Oceanographer Chris Langdon explains the sensitivity of hard corals to acidification.
Continue reading ‘The impact of acidification on coral (video)’
Archive for November, 2010
Workshop for seafood producers features research on ocean acidification
Published 23 November 2010 Media coverage ClosedA free workshop for seafood producers about ocean acidification’s effect on marine life will be held Tuesday, Dec. 7, at 6 p.m. at the Hutchinson Center in Belfast.
Dr. Mark Green, an oceanographer who teaches environmental science at Saint Joseph’s College, will talk about his research over the last eight years tracking acidification’s effects on shellfish in the Gulf of Maine. He will talk about what has already happened to the Gulf’s ecosystem, as well as what can be done to keep Maine’s seafood industry thriving.
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Ocean acidification and the clean water act: A new front for EPA climate regulation?
Published 23 November 2010 Web sites and blogs ClosedOn November 15, 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a memorandum asking 23 coastal states and five coastal territories (“states”) to seriously consider ocean acidification problems in their future monitoring activities under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The action brings climate-related activities under the purview of the CWA for the first time, and may signal future intentions at the EPA to move beyond the more famous (and controversial) Clean Air Act (CAA) regulations in its efforts to address rising greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. The action stems at least in part from a settlement reached earlier in the year with the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), which had challenged EPA’s earlier refusal to require that Washington State consider ocean acidity as a threat to its coastal water systems.[1]
Ocean acidification is related to climate change because it is caused by increased levels of carbon in the atmosphere. As carbon dioxide molecules dissolve into the ocean, they react with water molecules to form H2CO3, a weak compound molecule that easily denatures into HCO3- and H+ ions. The H+ ions are what then causes rising acidity in the ocean at large. This process has raised serious concerns among marine scientists who worry about further damage to coral reefs and other marine life that have adapted to less acidic waters.[2]
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Workshop for seafood producers features professor’s research on effects of ocean acidification
Published 23 November 2010 Web sites and blogs ClosedA free workshop for seafood producers about ocean acidification’s effect on marine life will be held on Monday, Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland. Dr. Mark Green, an oceanographer who teaches environmental science at Saint Joseph’s College, will talk about his research over the last eight years tracking acidification’s effects on shellfish in the Gulf of Maine. He will talk about what has already happened to the Gulf’s ecosystem, as well as what can be done to keep Maine’s seafood industry thriving.
Continue reading ‘Workshop for seafood producers features professor’s research on effects of ocean acidification’
Postdoctoral research assistant in microbial ecology (ocean acidification)
Published 23 November 2010 Jobs ClosedUniversity of Hull – Biological Sciences
Job Details
Applications are invited for a two-year fixed term position for a Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Microbial Ecology, working with Professor Mark Osborn within the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Hull.
This position provides an excellent opportunity for applicants interested in developing a research career in microbial ecology. The successful applicant will work on a NERC/Defra/DECC-funded project to investigate the impact of ocean acidification on the structure, diversity and function (nitrogen cycling) of microbial communities in marine sediments. This project is part of a 11-institution consortium grant project within the UK Ocean Acidification programme (http://www.oceanacidification.org.uk/). The successful candidate will work closely with researchers at the Scottish Association of Marine Sciences (SAMS) laboratory in Oban, Scotland; and will join an active research team working alongside PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in Prof. Osborn’s research group studying various aspects of microbial ecology.
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New ocean acidification study shows added danger to already struggling coral reefs (video)
Published 23 November 2010 Media coverage ClosedOcean acidification sessions at the EGU Meeting, Vienna, April 2011
Published 22 November 2010 Meetings ClosedThere will be several ocean acidification sessions at the upcoming meeting of the European Geosciences Union (Vienna, 3-8 April 2011). General information on the meeting is available here: http://meetings.copernicus.org/egu2011/. Information on the ocean acidification sessions is appended below.
The deadline for abstract submission is 10 January 2011.
