Ocean acidification has significant impacts on various marine organisms, including fish, corals, shellfish, and crustaceans, with effects ranging from changes in behavior to coral bleaching and changes to phytoplankton and microorganisms.

Ocean acidification can have significant impacts on marine life, including sub-lethal and carryover effects on the early life stages of certain species, such as the Eastern oyster. These effects can impact recruitment and population success, and can also affect the physiology of larval stages.

Ocean acidification has widespread effects on marine life, including changes in fish behavior, coral bleaching, and impacts on various species such as Dungeness crab, shellfish, and crustaceans.

Ocean acidification affects various aspects of marine life, including fish behavior, coral bleaching, and the well-being of shellfish, crustaceans, and microorganisms, with specific examples including Dungeness crab, sea urchin larvae, and phytoplankton changes.

Ocean acidification, caused by increasing CO2 levels in the air, is harming marine life in the Sundarbans estuary, particularly animals with shells like oysters, clams, crabs, and lobsters, by turning the water acidic.

Ocean acidification is caused by increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which affects marine life by destabilizing the ocean's pH.

Ocean acidification is caused by the increase in global atmospheric CO2 concentrations, primarily due to anthropogenic activities, which influences the seawater carbonate system and impacts the marine ecosystem.

Ocean acidification is caused by increased carbon dioxide, primarily due to anthropogenic emissions, which alters carbonate chemistry in marine ecosystems.

Ocean acidification is caused by increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is absorbed by the ocean, leading to a decrease in the aragonite saturation state, a measure of ocean acidification.

Ocean acidification is caused by increased carbon dioxide, primarily due to anthropogenic emissions, which is supported by coral records, in-situ measurements, and model predictions.

Ocean acidification impacts marine ecosystems, including creatures that require calcium to build their shells and skeletons, such as corals.

Ocean acidification impacts marine ecosystems, including the seawater carbonate system, and has far-reaching consequences for marine life.

"Ocean acidification can have significant implications for marine ecosystems and calcifying organisms, including those that rely on calcium carbonate for their shells and skeletons."

Ocean acidification, caused by human activities, has a significant impact on marine ecosystems and life, including coral reefs, as evidenced by a study in the Western Pacific that showed a decrease in pH levels.

Ocean acidification impacts various aspects of marine life, including autotrophs, mollusks, corals, microbes, small mollusks, and sponges, with some groups being more studied than others.

Increased ocean heat can cause wide-scale coral bleaching, death of marine life, and elevation of sea level.

Increased ocean heat can lead to wide-scale coral bleaching, death of marine life, and elevation of sea level, all of which are related to the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems.

Increased ocean heat can lead to coral bleaching, habitat destruction, and potentially affect a wide range of marine life, including cephalopods and marine mammals.

Increased ocean heat can lead to a rise in sea level, changes in ocean currents, and ocean acidification, which can have devastating effects on marine life, including coral bleaching and decline of primary productivity.

Increased ocean heat can lead to wide-scale coral bleaching, death of marine life, and elevation of sea level, as seen in the recent mass coral bleaching event in the Great Barrier Reef.

"Biological removal of CO2 through primary production can help offset the negative impact of ocean acidification, and international cooperation is necessary to address this global issue."

Ocean acidification can be addressed through biological removal of CO2 and international cooperation, which involves reducing CO2 emissions and promoting coordinated research efforts and policies to mitigate its impact on marine life.

Ocean acidification has severe impacts on marine ecosystems, and addressing it requires international cooperation and biological removal of CO2.

Ocean acidification kills marine life and affects biodiversity by disrupting the ocean's pH balance and impacting creatures that rely on calcium for their shells and skeletons.

"Ocean pollution, including ocean acidification, has a negative impact on marine ecosystems, leading to the killing of marine life and affecting biodiversity."

Ocean pollution can have a significant impact on marine ecosystems, including killing marine life and affecting biodiversity, which can lead to unfavorable conditions for organisms that rely on calcium carbonate for their shells and skeletons.

Ocean acidification can have detrimental effects on marine ecosystems, including killing marine life and affecting biodiversity, which can impact a wide range of species, including potentially cephalopods and octopuses.

Ocean pollution, including ocean acidification, can harm marine life and affect biodiversity, leading to a decline in global fishery resources and damaging marine ecosystems.

The study on ocean acidification was published in Scientific Reports, a reputable scientific journal.

The study on ocean acidification was published in reputable scientific journals, including Scientific Reports and the Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, with a specific article focusing on the impact of submarine groundwater discharge on seawater acidification.

Ocean acidification affects the early life stages of marine life, including oysters.

Ocean acidification affects the early life stages of marine species, such as the Eastern oyster, and can have carryover effects into later stages of development.

Ocean acidification has a significant impact on the early life stages of marine life, including cephalopods and other species.

Ocean acidification affects early life stages of marine life, but seagrass meadows can provide a refuge for these stages by increasing pH levels and improving seawater chemistry.

Ocean acidification affects early life stages of marine life, particularly calcifying organisms like sea urchins, but the presence of foundation species like seagrass can help mitigate these effects.

Climate change affects marine life by decreasing ocean oxygen levels.

Climate change affects marine life by altering oxygen levels, which is a crucial factor to consider in marine ecosystem management.

Deoxygenation, which affects oxygen levels, is a climate change driver that has harmful effects on marine life.

Climate change affects marine life by altering oxygen levels in the water, as warmer water holds less oxygen, which can lead to large-scale fish kills.

Climate change affects marine life by causing a decrease in oxygen levels, which could lead to mass extinctions of marine species.

Ocean acidification can lead to thinner and smaller shells in marine organisms, as seen in the reduced shell growth of clams grown in acidified conditions.

Ocean acidification causes marine organisms to have thinner and smaller shells due to the decrease in water pH levels.

Ocean acidification reduces the size of shells in marine organisms, such as oysters, by decreasing the availability of calcium and carbonate ions in the water, which are necessary for shell development.

Ocean acidification threatens marine calcifiers like clams, mussels, and oysters by making it harder for them to form calcium carbonate, necessary for their growth.

Ocean acidification threatens marine calcifiers such as clams, mussels, and oysters, as evidenced by research on the eastern oyster.

Ocean acidification affects marine calcifiers, including oysters, by impacting their larval and juvenile stages, with carryover effects that can be persistent and negative.

"Marine calcifiers such as clams, mussels, and oysters are threatened by ocean acidification, which makes it difficult for them to maintain their shells and skeletons."

Ocean acidification negatively affects marine calcifiers, such as clams, mussels, and oysters, by impacting their calcium carbonate shells.

Ocean acidification affects the growth of shelled marine animals like oysters, clams, crabs, and lobsters by making it harder for them to form calcium carbonate.

"Ocean acidification affects shelled marine animals, including oysters, clams, crabs, and lobsters, by impacting their physiological development."

"Ocean acidification affects shelled marine animals, including oysters, clams, crabs, and lobsters, by impacting their larval stages and carrying over into their juvenile stages, with nuanced and context-dependent effects."

Ocean acidification affects shelled marine animals, including oysters, clams, crabs, and lobsters, by impacting their ability to build and maintain their shells.

Ocean acidification affects shelled marine animals, including crabs, oysters, clams, and lobsters, as evidenced by a study on the impact of ocean acidification on Dungeness crab.

Ocean acidification has increased by 26% since pre-industrial times, with a predicted rise of 100 to 150% by the end of the century, having severe effects on marine life.

Ocean acidification hinders shell growth in marine life by reducing calcium and carbonate ions.

Ocean acidification reduces calcium and carbonate ions in the water, hindering shell growth in marine organisms that rely on these ions for their shells and skeletons.

Ocean acidification hinders shell growth in shellfish and crustaceans by reducing calcium and carbonate ions, making it difficult for them to form calcium carbonate.

Ocean acidification hinders shell growth in marine life by reducing calcium and carbonate ions in the water.

Ocean acidification has significant impacts on various marine organisms, including fish, corals, shellfish, and crustaceans, with effects ranging from changes in behavior to coral bleaching and changes to phytoplankton and microorganisms.

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Editorial: the changing carbonate systems in coastal, estuarine, shelf areas and marginal seas

Editorial on the Research Topic
The changing carbonate systems in coastal, estuarine, shelf areas and marginal seas

Global atmospheric CO2 concentrations have increased from 320 ppm in the 1960s to the present-day value of 420 ppm, primarily due to anthropogenic activities. This increase influences the seawater carbonate system, impacting the marine ecosystem. There are still gaps that need to be resolved for predicting how these marine systems respond to current and future CO2 levels. Any actions to mitigate the change in pH will require adaptive management of multiple stressors across several spatial scales. Combined, these perspectives yield a more comprehensive picture of events during ocean acidification (OA).

This Research Topic brings together articles from different regions, including coastal, estuarine, and shelf areas and marginal seas, all susceptible to changing atmospheric conditions, riverine inputs, air-sea CO2 exchanges, and multiple acid-base reactions that can alter carbonate chemistry. Articles on the long-term trends of CO2 system descriptors and the interactions with calcifying organisms were also sought. The present Research Topic is primarily based on original articles devoted to carbonate systems in the marginal seas, but it is a pity that some interesting papers dealing with freshwater inflows, estuaries, and related coastal areas were not accepted.

