Acidic Oceans: Why Should We Care?

The ocean absorbs almost half of the carbon dioxide emitted by human activities, changing its chemistry in ways that may have significant effects on marine ecosystems. Join Scripps marine chemist Andrew Dickson as he explains what we know -- and what we don't -- about this emerging problem. Series: Perspectives on Ocean Science [3/2009] [Science] [Show ID: 15754]

Category:

Education

Tags:

• acidic
• oceans
• carbon
• dioxide
• emission
• marine
• ecosystems

[prunar]

@TheRealArchAngel pH = -ln[H+] = [HCO3-] / [CO3-] so that increasing bicarbonate ion to carbonate ratio drops the pH, making it more acidic (less basic). At some point, solid limestone would precipitate out, "making room" for more CO2, but at that point we may have an ocean devoid of life as we have it now. That may assume too much about our ability to even exist in that world.

[gerald02121]

@daboodeef179 Did you sit in your bedroom alone and calculate that one? Really? With all the water in the oceans, a comparatively tiny iceberg floating away and melting will affect the temperature of the ocean?

Please do not reproduce.

As a whole, the ice caps melting rapidly could reduce the salinity of the water locally, and affect the ocean cycle (thermohaline cycle - google it) but other than that, your argument that breaking chunks would float south and melt and is disturbingly retarded.

[laurelbush]

when they talk about the oceans becoming more acidic, the correct scientific term is becoming less base, until the oceans become neutral.

The rain is acidic so depending on where you take your measurements in the sea this could bias the result, up to now there has been no worldwide scientific peer reviewed paper on all the oceans and them becoming less base.

[laurelbush]

Martin et al. analyzed the effects of incredibly high CO2 levels (low ocean pH) on Mediterranean sea urchins. Other than a slower larval growth at ~3560 ppm, the sea urchins were unaffected by the ludicrously low pH levels imposed on the test subjects.

[TheEngineer801]

@gonadcancervictim Nice user name, so what do you want to be when you grow up? What's will your contribution to society be?

[RancheroBFT]

@CokeSupply well said my friend

[arnaVck]

A good example of how to use the sophisms can prove everything.

I was just discussing with some delinquent.

Totaled my post and told me that I was not credible. Because I do not have sources.

[david222444]

Phytoplankton will be on the increase with more co2 . Sounds good for the marine ecosystem to me. Spend more on Scientists? lol Another protection racket emerges from the deep.

[vengencefrom1979]

@CokeSupply CO2 levels for December 2010 - 389.69 ppm and STILL rising. Amount of oil the U.S. burns in a year - 4.5 billion barrels and STILL rising. its not rocket science to figure out that the more oil that is burned the higher the CO2 levels will rise.

[EliasO89]

@keefmeister77

You're not illuminatus.

[gonadcancervictim]

so lets build nuclear then we dont have to use coal powered cars like all the "green" mental midgets are propsing right now with electric vehicles

[GMCAMUSICTV]

More please