OCEAN ACIDIFICATION

COVERAGE
 What is Ocean acidification?
 Process of acidification?
 Why acidity matters?
 Impacts on Ocean life?
 What can be done?

What is Ocean acidification?

 Ocean acidification is the ongoing decrease in the pH of earth's oceans caused by the
uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
 Sea water is slightly basic (meaning pH>7) is greater than 7 and ocean acidification and
walls a shift towards pH neutral conditions than transition of to acidic conditions pH>7.

Process of acidification?
 An estimated 30% to 40% of the carbon dioxide from human activity released into the
atmosphere dissolves into oceans, rivers and lakes.
 To achieve chemical equilibrium, some of it reacts with the water to form carbonic acid.

CO2+H2O=H2CO3

 Some of the resulting carbonic acid molecules, dissociate into a bicarbonate ion and
hydrogen ion is increasing Ocean acidity( H+ Ion concentration).

H2CO3=H+HCO3-
Why acidity matters?
 Many chemical reactions including those that are essential for life are sensitive to small
changes in pH.
 In humans, for example normal blood pH ranges between 7.35 and 7.45 and drop in
blood pH of 0.2-0.3 can cause seizures, comas and even death.
 Similarly, a small change in the pH of sea water can have harmful effects on marine life
impacting chemical communication reproduction and growth.
 The building of skeletons in marine creatures is particularly sensitive to acidity.
 One of the molecules, that hydrogen ions bond with is carbonate a key component of
calcium carbonate shells.
 To make calcium carbonate shell building marine animals such as corals and oysters
combine the calcium ion with carbonate from surrounding sea water, releasing carbon
dioxide and water in the process.
 Like calcium ions, hydrogen ions tend to bond with carbonate but they have a greater
attraction to carbonate than calcium.
 When hydrogen bonds with carbonate, a bicarbonate ion is formed. Shell building
organisms can’t extract they need from bicarbonate, preventing them from using that
carbonate to grow new shells.
 In this way, the hydrogen essentially winds of the carbonate ions making it harder for
shelled animals to build their homes.
  Even if animals are able to build skeletons in more acidic water, they may have to
spend more energy to do so, taking our resources from other activities like
reproduction.
 If there are too many hydrogen ions around and not enough molecules for them to
bond with, they can even begin breaking existing calcium carbonate molecules apart-
dissolving shell that already exist.
 This is just one process that extra hydrogen ions- caused by dissolving carbon dioxide-
may interfere with in the ocean. Organisms in the water, thus, have to learn to survive is
the water around them has an increasing concentration of carbonate -hogging hydrogen
ions.

CARBON STOREHOUSE
 Between 1751 and 1996 surface Ocean pH is estimated to have decreased from
approximately 8.25 to 8.14, representing an increase of almost 30% in H+ Ion
concentration in the world’s oceans.
 The oceans currently absorb about third of human created carbon dioxide emissions,
roughly 20 million tonnes and a projections based on these number show that by the
end of the century, continued emissions could reduce Ocean pH by another 0.5 units.
 Oceans continue to absorb more CO2 their capacity as a carbon store house could
diminish.
 That means, more of the carbon dioxide we emit will remain in the atmosphere, for the
aggravating global climate change.

Impacts on ocean life?

Coral Reefs: Reef-building corals craft their own homes from calcium carbonate, form in
complex reefs that house the coral animals themselves and provide habitat for many other
organisms. Acidification may limit coral growth.
Oysters, Mussels, Urchins & Starfish: generally shelled animals are going to have trouble
building their shelves in more acidic water just like the corals. Mussels and Oysters are
expected to grow less shell by 25% and 10% respectively by the end of the century.

Zooplankton:
 There are two major types of zooplanktons- tiny drifting animals- that build shells made
of calcium carbonate.
 They may be small but they are big players in the food waves of the oceans, as almost all
natural life eat zooplanktons or other animals that eat zooplanktons. They are also
critical to the carbon cycle- how carbon (as carbon dioxide and calcium carbonate)
moves between their land and sea.
 One study predicts that foraminifera from tropical areas will be extinct by the end of
the century.

Fish
 Surrounding water has a lower pH of fish’s cells often come into balance with the sea
water by taking in carbonic acid. This changes the pH of the fish’s blood ,a condition
called acidosis .
 Although this fish is then in harmony with its environment, many of the chemical
reactions that take place in its body can be altered. Just a small change in pH can make a
huge difference in survival.
What can be done?
 Protection and Restoration of coastal ecosystems also needed. Policies to prevent the
conversion of these ecosystems to other land uses, for example regulating coastal
development can ensure their protection.
 Countries can also develop policies and ensure the implementation of sustainable
practices in all industries that impact the ocean and costs including fisheries and
tourism industry.
 Support for scientific research is needed this will ensure the continued monitoring and
analyses of the impacts of climate change, with the knowledge gained used to design
and implement that it white and appropriate mitigation and adaptation strategies.
 Globally ambitious efforts are also needed to reduce the use of fossil fuels, increase the
use of renewable energy systems and enhance energy efficiency this will reduce impacts
of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases on the ocean.
 Marine protected areas for example can protect ecologically and biologically significant
marine habitats, including regulating human activities to prevent environmental
degradation. At the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2016, IUCN members approved
a resolution calling for the protection of 30% of the Ocean by 2030.