Fransson et al. examined the effects of glacial and sea-ice meltwater on ocean acidification in the waters near the 79 North Glacier (79 NG) and the northeast Greenland shelf. The researchers investigated various ocean acidification factors and the influence of freshening, primary production, and air-sea CO2 exchange. One of the key findings was that the biological removal of CO2 through primary production played a crucial role in offsetting the negative impact of freshwater dilution on the aragonite saturation state (ΩAr), which is a measure of ocean acidification. This compensation effect was most pronounced in 2012, especially in the vicinity of the 79 NG front, where there was a significant presence of glacial meltwater and surface stratification. In 2016, a different scenario was observed, with a more homogenized water column due to sea-ice meltwater. In this case, the compensation effect of biological CO2 removal on ΩAr was weaker compared to 2012. The study also suggests that in the future, with ongoing climate and ocean chemistry changes, the increasing influence of meltwater may surpass the mitigating effects of biological CO2 removal. This could lead to unfavorable conditions for organisms that rely on calcium carbonate for their shells and skeletons. Thus, all the proposed factors need to be closely monitored as they could have significant implications for marine ecosystems and calcifying organisms in the face of ongoing environmental changes.

In a study by You et al., the researchers assessed ocean acidification in the Western Pacific using boron isotopic analysis in a large tropical coral core from Lanyu Islet in Southeast Taiwan. They used a well-preserved coral skeleton (Porites lobata) for detailed major and trace element analysis, including boron (B) and its isotopes (δ11B), as well as stable isotopes of oxygen (O) and carbon (C). Their primary objective was to investigate environmental changes during the period from 1991 to 1997. The coral records revealed a distinct temporal trend in sea surface temperatures (SSTs) based on elemental/calcium ratios on both annual and monthly scales. Notably, the most temperature-sensitive proxy, Mg/Ca-SSTs, indicated a significant warming trend during the study period. The researchers also observed subtle changes in the annual δ11B record, corresponding to a pH decrease of approximately 0.2 units. This change was consistent with other coral records in the Pacific, in-situ measurements of pH and pCO2, and model predictions, highlighting the impact of human-induced ocean acidification. When combined with Mg/Ca-SST data, the intra-annual coral data exhibited a clear seasonal cycle, with higher pH levels during the winter, aligning with surface ocean pCO2 patterns. These chemical and isotopic findings in corals underscore the value of marine biogenic carbonates as informative tools for reconstructing oceanic pH changes.

Rivaro et al. investigated freshwater inflow into the Ross Sea in Antarctica, particularly through the eastern gate and along the Ross Ice Shelf. They conducted a survey during the austral summer of 2019-20 to assess the contribution of Amundsen Sea Water (ASW) to salinity variations. The researchers used data on total alkalinity (AT), pH, temperature, and salinity to analyze the properties of the carbonate system, including total inorganic carbon, pCO2, and the calcium carbonate saturation state of aragonite and calcite (Ω), along with the Revelle factor. They also estimated anthropogenic carbon (Cant) using the TrOCA method to gain insights into the carbon cycle and its impact on ocean acidification due to atmospheric CO2 uptake. The study found that changes in the carbonate chemistry of surface waters were primarily influenced by physical properties. AT and pH were effective indicators of the entry of ASW, demonstrating limited mixing between different water masses in the shelf area. Additionally, shelf waters were enriched in Cant, leading to levels lower than what was estimated for shelf waters generated in the western Ross Sea.

Ingrosso et al. investigated the factors influencing the absorption of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (Cant) in the Ross Sea, an area known for its capacity to absorb carbon due to its cold waters, high primary productivity, and unique circulation on the Antarctic continental shelf. The researchers focused on the carbonate system to assess the current levels of anthropogenic carbon and understand how physical and biological processes regulate Cant sequestration along the shelf-slope continuum. They found that the Winter Water mass, formed during convective events, contained high levels of Cant due to the mixing of layers during the cold season. In contrast, the older and less-ventilated Circumpolar Deep Water entering the Ross Sea had minimal anthropogenic carbon contributions. The study also revealed variations in Cant content between different areas, such as polynyas and the shelf break, influenced by their distinct hydrographic and biological characteristics. The intense microbial activity in these regions consumed a significant portion of particulate organic carbon, leading to the release of CO2 into the intermediate and deep layers of the continental shelf zone. The findings underscored the importance of summer biological activity over the Ross Sea shelf in facilitating the transfer of anthropogenic CO2 between organic and inorganic carbon pools. This process contributed to ocean acidification in the upper mesopelagic zone and the long-term sequestration of Cant in the deep ocean.

Hassoun et al. conducted a comprehensive review of ocean acidification (OA) research in the Mediterranean region using data from the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency’s Ocean Acidification International Coordination Center (OA-ICC) database and an extensive survey. Their analysis revealed several important knowledge gaps in understanding OA trends and biological impacts in the semi-enclosed and densely populated Mediterranean Sea. These gaps are attributed to disparities in OA research capabilities among Mediterranean countries and the intricate, long-term interactions among biological, chemical, and physical factors. The study highlighted an uneven distribution of OA research efforts across the region, with the Algero-Provencal and Ionian sub-basins being the least studied areas. Furthermore, the carbonate system in coastal zones remains inadequately quantified, and there is a scarcity of long-term time series data in the Mediterranean, making it challenging to assess OA trends along the coast. While certain groups of organisms, such as autotrophs (algae, phanerogams, phytoplankton), mollusks, and corals, have received considerable attention in research, others, including microbes, small mollusks (particularly pteropods), and sponges, have been relatively understudied. Despite available resources and agreements for enhanced and coordinated OA governance, there is a lack of consistent OA policies in the Mediterranean Sea. To address these challenges, the article offers recommendations based on their literature review and insights from the Mediterranean OA scientific community.

Curbelo-Hernández et al. conducted an analysis of the carbon dioxide (CO2) system, anthropogenic carbon (Cant) inventory, and air-sea CO2 fluxes (FCO2) in the waters surrounding the Macaronesian archipelago. They found that variations in CO2 levels were primarily influenced by temperature changes, biological activity, and advection processes driven by differences in the Canary Upwelling System, mixed layer depth, mesoscale activity, and circulation patterns. Surface CO2 levels (fCO2,sw) were found to be influenced by biological production and the injection of CO2-rich water in tropical waters, while temperature fluctuations played a significant role in subtropical waters. The study also examined the factors that control changes in the total inorganic carbon normalized to a constant salinity (NCT) in the upper ocean. The research revealed an increase in the uptake and storage of anthropogenic carbon compared to preexisting levels, as calculated using the TrOCA 2007 approach, which served as an upper limit for NCT. The importance of the organic carbon pump diminished in subtropical waters, while the carbonate pump had minimal contribution. Regarding FCO2, the area behaved as a CO2 sink during the winter, but strong outgassing was observed over the Cape Blanc filament. To enhance understanding in this region, the authors compared their data with existing datasets (SOCAT and GLODAP) and provided a new set of equations for calculating fCO2,sw, Cant, and FCO2 in the Macaronesian area.

All these studies emphasize the urgency of addressing ocean acidification and its multifaceted impacts on marine ecosystems. They call for continued monitoring, research, and international cooperation to better understand and mitigate the effects of rising CO2 levels on our oceans and the life they support.

Ogrinc N., Giani M. & Faganeli J., 2023. Editorial: the changing carbonate systems in coastal, estuarine, shelf areas and marginal seas. Frontiers Marine Science 10: 1325363. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2023.1325363. Article.

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How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

it will affect their physiology and growth

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Ocean acidification can have significant impacts on marine life, including sub-lethal and carryover effects on the early life stages of certain species, such as the Eastern oyster. These effects can impact recruitment and population success, and can also affect the physiology of larval stages.

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Content: There were 1,839 press releases posted in the last 24 hours and 458,569 in the last 365 days.

Linking physiological effects of environmental stressors from cellular to whole-organismal levels in the early-life history stages of Crassostrea virginica (eastern oyster)

The Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin, 1791), is an ecologically and economically important species that resides in dynamic coastal ecosystems along the East and Gulf coasts of the United States. The success of oyster populations depends on the recruitment of their early life stages, which are especially vulnerable to environmental stress due to high developmental energy demands. As climate change continues, it is necessary to anticipate how the early life stages of the Eastern oyster will respond to environmental stressors under ecologically relevant scenarios. Therefore, the goal of this dissertation was to understand how the early life stages of C. virginica are physiologically affected by multiple global climate change stressors from a holistic perspective by incorporating local environmental data, observations across three life stages (i.e., carryover effects), responses from two important types of Eastern oysters, and physiological metrics from the cellular to whole-organism levels. To achieve this goal, chapter two observes the relative importance of three environmental tolerance mechanisms (selective mortality, carryover effects, and phenotypic plasticity) in shaping the performance of juvenile oysters in response to salinity exposures during the larval stage. Findings from this chapter indicate that typical differences in salinity among successive larval cultures in shellfish hatcheries likely do not impact performance as juveniles; rather, phenotypic plasticity likely underpins juvenile oyster performance as their physiology correlated with environmental conditions during the juvenile phase, not the larval exposures. Chapter three investigates carryover effects in more detail to explore how multiple global climate change stressors, ocean acidification and ocean warming, might affect the physiology of larval C. virginica, if those effects carry over to impact the performance of juvenile oysters and lastly, if those carryover effects change under different future environmental scenarios. Conditions of ocean acidification and ocean warming did affect the larval stage of the Eastern oyster and carry over into the juvenile stage, though these effects were nuanced and context dependent. Specifically, carryover effects from conditions of acidification were more persistent and negative, whereas warming had more fleeting carryover, and cross-tolerant, effects that were generally positive. Continuing to observe the effects of ocean acidification and ocean warming on the Eastern oyster, chapter four compares the larval responses of wild and selectively bred oysters. C. virginica larvae from wild and selectively bred oysters responded differently to conditions of acidification, but not warming. Furthermore, wild oyster larvae may be more resilient in the face of ongoing climate change. Despite exhibiting more lethal and negative effects of acidified conditions early in the larval stage, wild oyster larvae compensated for these earlier negative effects, while larvae from selectively bred oysters began showing signs of stress towards the end of the experiment. Lastly, exploring the development of carryover effects, chapter five observes how conditions of acidification during the settlement stage (i.e., settlement and metamorphosis) carried over to impact the juvenile stage. No detectable carryover effects were found, even though conditions of acidification negatively affected tissue growth at the beginning of the settlement stage. Overall, while Eastern oysters are able to withstand environmental stress to some degree, there were sub-lethal and carryover effects from multiple global climate change stressors identified in this dissertation that could have consequences for both wild and selectively bred populations in the future. The results from this dissertation will support subsequent studies to accurately predict the future success of wild oyster populations (e.g., effects to recruitment) and aquaculture production based on their physiological performances in the face of ongoing climate change.

