Rate Of Ocean Acidification Fastest In 55 Million Years, Major Study Shows - Guardian

[hatrack]

The world's oceans are becoming acidic at a faster rate than at any time in the last 55m years, threatening disaster for marine life and food supplies across the globe, delegates at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen have been warned.

A report by more than 100 of Europe's leading marine scientists, released at the climate talks this morning, states that the seas are absorbing dangerous levels of carbon dioxide as a direct result of human activity. This is already affecting marine species, for example by interfering with whale navigation and depleting planktonic species at the base of the food chain. Ocean acidification – the facts says that acidity in the seas has increased 30% since the start of the industrial revolution. Many of the effects of this acidification are already irreversible and are expected to accelerate, according to the scientists.

The study, which is a massive review of existing scientific studies, warns that if CO2 emissions continue unchecked many key parts of the marine environment – particularly coral reefs and the algae and plankton which are essential for fish such as herring and salmon – will be "severely affected" by 2050, leading to the extinction of some species.

Dr Helen Phillips, chief executive of Natural England, which co-sponsored the report, said: "The threat to the delicate balance of the marine environment cannot be overstated - this is a conservation challenge of unprecedented scale and highlights the urgent need for effective marine management and protection." Although oceans have acidified naturally in the past, the current rate of acidification is so fast that it is becoming extremely difficult for species and habitats to adapt. "We're counting it in decades, and that's the real take-home message," said Dr John Baxter a senior scientist with Scottish Natural Heritage, and the report's co-author. "This is happening fast."

EDIT

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/10/ocean-acidification-epoca

[Birthmark]

1. Now the oceans are in on the "hoax?"

Those climatologists must be some charming mofos. Like, ten times more charming than that pig in Green Acres.

[lapfog_1]

2. You can now toss out all those "increase the cloud cover"

ideas for how to engineer our way out of global warming. We have to reduce the CO2 that's already IN the atmosphere, not just slow the amount we add.

[kestrel91316]

5. Word: BIOCHAR. We need to start planting all available land with

fast-growing hardwood trees suitable for coppicing and biochar production, which will sequester carbon AND improve our horribly abused, depleted soils.

Oh, and we need to do lots of other stuff, too. Like ditching our fricking cars at least three days a week.

[lapfog_1]

8. Years ago I saw a report on a German Climate scientist

and his experiments with granite dust and forests. Apparently, spreading granite dust over the forest floor causes a huge growth spurt, even with hardwood forests. His theory was that retreating glaciers (grinding up granite) had their own forcing feedback loop with the growth of forests, thus causing a dampening effect to the repeated glaciation / greenhouse cycles that the climate experienced.

But I can't find any online links to his research or even remember his name.

[kestrel91316]

12. Rock phosphate is an inorganic fertilizer, IIRC........

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphorite

It's a sedimentary rock. Good Phosporus source.

http://www.springerlink.com/content/l706un6173834m77/

Granite powder is a good potassium source. So if you used either, it would be good. Using both wuld be better, and then all you would need to add would be nitrogen, and we humans produce lots of pee so that's easy.

[GliderGuider]

6. +1

That's the takeaway, all right. If the oceans are acidifying with this level of CO2 they'll keep right on acidifying even if the Keeling Curve goes flat tomorrow.

Taking CO2 out of the atmosphere... Concentrating a dilute mixture takes a lot more energy than diluting a concentrated one.

[eShirl]

3. acidity in the seas has increased 30% since the start of the industrial revolution"

:wow:

[kestrel91316]

4. It's just a cycle. Now where's my Hummer?

[TxRider]

7. To be fair

Corals shellfish developed and have lived through much higher C02 levels, in the 4000ppm range that are far higher than the sub 1000ppm range that are predicted in the more near future and at far higher global temps. Hmm..

Another topic to go out and read up on..

[glitch]

9. Pay particular attention to the problems caused by rapid rate of change

when doing your reading.

[kristopher]

10. Yes indeed. Something to go out and read up on.

We find your argument at Republican sites like this:
http://ff.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=382

While this is more representative of the state of understanding about the problem:
Ocean acidification causes bleaching and productivity loss in coral reef builders

1. K. R. N. Anthony1,
2. D. I. Kline,
3. G. Diaz-Pulido,
4. S. Dove, and
5. O. Hoegh-Guldberg

+ Author Affiliations

1.
Centre for Marine Studies and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072 Queensland, Australia

1.

Edited by David M. Karl, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, and approved September 26, 2008 (received for review May 8, 2008)

Abstract

Ocean acidification represents a key threat to coral reefs by reducing the calcification rate of framework builders. In addition, acidification is likely to affect the relationship between corals and their symbiotic dinoflagellates and the productivity of this association. However, little is known about how acidification impacts on the physiology of reef builders and how acidification interacts with warming. Here, we report on an 8-week study that compared bleaching, productivity, and calcification responses of crustose coralline algae (CCA) and branching (Acropora) and massive (Porites) coral species in response to acidification and warming. Using a 30-tank experimental system, we manipulated CO2 levels to simulate doubling and three- to fourfold increases relative to present-day levels under cool and warm scenarios. Results indicated that high CO2 is a bleaching agent for corals and CCA under high irradiance, acting synergistically with warming to lower thermal bleaching thresholds. We propose that CO2 induces bleaching via its impact on photoprotective mechanisms of the photosystems. Overall, acidification impacted more strongly on bleaching and productivity than on calcification. Interestingly, the intermediate, warm CO2 scenario led to a 30% increase in productivity in Acropora, whereas high CO2 lead to zero productivity in both corals. CCA were most sensitive to acidification, with high CO2 leading to negative productivity and high rates of net dissolution. Our findings suggest that sensitive reef-building species such as CCA may be pushed beyond their thresholds for growth and survival within the next few decades whereas corals will show delayed and mixed responses.
http://www.pnas.org/content/105/45/17442.abstract?sid=ebe8510d-ae65-41f0-a09e-efa9cf237fc6


More at: http://www.pnas.org/search?fulltext=coral+global+warming&go.x=12&go.y=8&go=GO&submit=yes

[TxRider]

14. As well

I saw a reference to study I planned to go read that stated something to the effect that the effect of acidification causes some shellfish to grow more and thicker shells, and others to grow thinner shells, and the gist was that the thicker shelled ones were typically predators of the ones growing thinner shells and altering predator prey relationships.

More reading...

[Systematic Chaos]

11. You want a Hummer AND a cycle?

Make up my mind! :P

[JohnWxy]

13. Recommended.