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Louie Psihoyos, Miyoko Sakashita discuss ocean acidification (audio)
Published 22 November 2010 Media coverage ClosedLouie Psihoyos and Miyoko Sakashita discuss the recent EPA memo to States bordering the ocean concerning ocean acidification. Mr. Psihoyos, Academy Award winner for “The Cove,” is making a new 3D documentary on the 6th great extinction and ocean acidification called “The Singing Planet.”
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MARES is a three-year world-class Joint Doctoral Programme operated by a consortium of 24 partner institutions (11 full partners and 13 associated members) originating from 14 countries. It is partly funded by the European Commission. This Doctoral Programme on Marine Ecosystem Health and Conservation has 29 openings for Ph.D. fellowships. Five of them are related to ocean acidification (see below).
Continue reading ‘6 PhD openings on ocean acidification’
Briefing note on Matt Ridley article “Who’s afraid of acid in the ocean? Not me” as published in The Times, 4 November 2010
Published 22 November 2010 Media coverage ClosedResponse on behalf of UK Ocean Acidification Research Programme (UKOARP)1
Summary
Matt Ridley‟s Opinion article (www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/columnists/article2793749.ece; paywall applies) is correct in identifying that there are uncertainties and some contradictory evidence regarding biological responses to future ocean acidification (which, chemically, is an inevitable consequence of increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere). However, for several aspects the article over-simplifies complex issues, or is inaccurate, or is potentially misleading. In particular, small changes in pH do result in large changes in acidity, and negative effects of ocean acidification on calcification are well-documented.
Continue reading ‘Briefing note on Matt Ridley article “Who’s afraid of acid in the ocean? Not me” as published in The Times, 4 November 2010’
A Review of ocean acidification and America’s response
Published 22 November 2010 Science ClosedTags: review
Ocean acidification is likely to have direct negative physiological consequences for many marine organisms, and cause indirect effects on marine ecosystems. Ocean acidification could also affect the oceans’ current role as a net carbon sink by altering the oceanic calcium carbonate budget. Although ocean acidification and climate change are both caused by greenhouse gas emissions, ocean acidification is not climate change per se, and is often referred to as “the other carbon dioxide (CO2) problem.” As the United States considers actions in response to climate change, it is critical to take into account not only the impact of CO2 emissions on the climate but also their ramifications for ocean chemistry. The metrics that currently guide the climate change debate are dominated by strategies to reduce thermal impacts on the terrestrial environment. In this article, I examine the effects of ocean acidification and why they should help guide decisionmakers in setting CO2 emissions goals.
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The influence of engineered Fe2O3 nanoparticles and soluble (FeCl3) iron on the developmental toxicity caused by CO2-induced seawater acidification
Published 22 November 2010 Science ClosedTags: biological response, mollusks
An embryo development assay using a common test organism, the edible mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis), exposed to both Fe2O3 nanoparticles and soluble FeCl3 at 3 acidic pHs, has provided evidence for the following: (1) CO2 enriched seawater adjusted to pH projections for carbon capture leakage scenarios (CCS) significantly impaired embryo development; (2) under natural pH conditions, no significant effect was detected following exposure of embryos to Fe, no matter if in nano- or soluble form; (3) at pH of natural seawater nano-Fe particles aggregate into large, polydisperse and porous particles, with no biological impact detected; (4) at pH 6 and 7, such aggregates may moderate the damage associated with CO2 enrichment as indicated by an increased prevalence of normal D-shell larvae when nano-Fe was present in the seawater at pH 7, while soluble iron benefited embryo development at pH 6, and (5) the observed effects of iron on pH-induced development toxicity were concentration dependent.
Developmental toxicity of hypercapnia mediated by exposure to engineered Fe2O3.
Continue reading ‘The influence of engineered Fe2O3 nanoparticles and soluble (FeCl3) iron on the developmental toxicity caused by CO2-induced seawater acidification’
Post doctoral research fellow: Impact of ocean acidification on phytoplankton ecophysiology
Published 19 November 2010 Jobs ClosedUniversity of Southampton – National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, School of Ocean and Earth Science
Salary – £27,319 – £29,853
The School of Ocean and Earth Science (within the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton) is seeking to recruit a Post Doctoral Research Fellow to work on a NERC funded Consortium project “Ocean Acidification Impacts on Sea-Surface Biology, Biogeochemistry and Climate” forming part of the UK Ocean Acidification Research Programme (UKOARP). The successful candidate will undertake experiments to investigate the potential response of upper ocean microbiology, in particular phytoplankton, to deliberate manipulation of the carbonate chemistry system during a series of UKOARP research cruises in the Arctic, Antarctic and around the UK.