Schatz K. A., 2023. Linking physiological effects of environmental stressors from cellular to whole-organismal levels in the early-life history stages of Crassostrea virginica (eastern oyster). PhD thesis, Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Thesis (restricted access).

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At what stage of life are calcium carbonate-based organisms most vulnerable to changes in water pH?

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

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Ocean acidification has widespread effects on marine life, including changes in fish behavior, coral bleaching, and impacts on various species such as Dungeness crab, shellfish, and crustaceans.

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Content: There were 1,911 press releases posted in the last 24 hours and 454,773 in the last 365 days.

Evaluating the evolving ocean acidification risk to Dungeness crab: time-series observations and modeling on the Olympic Coast, Washington, USA

Evaluating the evolving ocean acidification risk to Dungeness crab: time-series observations and modeling on the Olympic Coast, Washington, USA

Published 14 November 2023 Science Leave a Comment
Tags: biological response, chemistry, crustaceans, field, fisheries, North Pacific

The Olympic Coast of Washington is home to four Coastal Treaty Tribes who have relied on the region’s rich marine resources since time immemorial. The region is characterized by large dynamic ranges of physical and biogeochemical oceanographic parameters, particularly during the upwelling season (April–September). Here, we present novel estimates of ocean acidification metrics—pH and calcium carbonate saturation states (Ω)—representing pre-industrial, present-day (using 2010 as the index year), and near-future (2030) conditions. We compare these new estimates of past, present, and near-future ocean acidification status and seasonality to published end-of-century (2100) ocean acidification projections under a high CO₂ emissions scenario, and also to sensitivity information for Dungeness crab, a regionally important subsistence and commercial fishery species projected to show strong declines in fisheries yields and revenues later this century.

Alin S. R., Siedlecki S. A., Berger H., Feely R. A., Waddell J. E., Carter B. R., Newton J. A., Schumacker E. J. & Ayres D., 2023. Evaluating the evolving ocean acidification risk to dungeness crab: time-series observations and modeling on the Olympic Coast, Washington, USA. Oceanography 36(2–3): 138–147. Article.

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How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

it will affect their survival
it will alter their key behaviors

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

How does elevated water acidity affect fish ability to survive?

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

Ocean acidification affects various aspects of marine life, including fish behavior, coral bleaching, and the well-being of shellfish, crustaceans, and microorganisms, with specific examples including Dungeness crab, sea urchin larvae, and phytoplankton changes.

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

it will affect their survival
it will alter their key behaviors

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

How does elevated water acidity affect fish ability to survive?

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

Ocean acidification, caused by increasing CO2 levels in the air, is harming marine life in the Sundarbans estuary, particularly animals with shells like oysters, clams, crabs, and lobsters, by turning the water acidic.

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The Logical Indian Crew

Rise In CO2 Levels In Air Is Wounding Sundarbans' Marine Life: Scientists

This has been analysed by a team of marine scientists working in the Sunderbans, who said ocean acidification is a part of global warming and climate change. The experts found the pH level of water dropping from around 8.3 in the early 1980s to approximately 7.9 in 2019.

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A continuous increase in the carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the air is harming the marine life of the Sunderbans estuary in West Bengal by turning it acidic. Animals, especially with shells such as oysters, clams, crabs, and lobsters, are prone to danger.

This has been analysed by a team of marine scientists working in the Sunderbans, who said ocean acidification is a part of global warming and climate change, Hindustan Times reported. The experts found the pH level of water dropping from around 8.3 in the early 1980s to approximately 7.9 in 2019.

Speaking to the media, Abhijit Mitra, former head of the marine science department (Calcutta University), informed that the western part of Sunderban, close to the urban area, had observed a massive drop in its pH level, while the central part is declining slowly.

Mitra said the decline affects the population of shelled organisms and their shell size as well, which has become thinner and smaller. Fishermen said that several fish and other animals have gotten smaller, and they hardly get big ones.

Their population has also fallen by 35-40 per cent in the western area.

"The size of Saccostrea cucullata, a species of edible oyster around Kakdwip and Namkhana fishing harbour, has dropped by over 40 per cent. In the central Sunderbans, the size of the species has dropped by around 20 percent," the media quoted him as saying.

Asst. Professor of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Punyasloke Bhadury, explained that water contains calcium and carbonate ions, which the shelled animals need to develop and corals to build the reef. But the acidity reduces these components in the water, affecting the shell size and slowing down the growth of reefs.

Experts said the decline in the pH level is alarming. Just as the slightest drop in the pH level of a human body (pH 7.35 to 7.45) can make them sick, the same takes a heavy toll on marine animals.

The scientists said the decline is not just in Sunderbans but other estuaries as well.

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Ocean acidification is caused by increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which affects marine life by destabilizing the ocean's pH.

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Content: Earth to Us

Meet the Miami-Based Artist Devoted to Coral Conservation

On a crisp November afternoon, Brazilian artist and marine researcher Beatriz Chachamovits stands before a group of eager children at the Jewish Community Center in Davie, Florida. When she begins by asking, “Does anyone know what a coral is?”, 25 voices chorus back countless answers. Chachamovits smiles, and it’s clear she’s in her element.

This marine-ecology lesson and coral-sculpting workshop is part of Chachamovits’s initiative Modeling the Reef, a public education project for young children in South Florida designed to create awareness around coral-reef conservation. “I want the future stewards of the ocean to fall in love with it,” she tells Vogue.

Coral reefs are one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth. They’ve been on the planet for an estimated 500 million years. And though they only make up 1% of the ocean, they’re home to 25% of all known marine species, including turtles, octopuses, lobsters, oysters, sea stars, and thousands of variegated fish. Reefs are essential coastal barriers that provide protection from land erosion, floods, and storms. They are valuable sources of food, medicine, economic support, and cultural heritage to more than a billion people. Yet the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts that by 2050 most coral reefs around the world will be close to gone.

Growing up in landlocked São Paulo, Chachamovits didn’t have much access to the ocean during her childhood. It wasn’t until her late- teenage years, during a trip to Bahía, a coastal state in northeastern Brazil, that she first encountered corals up close. “I remember I dove into a tiny underwater cave where the light came in beautifully, making corals of all colors and sizes shimmer,” Chachamovits recalls. “There were small schools of fish and miniature shrimps gathering sea dust. Within the glittering sand, there was a magnificent spotted ray and all sorts of creatures swaying from side to side. I had never witnessed such harmony and precision. At that moment, I realized that was my purpose. I thought, Why isn’t anyone talking about this? I felt transformed.”

Now, the Miami-based artist has devoted her career to educating others about the urgent issues related to coral-reef decline by translating scientific studies into gorgeous artworks. Through breathtaking drawings, sculptures, and installations, Chachamovits illuminates many of the dangers coral reefs confront today, including coral bleaching, plastic pollution, and ocean acidification. “Art is a powerful instrument to make others feel something, to make them care. And I’m interested in creating dry dives as a way of showing a veiled ecosystem that most people don’t have access to,” she explains.

One of her most celebrated artworks, Carcass (2020), is an entirely handmade ceramic piece that features pure white endangered coral species surrounded by camouflaged toothbrushes, water bottles, and other items of trash made from the same material. Despite its undeniable beauty, the mesmerizing milky sculpture conjures feelings of sadness as it illustrates coral bleaching, a devastating phenomenon that has affected more than 75% of the world’s reefs and has been harsh enough to kill 30% of them.

“People often think corals are minerals or plants,” Chachamovits says. “They have no idea that corals are animals.” In fact, she goes on to clarify, corals are colonial organisms composed of thousands of individual animals called polyps. Tropical corals, which live in shallow waters and make up barrier reefs, have a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae algae that live on their tissues, providing food, oxygen, and extraordinary bright colors. In return, corals supply the algae with the environment they need to thrive.

Rising water temperatures due to global warming have deeply affected this relationship by causing severe stress in corals. “When corals are stressed, algae create toxins instead of food, which makes corals expel them out of their tissue. What is left is transparent tissue that reveals their calcareous bones. And that loss of color is what we know as bleaching,” Chachamovits explains. Studies have shown that stabilizing water temperatures could reverse some cases of bleaching. But without algae, corals lose their main source of food and oxygen, become susceptible to disease, and eventually die.

Bleaching is not the only threat coral reefs currently face. To Kill With Water (2017), another piece by Chachamovits, features a series of coral clay figures within water-filled acrylic tanks that, over time, melt before the viewer’s eyes. This work illustrates ocean acidification—a destabilization of the ocean’s pH caused by excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere—and demonstrates the effects of CO2 pollution on ocean creatures who, like most corals, require calcium to build their shells and skeletons.

In 2018, Chachamovits moved to Florida to be closer to the third-largest barrier reef in the world. It goes on for more than 360 miles, stretching from Dry Tortugas National Park in Key West to the St. Lucie Inlet in Martin County. This ecosystem, teeming with underwater wonders, is home to around 1,400 species, though today most of the reef is at grave risk due to overfishing, climate change, rapid development, and disease. Chachamovits is currently working on a permanent piece for the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science that will illustrate the changes between a healthy and a struggling reef and highlight endangered species of Florida’s ecosystem, including many the Frost’s Coral Lab is currently working to protect. The artwork is set to be revealed in early 2022.

