a news stream provided by the Ocean Acidification International Coordination Center (OA-ICC)
Never before have so many scientists conducted research on what impacts the declining pH value of seawater has on animals and plants in the ocean. Please find a summary of their major research results from the past years here.
Alfred-Wegener-Institut (AWI). Resource.
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Resource format: webpage
Oceans—and their salt-water extensions, like Puget Sound—play an enormous role in our region’s culture and prosperity. Marine life, from oysters to king crab, have supported Northwest communities for generations. But years of addiction to fossil fuels have put them at risk. This series explores the local costs of ocean acidification, the process by which water absorbs too much carbon pollution, becoming more corrosive. These changes in our water’s basic chemistry place our complex web of marine life in jeopardy.
Sightline Institute, 2011-2012. Resource.
Resource type: website
Resource format: webpage
Oceanography is the official magazine of the Oceanography Society. It contains peer-reviewed articles that chronicle all aspects of ocean science and its applications .
Oceanography. Resource.
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Resource format: webpage
Ocean acidification is a result of chemical reactions that take place when the global ocean absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2) from the Earth’s atmosphere.
University of Otago. Resource.
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Resource format: webpage
About a third of the carbon dioxide (CO2) generated by human activities has already been absorbed by the ocean since the beginning of the industrial revolution. This contributes to attenuate the effects of global warming. Without this process, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere would have been much greater than that observed today. The effects on the climate would be multiplied.
Part of atmospheric CO2 dissolves at the surface of the ocean. Once in the water, it can subsequently be found in different forms, including carbonic acid. This chemical reaction is the cause of the changes in chemical equilibrium of sea water. The result is, firstly, an increase in hydrogen ions, causing acidification and, secondly, a decrease in carbonate ions. The latter are essential elements for the construction of skeletons and other calcareous structures in marine plants and animals.
“Ocean acidification” is defined by a decrease in pH, which is the unit of measurement of the acidity of a liquid. Acidification has increased by 26% since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution (1800). However, certain prediction models expect a 150% increase in acidity by 2100. The current rate of ocean acidification is ten times faster than it ever was at any other period during the preceding 55 million years.
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Ocean & Climate Platform (OCP). Resource.
Resource type: website
Resource format: webpage
The ocean absorbs a significant portion of our carbon dioxide emissions, which is changing the chemistry of the ocean at an unprecedented rate. About one third of all emissions in the past 200 years have been absorbed by the ocean, causing an average pH decrease of ocean surface waters by about 0.1 unit – from 8.2 to 8.1. This change has already caused short-term, local impacts on ocean flora and fauna. The ultimate, long-term consequences of an increasingly acidic ocean may be unknown, but the potential risks are high. Ocean acidification is a growing problem as anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions continue to change the atmosphere and climate. It is estimated that by the end of the century, there will be an additional drop of 0.2–0.3 units.
On our Ocean Acidification Initiative page you can learn about the work we are doing to research and understand OA in order to mitigate its effects. Here we have compiled some of the best resources on this topic.
The Ocean Foundation. Resource.
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Resource format: webpage
What can we do to save Timmy the Turtle and his friends? A closer look on the causes and future challenges of ocean acidification.
The animation was produced by students at the University of the West of England, supported by Falmouth University and the Shark and Coral Conservation Trust with PML providing scientific guidance.
Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), 17 June 2014. Resource.
Resource type: website
Resource format: video
A page on FAQ on ocean acidification from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego; which is one of the most important centers for global earth science research and education in the world. Scripps scientists work to understand and protect the planet by investigating our oceans, Earth, and atmosphere to find solutions to our greatest environmental challenges. Scripps leads research in climate change impacts and adaptation, resilience to hazards, conservation and biodiversity, oceans and human health, national security, and innovative technology to observe the planet.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography – UC San Diego. Resource.
Resource type: website
Resource format: webpage
By absorbing CO2, the ocean is becoming more acidic, and this happens at a rate faster than during any other period in the past 300 million years.
Air Pollution and Climate Secretariat (AirClim), 1 March 2018. Resource.
Resource type: website
Resource format: document/pdf
A powerful short film on ocean acidification: connecting science, industry, policy and public.
The film brings together a wide range of stakeholders including, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, school children, a Plymouth fishmonger, a UK government Chief Scientific Adviser, representatives from industry and policy making departments, as well as a group of internationally recognised expert scientists.
Produced by the Plymouth Marine Laboratory.
MarineBio Conservation Society, 12 July 2011. Resource.
Resource type: website
Resource format: video
MEDDLE provides learning material and experimental design tools to help you create accurate and statistically meaningful single and multi driver experiments. The aim is to provide guidance in supporting best practices for oceanic research.
A handbook is the central link between the three strands of MEDDLE: a web-based decision support tool to get started with experimental design; next the Multiple Environmental Driver Design Lab for Experiments (MEDDLE) simulation software, and a library of video tutorials. We recommend that you download this Handbook before exploring these strands.
Scientific Committee on Ocean Research. Resource.
