What is ocean acidification? How does it affect wildlife, or humans themselves? Why should you care about ocean acidification, and how can you help prevent it?
Ocean water absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, in result of this the oceans pH decreases. What’s pH you ask? It means ‘Potential of hydrogen’ it’s a measure of acidity. An example of this is fresh water that normally has a pH of 7. Even a small change of pH in the ocean changes chemistry, it affects wild and sea life.
Wildlife + Humans
When carbon dioxide mixes with ocean water, this makes carbonic acid. Carbonic acid steals carbonate which is used by marine life for their shells and skeletons. Shelled species have more difficulty building their protection. These properties can result in an entire disruption in the food web for all marine life. So, how would this potentially disrupt human life? Any seafood we eat will have an overall reduced quality. Draining some of the food we eat of its nutrients. They can be unhealthy and toxic, too.
There’s also a decrease in overall marine population which affects live economies and fisheries.
How much has it increased?
It has raised about 30%, Causing pH to drop drastically. Fortunately ocean acidification CAN be reversed. A science team led by a person named Ken Caleira who specializes in climate science, used something called an antacid to reverse the chemistry in the water back to the way it was previously. It reduces the amount of acid in the water. However, It takes awhile to get rid of the production of carbon dioxide. They can only decrease small amounts of the acidification at a time.
In places such as the Norwegian and Greenland seas, they have seen larger amounts of pH decreasing, Etc. A higher decrease in pH, raises a higher level in acidity, Which again will cause issues in the ocean and cause problems in our ecosystem. On a side note, pH has dropped from 8.11 to 8.05. A drop in the pH of your own blood by only 0.2 – 0.3 can result in comas, seizures and sometimes death.
How to Help Get Rid Of Ocean Acidification?
A few ways we can prevent ocean acidification is reducing the use of carbon dioxide emissions at home, or any work spaces. Just a small thought from hundreds or thousands of people could save the ocean population. As humans we release carbon dioxide from things like energy productions, or burning natural resources including coal, gas, and oil.
Increased carbon in the ocean can help slow down change in climate. Even though ocean acidification is bad in some ways, it can also be helpful. Some plants and algae live better with acidic conditions. So while hurting some, it may help others, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try your best to decrease the amount of acid in the ocean, or any body of water. It can hurt you too. If we keep continuing to release large amounts of carbon dioxide over a period of time the ocean and any living organism will become unhealthy, which can affect humans too.
In conclusion, please try to reduce your usage of carbon emissions. It can save humans as a whole, and the lovely oceans that we love and care about. Think about the gold fish you might buy at a store, but then one day ocean acidification gets too bad. They won’t be able to sell those goldfish anymore because they are so sick. If you want to be treated with care, then treat the ocean with that care as well. What’s your life going to be like without all those seafood dishes you may enjoy? No sushi, shrimp, fish sticks, or even crab legs. All of it is going to be unsafe for you to eat. So even one person can change a lot. Just like a youtuber with 40 million subscribers, If one person subscribes it helps that person build up to larger numbers. Without those people that person wouldn’t be famous or popular. So as a person, be conscious of anything you’re doing and how it could affect the environment.