Chachamovits is intent on effectively using art as an instrument for change. “I always worry if what I’m doing is enough,” she says. The increased threats to coral often fill her with worry and hopelessness. Yet she believes these feelings propel her to create more and better work that has a tangible effect on marine conservation. Beyond stoking awareness and action from her viewers, Chachamovits’s artificial reef sculptures have played a part in rebuilding damaged reefs.

Since 2019, when she created her first artificial reef, To Replenish With Water, for the Underwater Museum of Art in Florida, she has been enamored with these human-made structures meant to be placed under the ocean to mirror actual coral reef environments. “Artificial reefs perform a crucial role in deflating tourism on natural reefs. They provide new structures for corals to attach to and grow, they generate nursing spaces and new homes for reef animals, and help control sea levels in coral depleted areas,” she explains. Though they are highly expensive to make and entail numerous permits to be deployed underwater, Chachamovits’s goal is to share the power of these installations with new generations. She is currently fundraising for the final phase of her Modeling the Reef initiative to result in a large-scale reef model, using pieces created by her students. The installation will ultimately sit at the bottom of the ocean and serve as an artificial base for real coral growth.

Despite the devastating reality corals face today, Chachamovits’s work with young students is one thing that helps her believe in a better future. “Teaching is one of my gifts,” she says. “By teaching, we can inspire younger generations to understand the problems they’re living in today. We are in uncharted territories, so as an environmental artist and a concerned human for our planet, teaching is one of the things I can do to give us a chance.”

What is the main cause of ocean acidification?

water absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Ocean acidification is caused by the increase in global atmospheric CO2 concentrations, primarily due to anthropogenic activities, which influences the seawater carbonate system and impacts the marine ecosystem.

What is the main cause of ocean acidification?

water absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Ocean acidification is caused by increased carbon dioxide, primarily due to anthropogenic emissions, which alters carbonate chemistry in marine ecosystems.

What is the main cause of ocean acidification?

water absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Ocean acidification is caused by increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is absorbed by the ocean, leading to a decrease in the aragonite saturation state, a measure of ocean acidification.

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

What is the main cause of ocean acidification?

water absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Ocean acidification is caused by increased carbon dioxide, primarily due to anthropogenic emissions, which is supported by coral records, in-situ measurements, and model predictions.

What is the main cause of ocean acidification?

water absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Ocean acidification impacts marine ecosystems, including creatures that require calcium to build their shells and skeletons, such as corals.

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

What do shellfish use to build their shells?

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

Ocean acidification impacts marine ecosystems, including the seawater carbonate system, and has far-reaching consequences for marine life.

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

it will affect their physiology and growth

How does elevated water acidity affect fish ability to survive?

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

"Ocean acidification can have significant implications for marine ecosystems and calcifying organisms, including those that rely on calcium carbonate for their shells and skeletons."

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

What do shellfish use to build their shells?

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

Which marine organism is vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification?

Which ocean creatures have trouble forming shells due to ocean acidification?

Ocean acidification, caused by human activities, has a significant impact on marine ecosystems and life, including coral reefs, as evidenced by a study in the Western Pacific that showed a decrease in pH levels.

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

Ocean acidification impacts various aspects of marine life, including autotrophs, mollusks, corals, microbes, small mollusks, and sponges, with some groups being more studied than others.

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

Increased ocean heat can cause wide-scale coral bleaching, death of marine life, and elevation of sea level.

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

Increased ocean heat can lead to wide-scale coral bleaching, death of marine life, and elevation of sea level, all of which are related to the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems.

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

Increased ocean heat can lead to coral bleaching, habitat destruction, and potentially affect a wide range of marine life, including cephalopods and marine mammals.

Title:

Content: Rapid warming of Indian ocean could lead to catastrophic outcomes: Study

The heat content of the Indian Ocean, from the surface to a depth of 2,000 meters, is currently increasing at the rate of 4.5 zetta-joules per decade.

Press Trust of India New Delhi
4 min read Last Updated : Apr 28 2024 | 1:54 PM IST

The Indian Ocean is expected to experience surface warming of 1.4 degrees Celsius to 3 degrees Celsius between 2020 and 2100, which will push it into a near-permanent heatwave state, intensify cyclones, affect the monsoon, and lead to a rise in sea levels, according to a new study.

The study, led by Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), showed that marine heatwaves (periods of abnormally high ocean temperatures) are projected to increase from 20 days per year (during 1970-2000) to 220-250 days per year, pushing the tropical Indian Ocean into a basin-wide near-permanent heatwave state by the end of the 21st century.

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Marine heatwaves cause habitat destruction due to coral bleaching, seagrass destruction, and loss of kelp forests, affecting the fisheries sector adversely. They also lead to the rapid intensification of cyclones.

The rapid warming in the Indian Ocean is not limited to the surface. The heat content of the Indian Ocean, from the surface to a depth of 2,000 meters, is currently increasing at the rate of 4.5 zetta-joules per decade and is predicted to increase at a rate of 16-22 zetta-joules per decade in the future, the study titled "Future projection for the tropical Indian Ocean" said.

"The future increase in heat content is comparable to adding the energy equivalent of one Hiroshima atomic bomb detonation every second, all day, every day, for a decade," Koll said.

The maximum warming will occur in the northwestern Indian Ocean, including the Arabian Sea, while there will be reduced warming off the Sumatra and Java coasts.

Amid the accelerated ocean warming, the seasonal cycle of surface temperatures is projected to shift, which could increase extreme weather events over the Indo-Pacific region.

While the maximum basin-average temperatures in the Indian Ocean ranged from 26 degrees Celsius to 28 degrees Celsius throughout the year during 1980-?2020, the minimum temperatures by the end of the 21st century will be between 28.5 degrees Celsius and 30.7 degrees Celsius year-round, under a high emission scenario.

Sea surface temperatures above 28 degrees Celsius are generally conducive to deep convection and cyclogenesis. Heavy rainfall events and extremely severe cyclones have already increased since the 1950s and are projected to increase further with increasing ocean temperatures, the authors said.

The increased ocean heat could also lead to a rise in sea level. Thermal expansion of water contributes to more than half of the sea level rise in the Indian Ocean, which is larger than the contribution from glacier and sea-ice melting.

The Indian Ocean Dipole, a phenomenon that affects the monsoon and cyclone formation, is also predicted to change. The frequency of extreme dipole events is predicted to increase by 66 per cent whereas the frequency of moderate events is to decrease by 52 per cent by the end of the 21st century.

The authors of the study predicted that ocean acidification will intensify, with surface pH decreasing from a pH above 8.1 to below 7.7 by the end of the century. Surface chlorophyll and net primary productivity are also predicted to decline, with the strongest decrease of about 8-10 per cent in the western Arabian Sea.

"The projected changes in pH may be detrimental to the marine ecosystem since many marine organisms, ?particularly corals and organisms that depend on calcification to build and maintain their shells, ?are sensitive to the change in ocean acidity. The change may be easier to fathom when we realise that a 0.1 fall in human blood pH can result in rather profound health consequences and multiple-organ failure," Koll said.

Bordered by 40 countries, and home to a third of the global population, changes to climate in the Indian Ocean region have major societal and economic impacts.

Currently, the Indian Ocean and its surrounding countries stand out globally as the region with the highest risk of natural hazards, with coastal communities vulnerable to weather and climate extremes.

Topics :Global WarmingIndian Oceanweatherheat

First Published: Apr 28 2024 | 1:54 PM IST

Next Story

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

Increased ocean heat can lead to a rise in sea level, changes in ocean currents, and ocean acidification, which can have devastating effects on marine life, including coral bleaching and decline of primary productivity.

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

ocean acidification
sea surface temperature

Increased ocean heat can lead to wide-scale coral bleaching, death of marine life, and elevation of sea level, as seen in the recent mass coral bleaching event in the Great Barrier Reef.

Title:

Content: EXPLAINER Environment

Explained| The Great Barrier Reef’s recovery and vulnerability to climate threats

The Great Barrier Reef as on March 7. | Photo Credit: AFP

The story so far: The highest levels of coral cover, within the past 36 years, has been recorded in the northern and central parts of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR), according to the annual long-term monitoring report by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). The researchers behind the report have warned, however, that this could be quickly reversed owing to rising global temperatures. This came after the reef experienced a mass coral bleaching event in March this year.

What are coral reefs?

Corals are marine invertebrates or animals which do not possess a spine. They are the largest living structures on the planet. Each coral is called a polyp and thousands of such polyps live together to form a colony, which grow when polyps multiply to make copies of themselves.

Corals are of two types — hard corals and soft corals. Hard corals extract calcium carbonate from seawater to build hard, white coral exoskeletons. Hard corals are in a way the engineers of reef ecosystems and measuring the extent of hard coral is a widely-accepted metric for measuring the condition of coral reefs. Soft corals attach themselves to such skeletons and older skeletons built by their ancestors. Soft corals also add their own skeletons to the hard structure over the years. These growing multiplying structures gradually form coral reefs.

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest reef system stretching across 2,300 km and having nearly 3,000 individual reefs. It hosts 400 different types of coral, gives shelter to 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 types of mollusc. Coral reefs support over 25% of marine biodiversity even as they take up only 1% of the seafloor. The marine life supported by reefs further fuels global fishing industries. Besides, coral reef systems generate $2.7 trillion in annual economic value through goods and service trade and tourism. In Australia, the Barrier Reef, in pre-COVID times, generated $4.6 billion annually through tourism and employed over 60,000 people including divers and guides.

What does the new report say?

The annual long-term monitoring by AIMS began 36 years ago, and reefs are surveyed through in-water and aerial techniques. The current report surveyed 87 reefs in the GBR between August 2021 and May 2022. The report states that reef systems are resilient and capable of recovering after disturbances such as accumulated heat stress, cyclones, predatory attacks and so on, provided the frequency of such disturbances is low.

