UK’s Top Scientist Sounds Alarm on Ocean Acidity
Ocean acidification is not a new concern. In fact, we just told you about the Government Accountability Office in the US calling out federal agencies for not doing enough to stop it.
Now the United Kingdom’s Chief Scientist, Sir Mark Walport, is sounding the alarm.
He warned that ocean acidity has risen by 25 percent since the Industrial Revolution began, and for that we can thank manmade emissions.
Here’s a quick breakdown of how this works:
– Oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the air.
– CO2 reacts with the sea water to form carbonic acid.
– Carbonic acid inhibits many organisms ability to calcify. That includes coral and sea animals with calcium-based shells.
– The increase in acidity affects some creatures ability to absorb coastal pollution.
Sir Walport told BBC News, “If we carry on emitting CO2 at the same rate, ocean acidification will create substantial risks to complex marine food webs and ecosystems.”
He added that the current rate of acidification is believed to be unprecedented within the last 65 million years – and may threaten fisheries in the future.
These consequences are expected to worsen when ocean temperatures rise due to climate change, which is also driven by Carbon dioxide emissions.
