The Pacific Ocean is so acidic that it's dissolving Dungeness crabs' shells
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/27/us/p ... fOGsWjHIEE
The Pacific Ocean is so acidic that it's dissolving Dungeness crabs' shells
rockdoc123 wrote:...The average PH of the Pacific Ocean is 8.1. ...the Atlantic and every other ocean on planet Earth the Pacific is quite alkaline.
The increasing seawater CO2 levels have caused a decline in seawater pH. From about pH of 8.11 in 1990 to about 8.07 in 2010.
The ocean acidification (OA) literature is replete with laboratory studies that report species sensitivity to seawater carbonate chemistry in experimental treatments as an “effect of OA”. I argue that this is unintentionally misleading, since these studies do not actually demonstrate an effect of OA but rather show sensitivity to CO2. Documenting an effect of OA involves showing a change in a species (e.g. population abundance or distribution) as a consequence of anthropogenic changes in marine carbonate chemistry. To date, there have been no unambiguous demonstrations of a population level effect of anthropogenic OA, as that term is defined by the IPCC
rockdoc123 wrote:This is very misleading based on a localized occurrence.
The rapid increase in atmospheric CO2 concentrations as a result of post-Industrial era anthropogenic emissions has increased CO2 dissolution in oceanic surface waters, resulting in a reduction in seawater pH [Caldeira and Wickett, 2003; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes, 2007]. Ocean acidification is predicted to reduce the saturation state of carbonate minerals in seawater [Feely et al., 2004; Orr et al., 2005; Scottet al., 2009] and potentially threaten the existence and development of many marine calcareous organisms,such as calcareous microorganisms and corals [Langdon and Atkinson, 2005; Hoegh-Guldberg et al., 2007]. Model calculations have indicated an overall decrease in global seawater pH of 0.1 relative to the pre-Industrial era value, and a further pH reduction of 0.2–0.3 over the next century [Haugan and Drange, 1996; Caldeira and Wickett, 2003]. The currently available worldwide ocean CO2-pH time series covering the past 20–30 years have shown a trend of acidification of the surface ocean, with OA rates varying from 20.001360.0003 yr21 to 20.002660.0006 yr21 [Bates et al., 2014, and references therein], which is in good agreement with the anticipated OA rates from model predictions [Caldeira and Wickett, 2003].
I'm sure that you saw that the same article you cited makes clear reference to the global decline in seawater pH caused by increasing CO2 emissions (NB the highlights).
rockdoc123 wrote:...the other document I pointed ...
rockdoc123 wrote:Note: by definition, the oceans aren't becoming more "acidic" since they aren't at all "acidic" to begin with. They are becoming less alkaline.
Rock: You're wrong. Despite regional variations, seawater pH is declining globally.
Now that's just being silly. You've got to know that. Acidic, Neutral and Alkaline are human constructs. They have no meaning to biologic systems.
That there will be a biological impact is also predictable.
rockdoc123 wrote:Use the terminology correctly. The only reason “acidification” is being used is the fact it carries a scary connotation to those who don’t understand the system is still strongly alkaline. Using a term like "declining alkalinity" obviously wouldn’t generate the kind of panic that seems to be desired.
So Rock, you are claiming that NOAA, and Woods Hole, and other scientific institutions of good repute are trying to instill panic by using the term "ocean acidification." If you truly believe that, then it becomes harder to accept what else you bring to this particular discussion.
I have and continue to accept and respect your expertise in the petroleum field.
rockdoc123 wrote:So Rock, you are claiming that NOAA, and Woods Hole, and other scientific institutions of good repute are trying to instill panic by using the term "ocean acidification." If you truly believe that, then it becomes harder to accept what else you bring to this particular discussion.
Lets see each one of these have used the term "climate deniers" at one time or another so....yes they use the language they need to make a "climate emergency". If not then why use the term "acidification" when "reduced alkalinity" is accurate? And I am by no means the first scientist to point this out.
I have and continue to accept and respect your expertise in the petroleum field.
and I have and continue to care very little what you think. I can get my information from the literature.
The fact is that the oceans are changing rapidly in every department, from the behavior of the currents to the state of the smallest organisms like coral polyps. The waters are warming, acidifying, and rising. Plastic garbage is a huge new component of the ocean environment, with 8 million metric tons added (permanently) each year. Coral reefs are vanishing or have vanished, increasing the vulnerability of populated coastlines to storm damage. Fish populations are relocating, shrinking, and becoming impoverished with respect to quality species. Ocean mammals and reptiles are in rapid decline; many other species are simply disappearing. Apologists like Rocdoc will always be there trying to deny or minimize all this, but we can apprehend the changes with our own senses if they are open and not closed.
Humanity has depended on the ocean for millennia. Today, however, the rush to the sea is occurring with unprecedented diversity and intensity, propelled by population growth and demand for diminishing terrestrial resources.
A study published in January in the new journal One Earth analyzed 50 years of data on 18 kinds of marine resource claims, broadly grouped as food, material and space. The authors, from the Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University, captured the results in a series of graphs showing the amount of activity since 1970 in areas such as marine aquaculture, shipping, deep hydrocarbons, and offshore windfarms. The graphs all show sharp upticks in the past 20 to 30 years.
The authors call this race for the sea the “blue acceleration.”
“The current narrative is that we are about to move into the ocean as the new frontier,” lead author Jean-Baptiste Jouffray, a Ph.D. candidate in sustainability science, told Mongabay. “However, when you look at the graphs, it has started already.”
Changes in ocean circulation may have caused a shift in Atlantic Ocean ecosystems not seen for the past 10,000 years, new analysis of deep-sea fossils has revealed....
The effects of the unusual circulation can be found across the North Atlantic. Just south of Iceland, a reduction in the numbers of cold-water plankton species and an increase in the numbers of warm-water species shows that warm waters have replaced cold, nutrient-rich waters. We believe that these changes have also led to a northward movement of key fish species such as mackerel, which is already causing political headaches as different nations vie for fishing rights.
Further north, other fossil evidence shows that more warm water has been reaching the Arctic from the Atlantic, likely contributing to melting sea ice. Further west, a slowdown in the Atlantic conveyor circulation means that waters are not warming as much as we would expect, while furthest west close to the US and Canada the warm gulf stream seems to be shifting northwards which will have profound consequences for important fisheries.
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