The new survey shows record levels of region-wide coral cover in the northern and central GBR since the first ever AIMS survey was done. Coral cover is measured by determining the increase in the cover of hard corals. The hard coral cover in northern GBR had reached 36% while that in the central region had reached 33%. Meanwhile, coral cover levels declined in the southern region from 38% in 2021 to 34% in 2022.

The record levels of recovery, the report showed, were fuelled largely by increases in the fast-growing Acropora corals, which are a dominant type in the GBR. Incidentally, these fast growing corals are also the most susceptible to environmental pressures such as rising temperatures, cyclones, pollution, crown-of-thorn starfish (COTs) attacks which prey on hard corals and so on. Also, behind the recent recovery in parts of the reef, are the low levels of acute stressors in the past 12 months — no tropical cyclones, lesser heat stress in 2020 and 2022 as opposed to 2016 and 2017, and a decrease in COTs outbreaks.

Does this mean the reef is out of the woods?

Besides predatory attacks and tropical cyclones, scientists say that the biggest threat to the health of the reef is climate change-induced heat stress, resulting in coral bleaching.

Corals share a symbiotic relationship with single-celled algae called zooxanthellae. The algae prepares food for corals through photosynthesis and also gives them their vibrant colouration. When exposed to conditions like heat stress, pollution, or high levels of ocean acidity, the zooxanthellae start producing reactive oxygen species not beneficial to the corals. So, the corals kick out the colour-giving algae from their polyps, exposing their pale white exoskeleton and leading to coral starvation as corals cannot produce their own food. Bleached corals can survive depending on the levels of bleaching and the recovery of sea temperatures to normal levels. Severe bleaching and prolonged stress in the external environment can lead to coral death.

Over the last couple of decades, climate change-induced rise in temperature has made seas warmer than usual. Under all positive outlooks and projections in terms of cutting greenhouse gases, sea temperatures are predicted to increase by 1.5°C to 2°C by the time the century nears its end. According to the UN assessment in 2021, the world is going to experience heating at 1.5°C in the next decade, the temperature at which bleaching becomes more frequent and recovery less impactful.

The concern is that in the past decade, mass bleaching events have become more closely spaced in time. The first mass bleaching event occurred in 1998 when the El Niño weather pattern caused sea surfaces to heat, causing 8% of the world’s coral to die. The second event took place in 2002. But the longest and most damaging bleaching event took place from 2014 to 2017. Mass bleaching then occurred again in 2020, followed by earlier this year. According to the Australian government’s scientists, 91% of the reefs it had surveyed in March were affected by bleaching.

Notably, half of the total reefs were surveyed before the peak of this year’s mass coral bleaching event in the GBR. Since surveys to determine the effects of bleaching need to occur during or after the summer heatwave, the authors of the report say that the full impact of this year’s mass bleaching would only be known in next year's report. The aerial surveys by AIMS included 47 reefs and coral bleaching was recorded on 45 of these reefs. While the levels were not high enough to cause coral death it did leave sub-lethal effects such as reduced growth and reproduction.

The AIMS report says that the prognosis for the future disturbance suggests an increase in marine heatwaves that will last longer and the ongoing risk of COTs outbreaks and cyclones. “Therefore, while the observed recovery offers good news for the overall state of the GBR, there is an increasing concern for its ability to maintain this state,” the report says.

THE GIST
The highest levels of coral cover, within the past 36 years, has been recorded in the northern and central parts of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, according to the annual long-term monitoring report by the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
Australia’s GBR is the world’s largest reef system stretching across 2,300 km and having nearly 3,000 individual reefs.
The new survey shows record levels of region-wide coral cover in the northern and central GBR since the first ever AIMS survey was done. The record levels of recovery were fuelled by increases in the fast-growing Acropora corals. However, scientists warned that these fast growing corals are also the most susceptible to environmental pressures such as rising temperatures, cyclones, pollution etc.

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Printable version | Aug 7, 2022 10:51:35 pm | https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/explained-the-great-barrier-reefs-recovery-and-vulnerability-to-climate-threats/article65741674.ece

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

"Biological removal of CO2 through primary production can help offset the negative impact of ocean acidification, and international cooperation is necessary to address this global issue."

Ocean acidification can be addressed through biological removal of CO2 and international cooperation, which involves reducing CO2 emissions and promoting coordinated research efforts and policies to mitigate its impact on marine life.

Ocean acidification has severe impacts on marine ecosystems, and addressing it requires international cooperation and biological removal of CO2.

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

Ocean acidification kills marine life and affects biodiversity by disrupting the ocean's pH balance and impacting creatures that rely on calcium for their shells and skeletons.

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

How does elevated water acidity affect fish ability to survive?

What do shellfish use to build their shells?

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

"Ocean pollution, including ocean acidification, has a negative impact on marine ecosystems, leading to the killing of marine life and affecting biodiversity."

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

it will affect their physiology and growth

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

How does elevated water acidity affect fish ability to survive?

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

Ocean pollution can have a significant impact on marine ecosystems, including killing marine life and affecting biodiversity, which can lead to unfavorable conditions for organisms that rely on calcium carbonate for their shells and skeletons.

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

What do shellfish use to build their shells?

Ocean acidification can have detrimental effects on marine ecosystems, including killing marine life and affecting biodiversity, which can impact a wide range of species, including potentially cephalopods and octopuses.

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

Which marine organism is vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification?

Ocean pollution, including ocean acidification, can harm marine life and affect biodiversity, leading to a decline in global fishery resources and damaging marine ecosystems.

Title:

Content: Sun. Nov 20th, 2022

This is a small proportion in view of conservatively projected $step one

Because the within , more than twenty four mil km2, or 17 %, off seas around national legislation (to two hundred nautical kilometers of shore) have been included in safe areas, over doubling in the the quantity since 2010

On average, one.dos percent regarding federal search finances are spent on water research between 2013 and you can 2017, having amounts anywhere between 0.02 per cent so you’re able to nine.5 %. 5 trillion contribution of the ocean towards the all over the world economy inside 2010.

Of a lot Says enjoys ratified or acceded into United nations Meeting on feeld review Rules of your Ocean (168 events) as well as using plans (150 people toward Agreement regarding the utilization of Area XI of your Us Seminar on the Rules of one’s Water and 91 functions towards United nations Fish Stocks Arrangement). Numerous Claims features followed these products thanks to court, policy and you may institutional buildings, but further advances becomes necessary in a number of developing places, particularly the least set up regions.

Waters and you can fisheries went on to help with the global population’s monetary, public and you can environment means whenever you are distress unsustainable exhaustion, environment destruction and you may carbon dioxide saturation and you may acidification. Current jobs to guard trick marine surroundings and you can quick-measure fishers and you may buy sea technology commonly yet , fulfilling the new immediate need to include that it huge, sensitive capital.

The ocean assimilates up to 23 % of your own yearly pollutants from anthropogenic carbon dioxide toward surroundings, helping to alleviate the impacts regarding weather change on the planet, although not, ultimately causing a bringing down pH and you can acidification of one’s water. A separate water acidification analysis portal suggests an increase in variability into the pH plus the acidity of one’s waters of the 10 to 31 per cent in the period 2015–2019.

The brand new sustainability off globally fishery info continues to decline, regardless if at the a diminished rates, with the ratio regarding fish stocks within biologically alternative account from the 65.8 % when you look at the 2017, down out of 90 per cent when you look at the 1974 and you may 0.8 fee area less than 2015 profile.

The new expansion away from protected elements having marine biodiversity and you can established rules and you may treaties that prompt in control entry to ocean resources are still insufficient to fight new undesireable effects regarding overfishing, increasing ocean acidification due to weather changes and you may worsening seaside eutrophication

Because the within , how many parties to the Arrangement towards Port State Procedures to get rid of, Deter and you can Eliminate Unlawful, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing – the original joining in the world agreement you to particularly needs illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing – risen to 66 (like the Eu) away from 58 in the earlier year, and you will nearly 70 % out of nations stated rating at the top of the fresh implementation thereof.

The share of alternative marine grab fisheries remained steady at around the globe height, with regional adaptation, representing the biggest contribution with the GDP within the Pacific brief isle development States and you will the very least build countries, averaging 1.55 and 1.15 percent, correspondingly, in 2011 to help you 2017.

Once the vast amounts of somebody count on oceans due to their livelihood and you may dinner source as well as on the fresh new transboundary characteristics regarding waters, improved jobs and you can interventions are needed to cut and you can sustainably have fun with water information at all profile.

  • Water acidification is caused by new consumption off atmospheric Carbon-dioxide of the the sea, and this change this new chemical substances constitution of one’s seawater. Long-label observations from ocean acidification for the past thirty years has found the typical increase from acidity regarding 26 per cent given that pre-commercial times, and also at which rates, a rise off a hundred to help you 150 % try predicted from the the termination of the newest century, having really serious effects to possess marine life.
https://atlanticfinancialmanagement.co.uk/

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How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

How does elevated water acidity affect fish ability to survive?

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

The study on ocean acidification was published in Scientific Reports, a reputable scientific journal.

Title:

Content: There were 1,516 press releases posted in the last 24 hours and 395,342 in the last 365 days.

