A field research study has found that the oceans are acidifying at a much faster rate than previously surmised. Ocean acidification is also caused by the omnipresent bad guy – carbon dioxide. Increasing levels of CO2 are advancing ocean acidity, more than that predicted through computer models. Carbon dioxide dissolves in water to form carbonic acid which has a pH value of 5.7.
The eight year field study conducted near Tatoosh Island off the coast of Washington state, measured the acidity of seawater and found that acid levels had increased by ten times as compared to computer calculations.
Acidity of ocean waters is a prime concern because it has a corrosive effect on marine flora and fauna. More specifically, the caustic water could severely influence the existence of shellfish species that have a carbonate exoskeleton.
The oceans are changing fast. In the past 30 years, increasing carbon emissions have raised the levels of carbon in ocean waters by 30 percent. As seawater acidity increases, exoskeleton of mollusks, corals, sea urchins and stony weeds among others begins to corrode.
With marine species…bigger is not better...
Timothy Wootton, a marine biologist from the University of Chicago and his co-workers used models of an ecosystem based on research data of how species interact along Tatoosh Island’s rocky shores.
Their study surprisingly found that not every species shows similar effects of carbon acidification. Nature shifted its balance in favor of the smaller species as the bigger species suffered the dominant effects. As Timothy Wootton explains,
“Mussels usually dominate the ecosystem because they are good at overgrowing and crushing out other species that grow on the rocks. But when the mussels decline, it means other species—no matter whether or not they have a shell—can do better.”
This study should be noteworthy because such a dynamic population shift could affect the shellfish fishing industry that rely on such marine species. Indirectly, the chain could impact the tables of restaurants and hotels.
The researcher goes on to elaborate the necessity of further studies as study undertaken covered only a brief instant in the biological life of marine species which are known for long life. Also nature being unpredictable, studies could show a different set of results on other ecosystems like tropical ones.
But as another marine biologist said,
” This is typical of so many climate studies—almost without exception things are turning out to be worse than we originally thought.”
Source: National Geographic
Image: Flickr.com
