Ocean Acidification

The ocean is becoming more acidic as increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) is absorbed at the surface. It is thought that the pH of the global ocean has fallen by about 0.1 units over the past 200 years and that it could drop by a further 0.5 units by the year 2100 if CO₂ emissions are not regulated (Royal Soc, 2005). A recent study of potential change in the North Sea suggests that pH change this century may exceed its natural variability in most of the North Sea. Impacts of acidity change are likely but their exact nature remains largely unknown and may occur across the range of ecosystem processes.  This aspect of climate change is potentially a precursor to the longer-term thermal effects.This workshop will concentrate on shelf sea environments as most previous  work has concentrated on open ocean systems.

Web site.