Effects of water flow and ocean acidification on oxygen and pH gradients in coral boundary layer

Effects of water flow and ocean acidification on oxygen and pH gradients in coral boundary layer

Published 10 June 2024 Science Leave a Comment
Tags: biological response, chemistry, corals, morphology

Reef-building corals live in highly hydrodynamic environments, where water flow largely controls the complex chemical microenvironments surrounding them—the concentration boundary layer (CBL). The CBL may be key to alleviate ocean acidification (OA) effects on coral colonies by partially isolating them. However, OA effects on coral CBL remain poorly understood, particularly under different flow velocities. Here, we investigated these effects on the reef-building corals Acropora cythereaPocillopora verrucosa, and Porites cylindrica. We preconditioned corals to a control (pH 8.0) and OA (pH 7.8) treatment for four months and tested how low flow (2 cm s−1) and moderate flow (6 cm s−1) affected O2 and H+ CBL traits (thickness, surface concentrations, and flux) inside a unidirectional-flow chamber. We found that CBL traits differed between species and flow velocities. Under OA, traits remained generally stable across flows, except surface pH. In all species, the H+ CBL was thin and led to lower surface pH. Still, low flow thickened H+ CBLs and increased light elevation of surface pH. In general, our findings reveal a weak to null OA modulation of the CBL. Moreover, the OA-buffering capacity by the H+ CBL may be limited in coral species, though low flow could enhance CBL sheltering.

Martins C. P. P., Ziegler M., Schubert P., Wilke T. & Wall M., 2024. Effects of water flow and ocean acidification on oxygen and pH gradients in coral boundary layer. Scientific Reports 14: 12757. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-63210-9. Article.

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The study on ocean acidification was published in reputable scientific journals, including Scientific Reports and the Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, with a specific article focusing on the impact of submarine groundwater discharge on seawater acidification.

Title:

Content: There were 1,336 press releases posted in the last 24 hours and 397,330 in the last 365 days.

The influence of fresh submarine groundwater discharge on seawater acidification along the Northern Mediterranean Coast of Israel

The influence of fresh submarine groundwater discharge on seawater acidification along the Northern Mediterranean Coast of Israel

Published 19 June 2024 Science Leave a Comment
Tags: chemistry

In the oligotrophic Southeastern Mediterranean Sea (SEMS), it has been shown that dissolved inorganic nutrient (DIN) from fresh submarine groundwater discharge (FSGD) enhance primary production in coastal waters. In this study pH, Total Alkalinity (TA) and DIN of seawater and fresh water in a sea-cave in the northern part of the Israeli Mediterranean coast and a nearby contact spring, respectively, were measured during October 2018–March 2020. The results show gradients of measured salinity, TApH and DIN along the cave axis year-round, suggesting that they are influenced by FSGD. The seawater near the back of the cave was supersaturated with respect to atmospheric CO2 nearly year-round and there is a strong positive divergence from its regional open-water thermal dependence, which suggests that FSGD is also a source of atmospheric CO2 in this region. Comparison of TA, salinity and pCO2 from the back of the sea cave to their corresponding values from an abrasion platform monitoring site, ca. 3 km south of the cave, suggests that FSGD is occurring along the entire shoreline in this region. Thus, despite the increased productivity due to FSGD mediated nutrient enrichment of adjacent coastal waters of the oligotrophic SEMS, they are still a source of atmospheric CO2 nearly year-round. Finally, the apparent trends of seawater acidification (ΔpH/Δt = −0.006 yrs−1) and pCO2 increase (+8 ppmV yr−1) observed at the nearby monitoring site since 2013 are explained by increased groundwater recharge and resulting FSGD total alkalinity compared to dissolved inorganic carbon inputs (ΔTA/ΔDIC = 1:1.2).

Key Points

  • Fresh submarine groundwater discharge (FSGD) is apparent in seawater properties of the Rosh-Hanikra Mediterranean Sea sea-cave year-round
  • FSGD into coastal waters in the Rosh-Hanikra region causes them to be a source of atmospheric CO2 year-round
  • FSGD augments seawater acidification along the northern Mediterranean coast of Israel despite nutrient enrichment and increased productivity

Plain Language Summary

Submarine groundwater discharge is an important source of dissolved inorganic nutrients that support organic matter production in the Mediterranean Sea. Furthermore, the contribution of fresh groundwater discharge to the alkalinity budget of the Mediterranean Sea compared to riverine inputs is also significant. Approximately half of the groundwater discharged into the Mediterranean originates from karst lithologies. In this study we followed the annual variations in seawater chemical properties in the Rosh-Hanikra sea-cave, located along the northern Mediterranean coast of Israel. The results suggest that fresh groundwater discharge supports the observed gradients of measured seawater chemistry along the cave axis year-round with a stronger influence during the wintertime compared to summertime and that it helps maintain coastal waters as a source of atmospheric CO2 year-round. Furthermore, the data suggest that submarine groundwater discharge, which is enriched in dissolved inorganic carbon increases the rate of ocean acidification associated with increasing atmospheric CO2 in the coastal waters of this region.

Silverman J., Strauch-Gozali S. & Asfur M., 2024. The influence of fresh submarine groundwater discharge on seawater acidification along the Northern Mediterranean Coast of Israel. JGR Oceans JGR Oceans 129(6): e2024JC021010. doi: 10.1029/2024JC021010. Article.

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Ocean acidification affects the early life stages of marine life, including oysters.

At what stage of life are calcium carbonate-based organisms most vulnerable to changes in water pH?

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

Ocean acidification affects the early life stages of marine species, such as the Eastern oyster, and can have carryover effects into later stages of development.

At what stage of life are calcium carbonate-based organisms most vulnerable to changes in water pH?

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

it will affect their physiology and growth

Ocean acidification has a significant impact on the early life stages of marine life, including cephalopods and other species.

At what stage of life are calcium carbonate-based organisms most vulnerable to changes in water pH?

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

it will affect their physiology and growth

Which marine organism is vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification?

Ocean acidification affects early life stages of marine life, but seagrass meadows can provide a refuge for these stages by increasing pH levels and improving seawater chemistry.

Title:

Content: There were 1,566 press releases posted in the last 24 hours and 464,440 in the last 365 days.

Seagrass meadows as ocean acidification refugia for sea urchin larvae

Higlights

  • Sea urchin larvae were grown at ambient or low pH in tanks with or without plants.
  • Plant photosynthesis increased pH and altered seawater chemistry at both pH levels.
  • Positive effects of plant metabolism on larval development and growth at low pH
  • Seagrass meadows as a tool against climate-driven loss of calcifying species

Abstract

Foundation species have been widely documented to provide suitable habitats for other species by ameliorating stressful environmental conditions. Nonetheless, their role in rescuing stress-sensitive species from adverse conditions due to climate change remains often unexplored. Here, we performed a mesocosm experiment to assess whether the seagrassPosidonia oceanica, through its photosynthetic activity, could mitigate the negative effects of ocean acidification on larval development and growth of the calcifying sea urchinParacentrotus lividus. Sea urchin larvae at early and late developmental stages that are generally associated to benthic habitats, were grown in aquaria with or without P. oceanica plants, under ambient or low pH conditions predicted by the end of the century under the worst climate scenario (RCP8.5). The percentage of abnormal larvae and their total body length under different experimental conditions were assessed on early- (i.e., pluteus; 72 h post-fertilization) and final-developmental stages (i.e., echinopluteus; 30 days post-fertilization), respectively. The presence of P. oceanica increased mean daily pH values of ∼0.1 and ∼0.15 units at ambient and low pH conditions, respectively, compared with tanks without plants. When grown at low pH in association with P. oceanica, plutei showed a ∼23 % reduction of malformations and echinoplutei a ∼34 % increase in total body length, respectively, compared with larvae developing in tanks without plants. Our results suggest that P. oceanica, by increasing pH and altering seawater carbonate chemistry through its metabolic activity, could buffer the negative effects of ocean acidification on calcifying organisms and could, thus, represent a tool against climate-driven loss of biodiversity.

Ravaglioli C., De Marchi L., Giannessi J., Pretti C. & Bulleri F., 2024. Seagrass meadows as ocean acidification refugia for sea urchin larvae. Science of the Total Environment 906: 167465. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167465. Article.

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At what stage of life are calcium carbonate-based organisms most vulnerable to changes in water pH?

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

Ocean acidification affects early life stages of marine life, particularly calcifying organisms like sea urchins, but the presence of foundation species like seagrass can help mitigate these effects.

At what stage of life are calcium carbonate-based organisms most vulnerable to changes in water pH?

Climate change affects marine life by decreasing ocean oxygen levels.

Title:

Content: Climate change and pollution lead to a decrease in ocean oxygen levels, posing a major threat to marine life and ecosystems.
However, researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) say that accurately predicting the fate of marine life requires taking into account changes in oxygen levels in marine ecosystem models over time and space.
Current models cannot capture oxygen dynamics in oxygen-rich coastal ecosystems, such as seagrass meadows, mangroves, and coral reefs.
These ecosystems have different dynamics compared to less productive marine areas (sometimes referred to as “blue deserts ”).
In a study led by marine scientist Marco Fusi, observations of mangrove crabs revealed their ability to survive in oxygen-oversaturated waters, thanks to increased oxygen production at warm temperatures.
The researchers also found fluctuations in oxygen levels in the Venetian lagoon and the Red Sea reefs, challenging previous hypotheses about anoxic “dead zones. ”
The study highlights the need to develop complex mathematical models that take into account changes in oxygen levels in marine ecosystem management.
Linear models based on dissolved oxygen averages are not sufficient to capture the true dynamics of coastal ecosystems.
The results of the study show that marine species in productive ecosystems have high adaptability and resilience, in stark contrast to previous predictions of severe biodiversity loss.
By incorporating fluctuations into their models, scientists can better understand the ability of marine species to adapt and develop effective conservation strategies.
The study was published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
Source: Folco Giomi et al., Oxygen dynamics in marine productive ecosystems at ecologically relevant scales, Nature Geoscience (2023)

Climate change affects marine life by altering oxygen levels, which is a crucial factor to consider in marine ecosystem management.

Deoxygenation, which affects oxygen levels, is a climate change driver that has harmful effects on marine life.

