Rate Of Ocean Acidification 10X Faster Than Last Extinction Spasm; Larval Shellfish On The Edge Now

[hatrack]

The oceans are now acidifying faster than they have been over the last 300 million years, a time period in which there were four major extinctions driven by natural bursts of carbon. In fact, humans are acidifying the oceans 10 times faster today than 55 million years ago when a mass extinction of marine species occurred.

Recent research finds that the threat to marine life posed by human-caused carbon pollution is coming faster than expected. And that’s a problem because as 70 Academies of Science warned in a 2009 joint statement on acidification: “Marine food supplies are likely to be reduced with significant implications for food production and security in regions dependent on fish protein, and human health and wellbeing.”

EDIT

But a December 2014 study of Pacific oyster and Mediterranean mussel larvae in Nature Climate Change determined that “the earliest larval stages are directly sensitive to saturation state, not carbon dioxide (CO2) or pH” (acidity). So what matters most is how much calcium carbonate is in the ocean water relative to the total amount it could hold. This finding has dramatic consequences for the speed at which rising carbon dioxide levels will harm ocean life. Lead author George Waldbusser, an Oregon State University marine ecologist and biogeochemist explains why:

Larval oysters and mussels are so sensitive to the saturation state (which is lowered by increasing CO2) that the threshold for danger will be crossed “decades to centuries” ahead of when CO2 increases (and pH decreases) alone would pose a threat to these bivalve larvae. “At the current rate of change, there is not much more room for the waters off the Oregon coast to absorb more CO2 without crossing the threshold we have identified with respect to saturation state,” he said.

That means some of the worst impacts of rising carbon dioxide levels in the ocean may come sooner than expected.

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/12/3657571/carbon-pollution-sea-life/

[daleanime]

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

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

3. When people use the term climate change

I immediately think about our oceans. I have gotten people who don't believe in climate change too see what we are actually doing to our oceans. Imo, its definitely easier for people to understand what we are doing to the ocean and waterways, and that starts them thinking about our environment.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

2. Most life forms on earth are doomed thanks to us.

They just don't know it yet. Post apocalypse world, here we come.

[JDPriestly]

4. K&R. We all need to read this. But what can we do?

[phantom power]

5. This is going to hurt

[jalan48]

6. The answer. More 'free' trade! More consumption, that's it!

[Tobin S.]

7. I don't understand our leadership when it comes to this issue.

You can talk about greed, money, and power, and those are all very human desires. It's natural to be influenced by those things to some degree or another. But we are not talking about an inconsequential problem here when we are talking about climate change. We are destroying our habitat and we cannot live without it let alone sustain our current way of living. It just seems like common sense to me that the issue of climate change should be the most pressing issue we are facing right now, locally as well as globally.

Our leadership seems to be in denial when it comes to this issue. The concern for the global environment should transcend party affiliation, but even the good guys don't seem to be taking the issue seriously enough.

[daleanime]

9. Amen.....

[Punx]

10. There has been

A big failure of leadership in this country, both political and business leaders. I don't know if it is just greed and power and human failings, or perhaps it is that psychopaths tend to end up in charge of things in this day and age. By definition they won't care about anything beyond their noses.

The general population also bears some blame. That we don't take the time to figure things out. I know it's hard when you struggle just to eat and have a roof over your head. There's also so much propaganda and entertainment to keep people misinformed and distracted.

[AZ Progressive]

11. +1000

[The2ndWheel]

14. In short term vs. long term, short term will always win out

Our success as a species, the progress of humanity, is what is currently driving the change. Just the day to day things. Work, circulating money, having a kid, etc.

We live in a reality where every generation is expected to have more than the previous one. We live in a reality where technology gives human beings far more ability than we physically have on our own. We can't travel at 55mph, and we can't fly. Yet, this is now completely normal.

It's not denial. It's what can we possibly expect anyone to do? There are 7+ billion people, and we don't want any of us to die. Not only do we not want any of us to die, we don't want other forms of life to die. It's a finite planet. Not only do we not want any of us to die, but we want, hell demand, that every human being have every opportunity we can possibly have to be successful. That same success, again, being what is driving the change. We've gotten better at keeping more people alive every year. That's why we have 7+ billion people, who all need jobs and resources to consume.

[Tobin S.]

15. It seems to me that we can provide for everyone...

...and still keep the planet from turning into a furnace.

[The2ndWheel]

17. I won't argue that

While there are positives, everything has a downside too.

[Dont call me Shirley]

8. "Manhattan Project" on healing the Earth, instead of destroying it!

[GliderGuider]

13. For a "Manhattan Project" to work, you have to have an enemy.

Who is the enemy?

Assuming we can identify an enemy, how will we know they have been defeated?

[Dont call me Shirley]

16. We do have an enemy, the loss of our habitat, the earth

[FogerRox]

12. Oh wonderful......