Mass Scallop Die Off a 'Red Flag' for the World's Oceans

[Judi Lynn]

Published on Monday, March 17, 2014 by Common Dreams

Mass Scallop Die Off a 'Red Flag' for the World's Oceans

Rise of carbon in the atmosphere raising acidity in oceans and causing 'cascading effect' at all levels of the food chain

- Jacob Chamberlain, staff writer



(Flickr / thumeco / Creative Commons License)

An increase of acidity in the Pacific Ocean is quickly killing off one of the world's most beloved shellfish, the scallop, according to a report by the British Columbia Shellfish Grower’s Association.

“By June of 2013, we lost almost 95 per cent of our crops,” Rob Saunders, CEO of Island Scallops in B.C. told Canada's CTV News.

The cause of this increase in acidity, scientists say, is the exponential burning of fossil fuels for energy and its subsequent pollution. Oceans naturally absorb carbon dioxide, a byproduct of fossil fuel emissions, which causes acidity to rise.

An overdose of carbon in the atmosphere subsequently causes too much acidity in the world's oceans, Chris Harley, a marine ecologist from the University of British Columbia, told CTV News. Overly acidic water is bad for shellfish, as it impairs them from developing rigid shells. Oyster hatcheries along the West Coast are also experiencing a steep decline, CTV News reports.

More:
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/03/17-5

[daleanime]

1. kick, kick, kick.....

[Locrian]

8. I read that as "tick, tick, tick....." n/t

[daleanime]

12. works that way too!

[AgingAmerican]

2. Sooner than later the oceans will collapse

My kids are in their 20s. I have a gnawing fear for what their futures hold.

[Historic NY]

3. I guess that explains the $22.95 per pound for them..

[xxqqqzme]

4. During a conversation with a chef friend,

more than a few years ago, he said 'When scallops are done right, they are better than sex'.

One the rare occasion I have had scallops 'done right', I quite agree.

This is tragic news.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

5. recipe please. not that it could be used.

[xxqqqzme]

7. Not that my memory is so

perfect after so many years but he preferred a fast sear in olive oil and a bit of garlic. I think he was using scallop preparation as a metaphor as they require attention and a delicate hand, not unlike a loving relationship. I had scallops he prepared a couple of times and they were amazingly wonderful.

[GliderGuider]

10. This is a bit more than a culinary problem.

We've eaten most of the large fish in the ocean, and now we're going to kill the rest with acid. Sounds more like a looming global catastrophe than a case of indigestion to me.

[Triana]

14. +1 n/t

[Helen Borg]

6. In the report, I don't see

measurements of acidity levels in the areas where the scallops are dying off. Yes, the theory is that acidity increases etc, but measurements are needed before claims can be made. Scallops could be dying because of some parasites, or something else. Organisms go through these kinds of cycles. I don't doubt global warming, but specific causal chains need to be demonstrated...

[fleabiscuit]

11. The first effects we see can be specific to a location.

There was a recent lecture given at a local college about the IPCC assessment of future sea level rise that got me interested in following up at the IPCC website. A bit heady.
http://www.ipcc.ch/

“Increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations lower oceanic pH and carbonate ion concentrations, thereby decreasing the saturation state with respect to calcium carbonate (Feely et al., 2004). The main driver of these changes is the direct geochemical effect due to the addition of anthropogenic CO2 to the surface ocean (see Box 7.3). Surface ocean pH today is already 0.1 unit lower than pre-industrial values (Section 5.4.2.3). In the multi-model median shown in Figure 10.23, pH is projected to decrease by another 0.3 to 0.4 units under the IS92a scenario by 2100. This translates into a 100 to 150% increase in the concentration of H+ ions (Orr et al., 2005). Simultaneously, carbonate ion concentrations will decrease. When water is undersaturated with respect to calcium carbonate, marine organisms can no longer form calcium carbonate shells (Raven et al., 2005).”
http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/ch10s10-4-2.html

For a more human fyi:

IPCC Report Underscores Need to Address Ocean Acidification
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/lsuatoni/ipcc_report_underscores_need_t.html
snip
“Ocean acidification is not just a concern for the future. On the west coast of the United States, where deeper, more acidified waters regularly upwell to the surface due to weather and currents, our country has felt the effects of ocean acidification earlier than in much of the globe. There, the Pacific Northwest oyster growing industry nearly collapsed before scientists were able to help devise strategies and monitoring to mitigate ocean acidification’s effects.”
snip

[yuiyoshida]

9. This must be affecting Clams as well ...

One restaurant I know that used to sell and deliver steamed Clams no longer will do this, as they don't have any clams to sell. Strange but .. I hope this is not the cause. I love clams.. and Clam Chowder is one of my favorites!

[GeorgeGist]

15. Wonderful clam chowder sold here:

http://tonyschowder.com/ordera.htm

[Enthusiast]

13. Shellfish are an abomination! Says so rhat in the bibble.