30 years earlier then we thought
This just reported on mongabay.com: "The Southern Ocean may be 30 years closer to a tipping point for ocean acidification than previously believed, putting sea life at risk, according to research published in this week’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Analyzing seasonal changes in pH and the concentration of carbonate in the Southern […]
Climate change & Florida’s economy
Coral reefs in Florida have generated 70,000 jobs and $5.5 billion in business for the state. But climate change could wreak the sort of havoc in Florida that sub-prime mortgages have for the U.S. A new analysis commissioned by the Environmental Defense Fund details these findings. These reefs are already in jeopardy from pollution. Now […]
Ocean acidification symposium in October
Okay, we missed it. What can we say, we can´t be everywhere at once, even with the internet. Though Prince Albert II of Monaco almost was, presiding as he did over both the opening of the IUCN World Conservation Congress and the Second Symposium on the Ocean in a High-CO2 World. (We obviously need to […]
More data on coral vulnerability to increasing CO2
New Australian research suggests some coral reefs could be gone before 2050. Previous studies have underestimated the damaging effect of excess carbon dioxide on coral. Bleaching, or destruction of coral, caused by other factors such as pollution, evidently interacts with and is exacerbated by, the effect of ocean acidification, according to Ove Hoegh-Gulberg of the […]
Ocean acidifying 10 times faster than previously thought
A just-published BBC article reports that ocean chemistry is changing 10 times faster than previously thought, in response to increased CO2 absorption. Researchers measured the acidity of seawater off the Pacific Northwest coast for eight years. Every half hour, so there’s plenty of data. "Professor Timothy Wootton from the department of ecology and evolution, University […]
Scientists confirm rapid ocean acidification
Remember that conference we missed in Monaco? Environmental Expert.com published a nice summary of the proceedings. To wit, 250 marine scientists from 32 countries agreed that ocean chemistry is changing rapidly. More specifically, it’s "accelerating at an unprecedented rate," becoming more acidic. What can we expect? No one is yet sure, but a significant loss […]
Oceans & climate change
James Baker discusses the impact of global warming on coral reefs, ocean acidification, chemistry of the atmosphere and ocean, and growing public awareness of the issues. Formerly, Baker was NOAA's Undersecretary of Commerce/Administrator during the Clinton Administration. He currently serves as Director of the Clinton Foundation's Global Carbon Measurement Program.The talk was given at Cornell […]
Coral growth declining in Great Barrier Reef
Coral growth in the Great Barrier Reef has slowed in the last 20 years. Specifically, the coral are less able to absorb calcium from the ocean water. Anthropogenic carbon dioxide is the cause. “The data suggest that such a severe and sudden decline in calcification is unprecedented in at least the past 400 years,” the […]
Shell weights reduced by ocean acidity
Reuters reported today (March 9) that a new study at the University of Tasmania in Australia shows that ocean acidification is reducing the shell weights of tiny creatures called foraminifera. Weights are falling between 30 and 35 percent. "William Howard of the University of Tasmania in Australia described the findings as an early-warning signal, adding […]
“Brave New Ocean”
If this lecture doesn’t scare you straight, nothing will. Dr. Jeremy Jackson discusses human-created ocean impacts: habitat destruction, overfishing, introduced species, warming, acidification, toxins, and massive runoff of nutrients. We’re facing major extinctions. Just for starters, he says that, because of ocean acidification, “some day we’ll have no seashells on the beach.” Definitely a downer. […]
Alaska youth come to the fore in ocean acidification awareness
Ocean acidification may be a winning topic for some Alaska high school students. Four of them, from the Kodiak High School Tsunami Bowl team, have focused on the subject for a state science competition coming up in early February. If they win at the state level, they’ll go on to Washington, DC, in April to […]
LEGISLATIVE ACTION ALERT
A friend brought this legislation, HR 146, the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act, to our attention today. It’s something all US citizens can take immediate action on, to support funding for research on ocean acidification and more. The bill will most likely be coming back before the House of Representatives this week. It needs only […]
Plan B for climate urged by scientists
It’s time to implement Plan B, to use technology to address excess carbon in the atmosphere. That’s the feeling of a growing number of climate scientists polled by The Independent. The Kyoto Treaty has not served to limit the release of carbon dioxide. And recent research reports that the world’s naturally occurring carbon "sinks" are […]
EPA seeks scientific data on ocean acidification
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responding to a petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) last year by requesting information from scientists and policy makers on ocean acidification. The information will help the EPA decide whether to revise their current pH water criterion, a move which might lay the groundwork for […]
Fertilizing ocean to combat climate change
In apparent defiance of international law (and possibly commonsense), scientists are planning to start an experiment with iron fertilization. The Independent is reporting that the proposed location is the Southern Ocean. The plan: to create a plankton bloom big enough to be visible from space. “The researchers – mainly from Germany and India, but including […]
Monaco meeting generates ocean acidification statement from scientists
Remember the Monaco ocean and climate change symposium we reported on briefly in October 2008? So nicely summarized by EnvironmentalExpert.com? The participating scientists have crafted a report on the proceedings, the Monaco Declaration, released January 30. The Declaration calls for an immediate, dramatic reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, in order to minimize environmental damage caused […]
Fish & climate change
It turns out that fish play an important role in mitigating climate change. But it wasn’t known til now. A study published in the Jan. 16 edition of Science reports that fish help maintain ocean chemistry, specially the ph balance. In other words, they are natural allies in combating ocean acidification. Villy Christensen, fisheries researcher […]
NBC News reports on ocean acidification in their “Sea Change” series
An NBC reporter goes to Tasmania to cover ocean acidification, where cold temperatures mean the effects of changing ocean chemistry are showing dramatically. The shells of tiny sea snails are dissolving.
Al Gore testifies to House E&C Committee, mentions ocean acidification
In his testimony before the House Energy & Commerce Committee April 24, Al Gore said: “Carbon dioxide pollution is changing the very chemistry of our oceans. Ocean acidification is already underway and is accelerating. A recentpaper published in the journal Science described how the seawater off the coast of Northern California has become so acidic […]