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Post doctoral research fellow: Impact of ocean acidification on the surface ocean
Published 19 November 2010 Jobs ClosedUniversity of Southampton – National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, School of Ocean and Earth Science
Salary- £27,319 – £29,853
The School of Ocean and Earth Science (within the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton) is seeking to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to work on a NERC funded Consortium project “Ocean Acidification Impacts on Sea-Surface Biology, Biogeochemistry and Climate” forming part of the UK Ocean Acidification Research Programme (UKOARP). The successful candidate will carry out measurements of carbonate chemistry during UKOARP research cruises in the Arctic and Antarctic, and will perform data interpretation with statistical analyses of large datasets produced by the cruises.
Continue reading ‘Post doctoral research fellow: Impact of ocean acidification on the surface ocean’
A planetary experiment: Ocean acidification and biology
Published 18 November 2010 Media coverage ClosedOcean acidification is a relatively newly recognized threat to marine ecosystems. Even coral reef scientists, many of whom are now feverishly investigating the effects of changing seawater chemistry, ranked ocean acidification as 36th out of 40th potential threats to coral reef ecosystems in 2004 [1]. Recently, the magnitude of the shifting chemical balance in the ocean has become strikingly apparent [2].
Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are predicted to exceed 500 ppmv by 2100 [3]. Today, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration is above 380 parts per million, a value not seen in the past 740,000 years, conservatively [4]. The ocean functions as a massive carbon sink and absorbs up to a third of atmospheric carbon. As carbon dioxide dissolves into seawater, it reacts to form carbonic acid, which dissociates to form bicarbonate ions and protons. The protons react with carbonate ions, converting them to bicarbonate as well. This reduces the availability of carbonate ions in seawater, a principal component of calcium carbonate–which what many calcifying marine organisms make their shells or skeletons out of. The ocean is becoming less basic, as these reactions also lower oceanic pH. The average surface ocean pH has decreased 0.1 pH units since the preindustrial era to today [5].
The ocean stands to become more acidified. Surface ocean pH stands to drop another 0.3 -0.4 units by the end of the century (remember that pH is measured on a log scale), under the IPCC ‘business-as-usual’ scenario of 800 ppm by 2100 [2].
This is a problem. Especially if you’re a marine organism whos produce calcium carbonate in some form.
Continue reading ‘A planetary experiment: Ocean acidification and biology’
EPA: States should list coastal waters as impaired due to rising ocean acidification
Published 18 November 2010 Media coverage ClosedStates with coastal water that is becoming more acidic because of carbon dioxide should list them as impaired under the Clean Water Act, the U.S. Environmental Agency said.
The federal agency’s memo Monday to states recognizes carbon dioxide as not only an air pollutant but a water pollutant, and notes the serious impacts that ocean acidification can have on aquatic life.
Ocean acidification refers to the decrease in the alkalinity of oceans, which is caused by the absorption of excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. As water becomes more acidic, scientists have raised concern about dissolving coral reefs and potential effects on fish and other sea life.
“Ocean acidification is one of the biggest threats to our marine environment,” said Miyoko Sakashita, a senior attorney at Center for Biological Diversity. This EPA action “really gave the green light to using the Clean Water Act to address ocean acidification,” she said.