Resource type: website
Resource format: webpage
This page highlights selected informational resources on estuarine, coastal, and ocean acidification in the Mid-Atlantic.
The Mid-Atlantic Coastal Acidification Network (MACAN). Resource.
Resource type: website
Resource format: webpage
Pristine Seas is an exploration, research, and conservation project that aims to find, survey, and help protect the last healthy, undisturbed places in the ocean. National Geographic Explorer in Residence Enric Sala launched the Pristine Seas project in 2008.
National Geographic. Resource.
Resource type: website
Resource format: webpage
Students watch a video to identify and describe the effects of ocean acidification in detail. Next, they examine a graphical representation of ocean acidification data, summarising the linear trends they see. Finally, students calculate the slope of these lines to quantitatively compare and contrast the strength and direction of these trends.
National Geographic. Resource.
Resource type: website
Resource format: online course
Students make and evaluate predictions related to increases in global ocean temperatures, sea level rise, and ocean acidification, using evidence from physical demonstrations. They then watch a video to identify the causes and consequences of climate change on the oceans.
National Geographic. Resource.
Resource type: website
Resource format: online course
Travel to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef with Joshua Jackson, and witness the beauty of a fragile reef ecosystem that could be lost if people continue to release carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere at current levels.
In a conversation with a University of Queensland marine biologist, Jackson learns how science has only recently connected climate change with ocean acidification. The ocean absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere and the CO2 reacts with seawater, increasing the ocean’s acidity. Higher acidity is harmful to coral and other marine life. Though humans have assumed that our vast ocean is an inexhaustible resource, it appears the ocean’s resilience is reaching its limit.
In this clip from Years of Living Dangerously, actor Joshua Jackson scuba dives along the Great Barrier Reef, an ecosystem at risk due to climate change.
Find more of this story in the “Collapse of the Oceans” episode of the National Geographic Channel’s Years of Living Dangerously series.
National Geographic. Resource.
Resource type: film
Resource format: video
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a gas that contributes to global warming. When we burn fuel (for example to drive cars or to generate power) we put more CO2 into the air, which contributes to climate change. Nature is very good at removing CO2 from the air. Trees need it to grow and the oceans can dissolve it. But not all the new CO2 is removed, so the amount in the air increases each year. Every year, we try to predict how much more CO2 we will have. For an accurate CO2 forecast, we must understand how human activity and natural ecosystems affect each other. In this article, we explain how we can make this forecast. For 2020, we predict that CO2 levels will increase faster than average…
Frontiers for Young Minds, 16 March 2021. Resource.
Resource type: article
Resource format: document/pdf
EurOcean database facilities in Europe which are dedicated to marine sciences broad range of activities.
Objective To offer a comprehensive list of all existing facilities in Europe which are dedicated to marine sciences broad range of activities. It provides the first level of knowledge and characteristics for each facility, as well as the links and contact to access the further details provided by the operator.
For who this database is intended for all stakeholders – scientists, engineers, policy makers, private companies, universities – for their respective needs, either as user or as operator, or as designer, or as funder. How to use it search criteria plus an iterative map allow any targeted search of information for every type of request. For more information on how to use it please consult the Search Tips Area.
How to understand it the landscape of marine research infrastructure is complex, a choice of descriptors was done to provide as much as possible a clear and consistent vision, to provide all relevant information for this “discovery” level of the facilities. All explanations necessary to understand each descriptor are given in the Technical Notes.
How to update it this database took in consideration the most recent overviews available. However, the landscape is constantly evolving, new infrastructures appear, others have significant up-gradings, some became out of service, characteristics change,… The approach of a database continuously updated is a necessity and a procedure is proposed to allow all to contribute, see the functions Insert, update or Contact EurOcean.
EuOcean. Resource.
Resource type: website
Resource format: webpage
Comparable to carbon dioxide, dimethyl sulfide (DMS), and carbon monoxide (CO) are tiny gases that have a great impact on our climate. Though occurring only in very small amounts in the atmosphere they are climate influencers, especially in the Arctic. The Arctic is a unique place on Earth where all life is adapted to the extreme cold. Therefore, global warming is a great threat to the Arctic. DMS and CO are produced in the Arctic Ocean and can go into the atmosphere. There, CO may enhance the warming of the Arctic. On the other hand, DMS possibly cools the atmosphere because it helps forming clouds. The processes CO and DMS are involved in, are complex and will probably alter under a changing climate. It is important to understand these processes to get an idea of the future Arctic Ocean and climate to find ways to save the Arctic.
Frontiers for Young Minds, 18 February 2021. Resource.
Resource type: article
Resource format: document/pdf
On this page you will find videos and articles on ocean acidification.
Ye Mystic Krewe of the Nautilus is a 501c3 organization dedicated to having fun while promoting philanthropy, environmental awareness and conservation of our beautiful Tampa Bay Area.
Its mission is to promote Florida environmental awareness and conservation through friendly partnerships, education, charity sponsorship and community service.
Nautilus. Resource.
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Resource format: webpage