Title:

Content: A recent study by scientists at Incheon National University has revealed the effects of climate change on marine microbes and subsequent changes in greenhouse gases in the ocean.
The results of this study contribute to a better understanding of the severity of climate change and the importance of marine resources.
Climate change drivers such as ocean warming, acidification, deoxygenation and nitrogen deposition have harmful effects on vulnerable microbial populations in the oceans.
These changes disrupt the marine microbial community, which plays a vital role in the production of greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4).
The research team, led by Professor Il-Nam Kim, studied the simultaneous effects of climate change factors on marine microbes in the western North Pacific.
By assessing prokaryotic population changes and metabolic changes, scientists have gained insight into how climate change affects marine ecosystems.
The study highlights the close link between prokaryotes and drivers of climate change in different layers of the ocean.
The findings suggest that long-term exposure to identified climate change factors may lead to increased N2O production, altered pH, and ultimately increased CH4 emissions.
These results challenge previous assumptions about the potential of prokaryotic and biogeochemical processes associated with climate change, underscoring the need to reassess the impact of climate change on open ocean ecosystems.
Understanding the complex relationship between climate change and marine microbes is critical to developing effective strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems.
By implementing policies aimed at reducing ocean acidification and warming, microbial communities and the greenhouse gas cycle in the oceans can be stabilized.
This groundbreaking research has the potential to influence future research into marine ecosystems.
It highlights the importance of considering the role of microbes in understanding the impacts of climate change and highlights the urgent need to prioritize the conservation of marine resources.
Read more in Online Stories: Climate Change and Microbes: A New Study Reveals Changes in Greenhouse Gases in the Ocean

Climate change affects marine life by altering oxygen levels in the water, as warmer water holds less oxygen, which can lead to large-scale fish kills.

Title:

Content: How Hot Is the Sea Off Florida Right Now? Think 90s Fahrenheit.

·4 min read

Florida’s coral reefs are facing what could be an unprecedented threat from a marine heat wave that is warming the Gulf of Mexico, pushing water temperatures into the 90s.

The biggest concern for coral isn’t just the current sea surface temperatures in the Florida Keys, even though they are the hottest on record. The daily average surface temperature off the Keys on Monday was just over 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.4 Celsius), according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The real worry, scientists say, is that it’s only July. Corals typically experience the most heat stress in August and September.

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“We’re entering uncharted territories,” said Derek Manzello, an ecologist and the coordinator of NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch program.

Coral reefs are natural wonders that support myriad species and blunt damage from storms. In the United States, reefs generate economic benefits to the tune of $3.4 billion annually for fisheries, tourism and coastal protection, according to NOAA.

But oceans have absorbed some 90% of the additional heat caused by humans as we burn fossil fuels and destroy forests. When sea temperatures rise too high, corals bleach, expelling the algae they need for sustenance. If waters don’t cool quickly enough, or if bleaching events happen in close succession, the corals die. For decades, scientists have been warning that climate change is an existential threat to coral reefs. Already, the world has lost a huge proportion of its coral reefs, perhaps half since 1950.

“To be blunt, it can be very depressing,” Manzello said. “Unfortunately, I’m a scientist watching it happen.”

Marine heat isn’t just affecting the Gulf of Mexico. Globally, about 40% of the planet is experiencing a marine heat wave, according to Dillon Amaya, a physical scientist at NOAA who studies them.

“Florida is one patch in a terrible quilt right now,” Amaya said.

In part, that’s because the planet is entering a natural climate phenomenon known as El Niño, which typically brings warmer oceans. But now, El Niño is coming on top of long-term warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions.

While coral is especially vulnerable, heat waves harm untold species, and the effects are different around the world, as species are adapted to different temperature ranges.

In general, fish need more oxygen when the water is warmer. That’s a problem, because warmer water holds less oxygen.

“Large-scale fish kills are becoming more frequent as our climate changes,” said Martin Grosell, a professor of ichthyology at the University of Miami.

Coral reefs are particularly important because so many species rely on them. About 25% of all marine life, including more than 4,000 kinds of fish, depend on reefs at some point in their lives, according to NOAA.

While there aren’t yet reports of bleaching in Florida, it has already begun on reefs to the south, Manzello said, off Belize, Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Colombia.

Florida’s coral reef system stretches about 350 miles, from the St. Lucie inlet on the mainland south and west past the end of the Keys, and is frequented by sea turtles, manta rays, flounder and lobster.

What happens in Florida will depend on conditions over the next few weeks. Storms, which churn up deeper, cooler water and reduce sunshine, could provide relief, scientists say. El Niño periods are typically associated with below-average Atlantic hurricane seasons, but that might not hold true this year.

Researchers who care about coral are deeply troubled.

“I do lose sleep over it,” said Andrew Baker, a professor of marine biology at the University of Miami, where he directs the Coral Reef Futures Lab. “But I don’t want to write the eulogy just yet.”

Scientists like Baker are racing to come up with ways to help coral become more resilient to higher temperatures, for example by crossing Florida’s corals with varieties that seem to withstand more heat. But ultimately, the survival of corals and countless other species relies on the ability of humans to rein in climate change.

“You have to go to the root causes,” said Lizzie McLeod, the global oceans director at The Nature Conservancy. “We have to be reducing emissions, we have to move to clean energy, we have to reduce subsidies to the fossil fuel industry.”

In Key West, beachgoers expressed surprise at the warmth of the ocean, comparing it to bath water. Lynsi Wavra, a captain and ecotour guide, said her mother had lived there for 20 years and had witnessed the coral declining.

“She’d come home crying,” Wavra said.

c.2023 The New York Times Company

Climate change affects marine life by causing a decrease in oxygen levels, which could lead to mass extinctions of marine species.

Title:

Content: Scientists warn of what could lead to a “mass extinction ” of marine life that“ rivals ” the severity of the Great Death!
The Libyan Observatory Newspaper
A new study has revealed that greenhouse gas emissions could lead to mass extinctions of marine life to levels not seen since before the dinosaurs.
Researchers in New Jersey modeled the future extinction risk of marine life in all of the world's oceans under different projected climate scenarios.
If emissions are not curbed, the loss of marine species due to global warming and oxygen depletion could reverse the “Great Death, ” the most serious extinction event on Earth, by about 2100, they say.
The Great Death, known as the deadliest extinction on Earth, saw the loss of 95% of all marine species when it occurred about 250 million years ago.
It can also match other major extinction events in Earth's history, including the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous that killed the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.
According to the researchers, tropical waters will face the greatest loss of biodiversity, while polar species are more at risk of extinction.
On a more positive note, experts say reversing greenhouse gas emissions could reduce the risk of extinction by more than 70 percent.
Lead author Justin Penn, at Princeton University ’ s Department of Earth Sciences, said: “The bright side is that the future is not written in stone.
The scale of the extinction we have discovered depends heavily on the amount of carbon dioxide [CO2] we release going forward.
“There is still enough time to reverse the trajectory of CO2 emissions and prevent the magnitude of warming that could cause this mass extinction. ”
The Great Death marks a period when life on Earth has never been so close to extinction without recovery, either before or after.
When carbon dioxide dissolves in the oceans, it becomes extremely acidic and the level of oxygen in the water drops, killing marine life.
Scientists have long debated theories of the cause of extinction ranging from meteorite impact to volcanoes, which could have caused climatic and environmental changes that make the Earth uninhabitable.
But in the event of the next mass extinction, history will directly blame anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.
For the study, Ben and co-author Curtis Deutsch, also based at Princeton, combined existing data on marine species with climate change models to predict how changes in habitat conditions will affect their survival.
The experts compared their model to the size of the “Big Five, ” five historical mass extinctions recorded in the fossil record, among them the“ Great Death. ”
The researchers say that with global temperatures rising “as usual, ” marine life is likely to be subjected to a mass extinction that could potentially rival the size and severity of the Great Death.
Since the Great Death is the deadliest extinction event on Earth, the next marine extinction is likely to surpass the other four species.
Among the events, they found a common pattern – as the ocean warms and oxygen availability decreases, there is a clear decline in the abundance of marine life.
Water temperature and oxygen availability are key factors that will change as the climate warms due to human activity.
Warm water is not only a risk factor for species adapted to cold climates; it also contains less oxygen than cold water, slowing ocean circulation further and reducing the supply of oxygen at depth.
Paradoxically, the metabolic rates of the species increase as the water warms, and therefore the demand for oxygen rises as the supply decreases.
“Once the oxygen supply is less than what a species needs, we expect to see significant species losses, ” he said.
Experts say marine animals have physiological mechanisms that allow them to adapt to environmental changes, but only to a certain extent.
The researchers found that polar species are more likely to become extinct globally if climate warming occurs because they will not have suitable habitats to move to.
Tropical marine species are likely to be better off because they have traits that allow them to cope with warm, low-oxygen waters in the tropics.
To determine the relative importance of climate in the occurrence of extinctions, the team also compared future extinction risks from climate warming with data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on current threats to various marine animals.
They found that climate change currently affects 45% of marine species at risk of extinction, but is only the fifth most important stressor after overfishing, transport, urban development and pollution.
However, Ben said climate change could soon overcome all these stressors in importance.
"Extreme warming will lead to climate-induced extinctions, which, towards the end of the century, will compete with all current human pressures combined," he said.
The study, “Avoiding mass extinction of oceans due to climate warming, ” was published in the journal Science.
Source: Daily Mail

Ocean acidification can lead to thinner and smaller shells in marine organisms, as seen in the reduced shell growth of clams grown in acidified conditions.

Title:

Content: There were 1,862 press releases posted in the last 24 hours and 393,697 in the last 365 days.

