Climate: Study eyes regional patterns of ocean acidification

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Bob Berwyn

Gulf of Mexico appears more resistant to acidification threats

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The impacts of ocean acidification will vary from region to region. Bob Berwyn photo.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — A 2007 sea voyage through the Gulf of Mexico, around Florida and up the eastern seaboard has increased understanding of how various coastal areas may respond to increased acidity. More than anything, the detailed research helps establish some baseline data against which future changes can be measured, and showed that some areas are more susceptible to higher concentrations of carbon.

The study, measuring levels of carbon dioxide and other forms of carbon in the ocean, was conducted by scientists from 11 institutions across the U.S. and was published in the journal Limnology and Oceanography.

“Before now, we haven’t had a very clear picture of acidification status on the east coast of the U.S.,” says Zhaohui ‘Aleck’ Wang, the study’s lead author and a chemical oceanographer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. “It’s important that we start to understand it, because increase in ocean acidity could deeply affect marine life along the coast and has important implications for people who rely on aquaculture and fisheries both commercially and recreationally.” (more…)

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Study shows ocean acidification impacts to sea snails

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Corrosive waters in Southern Ocean destroying pteropod shells

Pteropods swimming in the Scotia Sea. Photo courtesy British Antarctic Survey.

By Bob Berwyn

FRISCO — Numerous lab experiments have already shown that some shell-forming ocean species will likely suffer as the ocean absorbs atmospheric carbon dioxide and becomes increasingly acidic.

Now, a new study based on 2008 research in the Scotia Sea shows that the shells of tiny marine snails called pteropods are already being dissolved by ocean acidification where atmospheric CO2 being absorbed by the sea is exacerbating acidic conditions resulting from upwelling of cold water from deep below the surface.

The tiny animals are a valuable food source for fish and birds and play an important role in the oceanic carbon cycle. Pteropods are open-ocean animals, moving about by using water wings that evolved from their snail feet. (more…)

Filed under: biodiversity, climate and weather, Environment, global warming, Marine biology, ocean conservation | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Environment: Earth headed for a bad acid trip

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Earth’s natural systems may not be able to handle increasing levels of acidification of the air, water and soil. Photo courtesy NASA.

Study tries to pinpoint future acidification hot spots

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — You’ve heard about acid mine drainage and ocean acidification, but the problems don’t end there.

After reviewing a slew of scientific papers from different disciplines, researchers found that  combustion of fossil fuels, smelting of ores, mining of coal and metal ores, and application of nitrogen fertilizer to soils are all driving down the pH of the air, water, and the soil at rates far faster than Earth’s natural systems can buffer. That could pose threats to both land and sea life.

The research was presented at a poster session of the Geological Society of America’s annual meeting in North Carolina. See the abstract here.

“It’s a bigger picture than most of us know,” said Janet Herman of the Department of Environmental Sciences at University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

In their work, Herman and USGS researcher Karen Rice tried to anticipate future acidification hot spots to enable communities to plan proactively and mitigate the harmful environmental effects, says Herman. (more…)

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Environment: Excess nutrients speed up ocean acidification

Posted on October 7, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Shellfish are expected to be hit hard by ocean acidification in the coming decades. Bob Berwyn photo.

CO2 from decaying algae blooms adds to ocean woes

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Runoff from agricultural and urban areas is speeding up ocean acidification in some coastal areas, adding to the woes resulting from increased concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

A new study by researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Georgia found that CO2 released from decaying algal blooms intensifies acidification, which is already taking a toll on shellfish populations in some areas.

Ocean acidification occurs when the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or from the breakdown of organic matter, causing a chemical reaction to make it more acidic. Species as diverse as scallops and corals are vulnerable to ocean acidification, which can affect the growth of their shells and skeletons. (more…)

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Research suggests climate-change impacts to Puget Sound

Posted on September 9, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Sampling Puget Sound waters aboard an EPA ship. Photo courtesy NOAA.

‘Corrosive’ water seen as threat to shellfish

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — A comprehensive, multi-disciplinary survey of Puget Sound suggests that increased concentrations of atmospheric carbon are turning the water more corrosive during certain seasons, with potentially significant impacts to shellfish populations.

The study was conducted by the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program, a scientific partnership among universities and government agencies. The report also documented the presence of unusual, harmful algae that can contaminate shellfish, as well as nutrients from human activities, both of which have the potential to degrade water quality.

Conservation advocates say the data is alarming, and suggests that Puget Sound’s wildlife could face persistent threats as the Earth’s climate warms. (more…)

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Climate: Oceans facing catastrophic extinction

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

On the brink?

