Coral doctor sounds the alarm about more acidic seas
Picture: This shows a coral reef that has "bleach" on it (notice the white color).
Summary- Besides generating about two thirds of the oxygen we breathe, oceangoing phytoplankton -- those floating microscopic plants that form the base of the aquatic food chain -- absorb about a third of all the carbon dioxide we pump into the atmosphere. In this way, the oceans have managed to slow the buildup of heat-trapping greenhouse gases and stave off even more dramatic warming of the planet.
But John Guinotte and colleagues are discovering that the critical role of "carbon sink" comes at a potentially devastating cost for the world's oceans: acidification.
Guinotte is a coral specialist at the Marine Conservation Biology Institute in Bellevue, Wash. The changes he sees in ocean chemistry spell trouble for the coral that he studies closely. If the acidification process continues on its current trajectory, it poses a dire threat to the whole marine ecosystem.
"What I'm really concerned about with ocean acidification is that we are facing the prospect of a crash in marine food webs." says Guinotte. "There is no question that many of my colleagues in marine science are scared about what is happening. We know we need a more precise understanding of the changes and biological responses now under way -- and we need it as quickly as possible, before it is too late to turn things around." Based on some 25 years' worth of measurements scientists know that oceans absorb about 22 million tons of carbon dioxide every day. Guinotte fears that many marine species might be unable to adapt quickly enough to survive these dramatic changes.
As carbon dioxide is absorbed by seawater, hydrogen ions are released. This lower the pH, making the water more acidic. Scientists know from the fossil record that reefs which sustained damage from high atmospheric concentrations of CO2 in the geologic past took millions of years to recover. "Given that we need to think in human time scales, it means we're playing for keeps here," says Guinotte. "To me, it sometimes seems like a school bus full of children heading for a cliff. Somehow we have to slow it down enough to find some real solutions."
Because of the very clear potential for ocean acidification to effect everything from the tiniest oxygen-providing phytoplankton to the larger fish that feed in the coral reefs -- or, as Guinotte has written, "from the shallowest waters to the darkest depths of the deep sea" -- the threat to humankind is immense.
To figure out precisely how much acidification many varieties of coral can tolerate, and what we can do to preserve the health of the marine ecosystem, Guinotte argues for a coordinated research effort that tackles every aspect of the problem.
Opinion- In my opinion this article was very interesting, but scary. It is scary to think that we could lose a majority of our marine ecosystem due to acidification. Also, if any of our food webs start to decline, that could effect our ecosytem in a very negative way. I remember when i went to Hawaii and swam with the sea turtles in a coral reef, everything was so beautiful and colorful. I can't imagine our whole ocean turning white and discolored like in the picture. I hope that we can put a stop to acidification and that Guinotte and his crews research works accuratley.
Questions-
When do we hit the maximum limit of acidification?
What food webs are most at jeopardy for endangerement with acidification escalating?
What can we do to help the marine ecosystem, in terms of acidification?
--By: Jordan H.
Guinotte is a coral specialist at the Marine Conservation Biology Institute in Bellevue, Wash. The changes he sees in ocean chemistry spell trouble for the coral that he studies closely. If the acidification process continues on its current trajectory, it poses a dire threat to the whole marine ecosystem.
"What I'm really concerned about with ocean acidification is that we are facing the prospect of a crash in marine food webs." says Guinotte. "There is no question that many of my colleagues in marine science are scared about what is happening. We know we need a more precise understanding of the changes and biological responses now under way -- and we need it as quickly as possible, before it is too late to turn things around." Based on some 25 years' worth of measurements scientists know that oceans absorb about 22 million tons of carbon dioxide every day. Guinotte fears that many marine species might be unable to adapt quickly enough to survive these dramatic changes.
As carbon dioxide is absorbed by seawater, hydrogen ions are released. This lower the pH, making the water more acidic. Scientists know from the fossil record that reefs which sustained damage from high atmospheric concentrations of CO2 in the geologic past took millions of years to recover. "Given that we need to think in human time scales, it means we're playing for keeps here," says Guinotte. "To me, it sometimes seems like a school bus full of children heading for a cliff. Somehow we have to slow it down enough to find some real solutions."
Because of the very clear potential for ocean acidification to effect everything from the tiniest oxygen-providing phytoplankton to the larger fish that feed in the coral reefs -- or, as Guinotte has written, "from the shallowest waters to the darkest depths of the deep sea" -- the threat to humankind is immense.
To figure out precisely how much acidification many varieties of coral can tolerate, and what we can do to preserve the health of the marine ecosystem, Guinotte argues for a coordinated research effort that tackles every aspect of the problem.
Opinion- In my opinion this article was very interesting, but scary. It is scary to think that we could lose a majority of our marine ecosystem due to acidification. Also, if any of our food webs start to decline, that could effect our ecosytem in a very negative way. I remember when i went to Hawaii and swam with the sea turtles in a coral reef, everything was so beautiful and colorful. I can't imagine our whole ocean turning white and discolored like in the picture. I hope that we can put a stop to acidification and that Guinotte and his crews research works accuratley.
Questions-
When do we hit the maximum limit of acidification?
What food webs are most at jeopardy for endangerement with acidification escalating?
What can we do to help the marine ecosystem, in terms of acidification?
--By: Jordan H.
This summary was VERY well written; and has opened my eyes on how much we are hurting our oceans. Seeing coral reefs being bleached, really shows whats going on on the bottom of our oceans. This is scary because will all those chemicals in the water, the organisms will slowly die and eentually we wont have much marine life left! It makes me upset to think about what my childrens lives will be like if we keep polluting our oceans-or everything.
ReplyDeleteMore questions on this topic...
-How have Guinotte's words inspired you?
-What will you do to help after hearing about this topic?
-Do you agree with Guinotte? Why or why not?
I learned how much of a huge part of the health of our earth is dependent upon our oceans. i never knew how much carbon that marine life absorbed; however, i wish i didn't find out while reading about how they may not have as tight of a hold on their niche as before, since the amount of carbon that must be absorbed has increased so drastically. I think that the most important part in preserving marine food webs is to sustain our resources, and quit burning all of our fossil fuels, subsequently emitting more and more carbon into the atmosphere. i genuinely hope that our phytoplankton recovers from acidification!
ReplyDeletequestions:
1. soon! unless we make an effort to put a stop to it now!
2. aquatic food webs
3. limit the amount of carbon we put back into the atmosphere
We don't really think abotu life in the oceans and it's affect on us, and this really shows that without it, we could have dire changins in our lives. You never think that something so small like coral or plankton can show you such a big picture. The oceans could be the key to us fighting back against global warming, but without us realizing what it means to us as humans, we have only the handfull of people like Guinotte who are working hard to preserve them
ReplyDeleteQuestions- 1: We don't know yet if there is a maximum level, but like brenna said, we need to take action or it won't take long to find out
2: Webs that include coral or plankton as a main source or a key species
3: Form groups and get the word out about what's happening
REFLECTION, SECTION 2:
ReplyDelete1.LINK- http://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?nid=72426
^ this link tells about how the Associated Student's Coastal Fund of UCSB is going to donate $14,000 in order to assist in preserving the health of our oceans, especially for acidification of the oceans
2.GRAPHIC- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:WOA05_GLODAP_del_pH_AYool.png
^ this graphic shows the amount of change in PH levels of the oceans over the years. It shows how high the ph levels have climbed in response to increased carbon levels. (stronger acid)