absorbed around one-third to one-half of CO₂.¹ Data shows that the average Potential Hydrogen (pH) level of the ocean surface water dropped by about 0.1 units. From its basicity of 8.2, the ocean’s pH level now is 8.1.² This data translates to a 26% rise in ocean acidity.
The Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Marine Life
The Potential Hydrogen (pH) scale measures the acidity and basicity of an aqueous solution. Zero indicates the most acidic, and 14 the most basic, or alkaline. Due to the increasing level of carbonic acid, the oceans’ pH has tipped towards the acid side of the scale. This is an alarming shift compared to any period in the 650,000 years prior to the Industrial Revolution.
A slight alteration to the oceans’ pH balance level adversely affects marine life. For example, the oceans’ alkalinity plays a vital role in building protective shells for mussels and skeletons for corals. An acidic environment, on the other hand, weakens the animals’ shells. It also exposes coral reefs to storms, and slacken their recovery rate. Likewise, an alteration in pH interrupts whale navigation and exhausts plankton supply at the bottom of the food chain.
Effects of Acidification to Human Communities
Ocean acidification does not only harm the marine ecosystems. It also affects human communities that depend on the produce of the oceans and the services these ecosystems provide. First and foremost, food security is compromised. Second, communities suffer from economic losses. Their sources of income from fishing and other related activities are affected. Coastal residents and their properties are vulnerable to storm surges, erosions, and worst, death.
In addition, alterations in marine ecosystems impact employment and livelihoods, revenues, and other indirect economic costs. Tourism revenues, for example, is expected to be hit hard in the decline in marine ecosystems.
Furthermore, when ocean acidification rises, the oceans’ capacity to absorb carbon dioxide weakens. Hence, its capacity to moderate climate change lessens.
Watch the documentary below to learn the status of our oceans. It gives us some ideas on how to help minimize ocean acidification.
The Brighter Side
On a little brighter side, however, ocean acidification’s impacts are not consistent across all marine species. Some seagrass and algae thrive in high carbon dioxide concentrations in the ocean. The high presence of the gas promotes the organisms’ photosynthetic and growth rates.
References
¹This calculation is based on the data from around the beginning of the Industrial Revolution to the present era.
²CoastAdapt. Ocean Acidification and Its Effects. April 27, 2017.