The world’s oceans are in big trouble. Photo by Bob Berwyn.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Global warming is causing changes that are putting the world’s oceans on the brink of a major catastrophic extinction event, according to an international team of scientists from Australia, the US, Canada, Germany, Panama, Norway and the UK.

Three of the five largest extinctions of the past 500 million years were associated with global warming and acidification of the oceans — trends which also apply today, the scientists wrote in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution.

Other extinctions were driven by loss of oxygen from seawaters, pollution, habitat loss and pressure from human hunting and fishing – or a combination of these factors. (more…)

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Climate: New warnings on ocean acidification

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Shellfish like these conchs in Belize are especially vulnerable to increasing ocean acidification.

Global warming likely to take a huge toll on marine life

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Sounding another dire warning about global warming impacts to the world’s oceans, researchers from universities and conservation groups say increasing levels of atmospheric carbon are likely to be fatal to many marine organisms.

When carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere, a significant fraction is passively taken up by the ocean in a form that makes the ocean more acidic. This acidification has been shown to be harmful to many species of marine life, especially corals and shellfish.

“Our concern is that the specific actions to counter such impacts as identified in current policy statements will prove inadequate or ineffective,” wrote the authors of a new paper published in Nature Climate Change. “A much broader evaluation of marine management and mitigation options must now be seriously considered.” (more…)

Filed under: biodiversity, climate and weather, coral reefs, Environment, global warming, Marine biology, ocean conservation, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Global warming: New study tries to pin down the effects of ocean acidification on shellfish

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

New study tries to pinpoint impacts of ocean acidification on shellfish.

Cold-water species hit hardest by increased levels of carbon dioxide

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — The effects of ocean acidification on shellfish are widespread around the globe and may be the most pronounced at high latitudes with low water temperatures, according to new research that examined a wide range of species from the tropics to the Arctic.

But there is some evidence that, with enough time, shellfish and other marine organisms may be able to adapt to the changes caused by global warming, according to the study published this week in the journal Global Change Biology.

“In areas of the world’s oceans where it is hardest for marine creatures to make their limestone shell or skeleton, shellfish and other animals have adapted to natural environments where seawater chemistry makes shell-building materials difficult to obtain,” said Dr .Sue-Ann Watson, formerly of the University of Southampton and British Antarctic Survey (now at James Cook University) said. “Evolution has allowed shellfish to exist in these areas and, given enough time and a slow enough rate of change, evolution may again help these animals survive in our acidifying oceans.” (more…)

Filed under: biodiversity, climate and weather, Environment, global warming, Marine biology, ocean conservation | Tagged: , , , , , , | 7 Comments »

Report: Up to 50 coral species at high risk of extinction

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

The diversity of coral reef ecosystems is at risk from climate change and other threats outlined in a new federal report.

Feds taking comment to help make endangered species listing decision

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — More than 50 species of coral face extinction by the end of the century, mainly because of global warming, disease and ocean acidification, according to a report released last week by the National Marine Fisheries Service. The report also identified other threats, including increased population and development in coastal areas.

The agency’s report focused on 82 types of coral that are being considered for protections under the Endangered Species Act following a 2009 petition by the Center for Biological Diversity. It was compiled as a status review as a step toward making a decision on listing the species under the Endangered Species Act. The agency is taking public comment through July 31.

Of the 82 corals, populations of 56 species are likely to fall below critical survival thresholds before 2100. The report covers corals are in U.S. waters, ranging from Florida and Hawaii to U.S. territories in the Caribbean and Pacific. (more…)

Filed under: biodiversity, climate and weather, coral reefs, endangered species, Environment, global warming | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Oregon oysters take a hit from global warming

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Research links ocean acidification with stunted larval growth

If you enjoy fresh oysters, eat up, because global warming and ocean acidification are taking a toll on the reproduction of the popular shellfish. PHOTO BY BOB BERWYN.

SUMMIT COUNTY — An Oregon oyster farm may have to shut down because increasing increasing carbon dioxide concentrations in sea water has stunted larval growth, making the operation “non-economically viable.”

Researchers found that the sea water is becoming more corrosive, inhibiting larval oysters from developing their shells and growing at a pace that would make commercial production cost-effective.

As atmospheric CO2 levels continue to rise, the Oregon oysters may be the proverbial canary in the coal mine for other ocean acidification impacts on shellfish, according to Oregon State University scientists. (more…)

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