» Ocean Acidification



Ocean Acidification due to elevated atmospheric CO2 levels : an explanation

We provide here an article, based on a Smithsonian Institute background paper, which explains the process leading to the current reduction in the alkalinity of the ocean (acidification) and the related hypotheses and thinking about the consequences. This reduction in the ocean’s alkalinity is directly attributable to elevated levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, 50% […]

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Scientists are trying to lab-breed corals that are resistant to global warming

The Guardian reports, 23rd December 2017: New super corals bred by scientists to resist global warming could be tested on the Great Barrier Reef within a year as part of a global research effort to accelerate evolution and save the “rainforests of the seas” from extinction. Researchers are getting promising early results from cross-breeding different […]

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How serious is coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef?

The Australian reports, 4th June 2016: Activist scientists and lobby groups have distorted surveys, maps and data to misrepresent the extent and impact of coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef, ­according to the chairman of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Russell Reichelt. A full survey of the reef ­released yesterday [3rd June […]

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Climate talks: What difference will temperature rise make to the oceans?

The Guardian, based on IPCC and Met Office data, reports 4th December 2015: Negotiators in Paris are trying to craft a deal at the UN climate talks that will keep global temperature rise below 2°C. But what does that mean in reality — and what difference will a couple of extra degrees really make? 1°C […]

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Ocean Acidification explained in RSC lecture

In a lecture given by Dr Helen Findlay , October 2015, at the Royal Society of Chemistry the subject of ocean acidification is explained in detail. Ocean acidification is increasingly a term used by scientists, and reported in the media, as one of the big issues of concern for our planet: “the evil twin of […]

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Mussels and their harvesting threatened by ocean acidification

The Guardian, 24th December 2014, reports: The world’s mussel population could be under threat as climate change causes the oceans to become more acidic, scientists have warned. Mussel shells become more brittle when they are formed in more acidic water, Glasgow University has reported in the Royal Society journal Interface. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere […]

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Double edged sword as Southern Ocean “regains” its capacity to absorb atmospheric CO2

The Guardian reports, 11th September 2015: The Southern Ocean has started to absorb more greenhouse gases after a period when the vast ocean’s uptake had slumped by about a half, a study has found. The ocean’s role as a crucial carbon “sink” appeared to be waning throughout the 1990s, but after 2002 it began to […]

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Ocean Acidification and its impact on Marine Plankton : Is there a planetary emergency?

Is ocean acidification — the reduction in the natural alkalinity of the oceans due to the elevated absorption by the oceans of CO2 released into the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels – having an adverse impact on marine planktonplankton Plankton is a generic term for a wide variety of the smallest yet most […]

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New research shows that increased CO2 levels in sea water cause corals to give way to algae

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports 10th August: Scientists from NOAA and the Co-operative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies at the University of Miami have documented a dramatic shift from vibrant coral communities to carpets of algae in remote Pacific Ocean waters where an underwater volcano spews carbon dioxide. The new […]

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Pew Trust explains the Global Ocean Legacy Project

Matt Rand, Director, Pew Foundation, reports 16th June 2015: The ocean plays an essential role in sustaining life on our planet. It covers nearly three-fourths of the globe and is home to nearly half of the world’s known species—and many more yet to be discovered. The ocean provides sustenance for billions of people and myriad […]

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Study suggests acidification leads to an increase in calcium in the shells of shrimps

The Scripps Oceanographic Institution reports, 1st June 2015: A new study by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego researchers reveals that more carbon dioxide in seawater could lead to more calcium in shrimp exoskeletons and a decrease in their transparency. The study appears in the 1st June issue of Scientific Reports, an open […]

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Oceans are the world’s seventh largest economy, says WWF

The Guardian reports, 22nd April 2015: “The monetary value of the world’s oceans has been estimated at US$24tn in a new report [WWF: Reviving The Ocean Economy: The Case For Action — 2015] that warns that overfishing, pollution and climate change are putting an unprecedented strain upon marine ecosystems. The report, commissioned by WWF, states […]

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Ocean acidification : we’ve been here before

The Independent reports, 9th April 2015: “They call it the Great Dying because it was the biggest mass extinction in history, and now scientists have discovered the first hard evidence that ocean acidification was the coup de grace that killed off more than 90 per cent of marine life 252 million years ago. “In a […]

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UK Government’s Chief Scientist says acidification is causing “substantial risks to marine ecosystems”

The BBC reports, 24th October 2014: “The UK’s chief scientist says the oceans face a serious and growing risk from man-made carbon emissions. The oceans absorb about a third of the CO2 that’s being produced by industrial society, and this is changing the chemistry of seawater. Sir Mark Walport warns that the acidity of the […]

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Sharks at risk from acidifying oceans

The Ecologist reports, 12th October 2014: “Sharks are already in trouble everywhere. They are pursued as food or feared as a threat, and the habitat they favour is gradually being degraded or destroyed. Human emissions of carbon dioxide do more than just warm the global climate. They also acidify our seas and oceans. And sharks […]

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Coral reefs in the Caribbean could disappear within 20 years without protection

The Guardian reports, 2nd July 2014: “A comprehensive analysis by 90 experts of more than 35,000 surveys conducted at nearly 100 Caribbean locations since 1970 shows that the region’s corals have declined by more than 50%. But restoring key fish populations and improving protection from overfishing and pollution could help the reefs recover and make […]

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Global Oceans Commission launches petition in support of its Report

A Global Ocean Commission press release, 3rd July 2014, states: “A week ago the Global Ocean Commission released its report and proposals for restoring ocean health. If you have not seen the report you can see it here. “As part of the Global Ocean Commission’s commitment to breathe life into its proposals it has started […]

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New Australian study of the effects of rising CO2 on the marine ecosystem

The Guardian reports, 14th April 2014 : “A study by the Australian Institute of Marine Science, James Cook University and the Georgia Institute of Technology found the behavior of fish would be “seriously affected” by greater exposure to CO2. Researchers studied the behavior of coral reef fish at naturally occurring CO2 vents in Milne Bay, […]

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The Oceans are acidifying at a rate faster than any in the last 300 million years

The Third Symposium on the Ocean in a High-CO2 World, held in Monterey, California, in September 2012, reports: “During the last 20 years, it has been established that the pH of the world’s oceans is decreasing as a result of anthropogenic CO2. (i.e. growing more acidic). “The ocean continues to acidify at an unprecedented rate […]

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Independent professional panel says health of oceans is “declining fast”

BBC News, 3rd October, 2013, reports: “The health of the world’s oceans is deteriorating even faster than had previously been thought, a report says. A review from the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO), warns that the oceans are facing multiple threats. They are being heated by climate change, turned slowly less […]

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