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Carbonate mineral saturation states along the U.S. East Coast
Published 16 November 2010 Science ClosedTags: chemistry
To assess the impact of ocean acidification on the carbonate chemistry of the shelf waters off the southeastern United States (South Atlantic Bight [SAB]), we measured carbonate mineral saturation states from January 2005 to May 2006. The findings reveal that aragonite (Varag: 2.6–4.0) and calcite (Vcal: 4.1–6.0) saturation states were considerably higher than those recently reported along the West Coast of North America. Different water mass age between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans during global ocean circulation is the primary reason for the higher carbonate mineral saturation states in the SAB than along the West Coast. The contrasting water temperatures in the two coasts contribute to such differences. Both upwelling and freshwater discharge also play important roles in controlling saturation state. Carbonate mineral saturation in the surface water of the West Coast is strongly controlled by the upwelling of high-salinity, low-temperature, low-oxygen, and low-pH deep water. In comparison, saturation states in the surface water of the SAB coast are rarely affected by upwelling. Instead, they are strongly influenced by the input of low-saturation-state water from rivers. Continued increases of atmospheric CO2 under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change B1 emission scenario will decrease the carbonate mineral saturation states by up to 40% by the end of this century, and aragonite will approach undersaturation near the coast.
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Calcium carbonate precipitation induced by the growth of the marine cyanobacteria Trichodesmium
Published 16 November 2010 Science ClosedTags: biological response
In this laboratory study, we monitored the buildup of biomass and concomitant shift in seawater carbonate chemistry over the course of a Trichodesmium bloom under different phosphorus (P) availability. During exponential growth, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) decreased, while pH increased until maximum cell densities were reached. Once P became depleted, DIC decreased even further and total alkalinity (TA) dropped, accompanied by precipitation of aragonite. Under P-replete conditions, DIC increased and TA remained constant in the postbloom phase. A diffusion-reaction model was employed to estimate changes in carbonate chemistry of the diffusive boundary layer. This study demonstrates that Trichodesmium can induce precipitation of aragonite from seawater and further provides possible explanations about underlying mechanisms.
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EPA issues November 15, 2010 Memorandum: Integrated reporting and listing decisions related to ocean acidification
Published 16 November 2010 Newsletters and reports ClosedThe purpose of this Memorandum is to provide information to assist the Regions and States in preparing and reviewing Integrated Reports related to ocean acidification (OA) impacts under Sections 303(d), 305(b), and 314 of the Clean Water Act (CWA). As part of a settlement agreement, EPA agreed to issue this Memorandum by November 15, 2010, describing how EPA will proceed with regard to the issue of OA and the 303(d) program. This Memorandum recognizes the seriousness of aquatic life impacts associated with OA and describes how States can move forward, where OA information exists, to address OA during the 303(d) 2012 listing cycle using the current 303(d) Integrated Reporting (IR) framework. At the same time, this Memorandum also acknowledges and recognizes that in the case of OA, information is largely absent or limited at this point in time to support the listing of waters for OA in many States.
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NSF Research technician – Ocean acidification and coral reefs
Published 16 November 2010 Jobs ClosedCSUN Position – 1774
Apply at –http://www-admn.csun.edu/ohrs/employment/
Start date: 1 February 2011
Salary: $38,000
Applications are invited for a 2-year (with potential for a 2-year renewal), NSF-funded technician position at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), to support research in the area of ocean acidification (OA) and its effects on coral reefs. The successful candidate will work under the supervision of RC Carpenter and PJ Edmunds (grant PIs, robert.carpenter@csun.edu and peter.edmunds@csun.edu), as well as a postdoctoral scholar, to elucidate the effects of OA on corals, algae, and coral reefs in Moorea. The research focuses on the ecophysiology of corals and algae, and spans investigative scales from organisms, to assemblages of species, and natural communities; experiments will involve microcosms, and in situ (field) analyses. Candidates are expected to have an MS in a field-based marine biology topic, experience in the biology/ecology of marine organisms, a history of working in tropical environments, and a strong background in the maintenance of marine aquaria, biological laboratory skills, seawater chemistry, and marine field operations (driving of small boats, scuba diving, etc); scuba diving with a AAUS training (or equivalent) is required. The research involves significant periods (up to 6 months/year) of work overseas in Moorea, French Polynesia, and shorter periods (a few weeks) in Hawaii. This position provides unique opportunities to work with a small team studying the biology of coral reefs in the Caribbean and Pacific, and work with colleagues in the Moorea Coral Reef LTER, and Hawaii.
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