Comparing Ocean Acidification And Climate Change

Climate change and ocean acidification are two very different actions, but both share a common idea: a rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide. Not all of the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere by humans or natural causes emissions could help stop both climate change and ocean acidification. Ocean acidification is defined as the increase of acidity of seawater, due to the increasing concentrations of carbon in the atmosphere. The ocean absorbs a large portion of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, therefore the oceans become more acidic over a length of time. This rise in carbon dioxide in the oceans is very dangerous for the variety of marine animals who call the ocean their home.

Since the Industrial Revolution of 1760, fossil fuel

In the areas of the ocean where there is a large population of different animals the water is high in calcium carbonate minerals. Therefore, the animals living there, can easily have the availability everything necessary to build a shell or skeleton. Ocean acidification is causing calcium carbonate to be scarce, not only in these places, but almost everywhere affecting the skeletons and shells of different species in the ocean. Not only does ocean acidification affect certain minerals, but it also disturbs the pH level of the ocean's surface water. Since the Industrial Revolution, the ocean pH level has fallen by 0.1 pH units. Since the pH scale is logarithmic, this change represents the loss of over 30% of ocean

Ocean acidification mainly calcifies for example: algae, coral, and crustaceans. This decrease in calcification rates leads to coral bleaching. Coral reefs are important to marine life because they harbor a variety of marine life, and many of these species lie at the bottom of the marine food chain. When coral reefs are bleached, it not only affects the coral colonies, but many other marine species that depend upon the coral reefs. The bleaching of coral reefs is decomposing the reefs faster than they can be rebuilt. This could compromise the long-term viability of the coral reefs that protect the estimated 100 million marine species. Ocean acidification affects different species, in differing ways. Photosynthetic algae and seagrasses thrive with higher carbon dioxide levels. While some species thrive, others suffer. A creature called the pteropod or “sea butterfly” is a very small marine creature. Pteropods are eaten by creatures varying tiny krill whales, to Pacific salmon. The picture to the right shows the projected effect on the pteropods in 2100, after only 45 days. The ocean will be greatly acidified and will have the potential to quickly dissolve the shells of certain creatures. Shellfish are also greatly affected by ocean acidification. In recent past years, there have been complete failures in aquacultural facilities and ecosystems on the West Coast. Lower pH occurs naturally on the West Coast