Even animals living in the deep ocean are affected by the increasing emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The ocean naturally absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, resulting in a more acidic habitat for ocean life. Researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute use a series of specially designed chambers to study how deep-sea animals will respond to this change in ocean chemistry. They also bring animals into the laboratory, where the animals can be observed as they are exposed to seawater resembling current and future carbon-dioxide levels. It is important to understand how deep-sea animals will respond to impending changes in ocean chemistry because a disturbance to one part of an ecosystem can have cascading effects throughout the entire ecosystem.
MBARIvideo, YouTube, 31 August 2011. Video.