Utilizing biogeochemical and genetic tools to understand and support clam populations in a changing ocean

Marine bivalves are at risk due to anthropogenic climate change. This poses a threat to commercial aquaculture, and the communities that depend on bivalves for food security. Ocean acidification, the lowering of seawater pH, is of particular concern for marine calcifiers, including bivalves. Ocean acidification occurs as carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere at a rate faster than natural geologic processes can buffer. It is energetically costly for marine calcifiers like clams, mussels, and oysters, to mineralize under acidic conditions, and low pH leads to the dissolution of calcium carbonate shells and skeletons. This problem warrants research on acidification adaptation strategies that will keep coastal populations healthy. Adding calcium carbonate shell hash to coastal sediments may mitigate negative effects of acidification on infaunal shellfish by altering the chemistry of pore fluids, thus providing a potential mitigation strategy for local populations, including species like the Pacific littleneck clam (Leukoma staminea).

Here, I present the first in-depth description of the shell mineralogy, microstructure, body size variability, and geochemical properties of modern L. staminea, a common eastern Pacific, shallow, infaunal bivalve. Additionally, I document the impact of ocean acidification on the shell growth and gene expression of L. staminea, and test whether adding shell hash to its infaunal environement can promote growth under acidified conditions. Juvenile clams were raised in four experimental conditions for 90 days: control seawater, acidified seawater, control seawater with shell hash, and acidified seawater with shell hash. Clam shell weight, soft tissue weight, and new shell growth were measured. The presence of shell hash increased the pH, alkalinity and aragonite saturation state of pore fluids across all treatments, and increased shell growth on average, although growth metrics were variable across and within treatments. Lastly, RNA-sequencing revealed the impacts of experimental acidification on juvenile clam gene expression. Clams grown in the presence of shell hash had gene expression profiles more similar to those grown in control (non-acidified) conditions. In all, this research suggests that adding shell hash to coastal sediments alters the chemistry of pore fluids and buffers against acidic conditions that deleteriously affects clam mineralization.

Kempf H., 2024. Utilizing biogeochemical and genetic tools to understand and support clam populations in a changing ocean. PhD Thesis, University of California, Davis. 33 p. Thesis (restricted access).

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How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

Ocean acidification causes marine organisms to have thinner and smaller shells due to the decrease in water pH levels.

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

it will affect their physiology and growth

Ocean acidification reduces the size of shells in marine organisms, such as oysters, by decreasing the availability of calcium and carbonate ions in the water, which are necessary for shell development.

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

What do shellfish use to build their shells?

Ocean acidification threatens marine calcifiers like clams, mussels, and oysters by making it harder for them to form calcium carbonate, necessary for their growth.

Title:

Content: Thin fish, small catches: can Japan’s sushi culture survive climate crisis?

·5 min read

There is little at Shiogama seafood market to suggest that Japanese consumers could one day be deprived of their favourite seafood – from giant crab’s legs simmering in a winter nabe hotpot to spheres of salmon roe resting on a bed of rice wrapped in nori seaweed.

Stalls heave with huge sides of bluefin tuna, expertly transformed into more manageable portions by knife-wielding workers, while early-morning shoppers pause to inspect boxes of squid, flounder and sea pineapples landed only hours earlier.

Despite the bounty on display in this small port town, a growing body of scientific evidence – backed up by anecdotes from fishermen – points to a bleak future for Japanese cuisine as a result of the climate emergency.

Miki Seino, a Shiogama stallholder, flashes a look of weary recognition when the Observer points at her display of sanma – or Pacific saury – an autumn delicacy in Japan, where it is often served grilled or raw as sushi and sashimi.

“The catches are smaller, and the fish are thinner than they were a few years ago. We have heard about how rising sea temperatures are affecting catches here in Tohoku,” said Seino, referring to the region in north-east Japan. “And they are a lot more expensive now.”

Japan’s fisheries agency has cited changes in the marine environment due to global heating as the cause of smaller catches of saury, as well as squid, salmon and other staples of the Japanese diet.

The emergence of warm water masses in the Kuroshio – a warm north-easterly ocean current off the east coast of Japan – has pushed saury’s spawning migratory path further offshore, where food is less plentiful, resulting in depleted stocks and poorer quality fish.

Dr Aiko Yamauchi, vice-president of Seafood Legacy, a Japan-based consulting firm that supports sustainable seafood businesses and environmental groups, says catches of species venerated by the Japanese have been in steep decline since 2014.

It is possible, Yamauchi said, “that other fish species will experience poor catches similar to or worse than at present. We are very concerned that if this happens, the majority of Japanese fisheries, which supply around half of the country’s seafood, will be exposed to serious damage.”

Hundreds of miles south-west of Shiogama, fishing communities in Kochi prefecture are fretting over large catches of unusually fatty skipjack tuna, a local delicacy often eaten raw.

Kochi’s arc-shaped bay has traditionally been a fertile fishing ground, but bigger fish could be a warning rather than a blessing. The average surface temperature of the bay in winter has risen by 2C over the past four decades – meaning there is more food for the fish. But in the long term, warmer waters could spell disaster, preventing mineral-rich water from rising to the surface, resulting in fewer smaller fish to feed on – and fewer skipjack tuna.

Shin-ichi Ito, a professor at Tokyo University’s Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, said rising sea temperatures meant some species, including yellowtail and Spanish mackerel, were now being found in unusual locations.

“These species are being caught further north than they were 10 years ago, and this could be the result of climate change,” he said, adding that other hardy perennials of Japanese cuisine were under threat, including kelp on the northernmost main island of Hokkaido and, near the mouth of Tokyo Bay, seaweed used to make nori.

Not even sushi’s pungent accompaniment is safe, according to experts. They say the increasing frequency and severity of storms is destroying wasabi farms, while rising temperatures are threatening farmers’ ability to cultivate the delicate vegetable, which can only grow in water kept at a consistent 10-15C throughout the year.

Salmon, another sushi staple, is also at risk, Ito said. “Fish are unable to control their own body temperatures … the only option is for them to migrate northwards.” Simulations of sea temperature changes, he added, suggest that salmon could disappear from the waters around Hokkaido in Japan’s far north in a matter of decades.

“These changes will inevitably affect the Japanese diet as some species disappear, but they also mean we will see more invasive species,” he said.

A future in which crustaceans have disappeared from the menu seems unthinkable, but ocean acidification risks making that a reality. A rise in seawater temperature makes it more difficult for shellfish and crustaceans to form calcium carbonate, adversely affecting the growth of popular seafood such as scallops, clams and oysters, as well as crabs and shrimps.

“Most people can’t grasp how serious these problems are because they feel they will occur far into the future after they are long gone,” Ito said. “What happens in the year 2100 isn’t their problem … but we are at a tipping point now.”

Jun Hoshikawa has witnessed changes to the local catch first-hand from his home on Yakushima island, a Unesco world natural heritage site of natural beauty where he has lived for four decades. He is seeing fewer yellowtail, but bigger numbers of fish that used to be found further south. “The northern shift in habitats is likely to become a wider trend for many marine species as a result of rising sea temperatures”, said Hoshikawa, a former executive director of Greenpeace Japan.

“Unfortunately, most Japanese people haven’t yet noticed the subtle changes in the seafood they’re eating, although I expect that to change in the coming years.”

As mid-morning approaches, Shiogama market is filling up with regular customers and tourists who can mix and match ingredients to create their own kaisen donburi – raw seafood on rice, seasoned with soy sauce and wasabi.

The dish is a celebration of local produce that changes with the passing months. Seino, though, wonders for how long. “We are selling fish in the autumn and winter that we used to have only in the summer,” she said. “It feels like the seasons don’t matter any more.”

Reuters contributed reporting

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

What do shellfish use to build their shells?

Ocean acidification threatens marine calcifiers such as clams, mussels, and oysters, as evidenced by research on the eastern oyster.

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

Ocean acidification affects marine calcifiers, including oysters, by impacting their larval and juvenile stages, with carryover effects that can be persistent and negative.

At what stage of life are calcium carbonate-based organisms most vulnerable to changes in water pH?

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

"Marine calcifiers such as clams, mussels, and oysters are threatened by ocean acidification, which makes it difficult for them to maintain their shells and skeletons."

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

Ocean acidification negatively affects marine calcifiers, such as clams, mussels, and oysters, by impacting their calcium carbonate shells.

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Content: Home of the Day
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In cooperation with the Foundation for the Advancement of Science and the Atomic Energy Agency
« Research » conducted a study on the impact of « acidification » on shrimp
The Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), in cooperation with the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), completed a study project to investigate the impact of ocean acidification and ocean surface warming on the growth and abundance of local shrimp.
In turn, the head of the project, researcher Lamia Muslim at the Center for Environmental and Life Sciences Research at the Institute, said that there are many animals that contain in their skeleton or shell calcium carbonate, and changes in the pH of water can negatively affect these organisms, especially in the early stages of their life. The sea and some phytoplankton species, but that does not mean that this is a positive thing because the increased growth of these organisms can disrupt the food chain, biodiversity and ecosystem mechanisms and construction.
She added that the presence of large amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leads to the occurrence of global warming and the rise of the surface of the oceans by between one and three degrees Celsius, and the rise of the water level to an amount ranging from 0.18 to 0.79 meters, which in turn leads to acidification and warming of the surface of the oceans, and therefore to change the chemistry of the ocean and threaten marine ecosystems.
She pointed out that the shrimp mothers were collected from Kuwaiti territorial waters during the breeding season to obtain eggs and shrimp larvae in sufficient numbers to conduct experiments on all stages of shrimp age, as the study experiments were conducted in the laboratories of the Institute in a controlled system simulating the expected climate changes in the future.
The results of the study confirmed that the warming of the surface of the oceans could have a greater impact than ocean acidification on the early life stages of shrimp larvae, as shrimp larvae exposed to high temperatures showed accelerated growth rates to reach the sizes of older shrimp, but with lower survival rates, it is very likely that lower survival and growth rates under future climate scenarios may lead to the emergence of smaller shrimp larvae. These larvae will undergo multiple molting processes over their life cycle making them vulnerable; furthermore, the study results suggest additional effects of combined exposure to ocean surface warming and acidification on egg-hatching success, survival, and shrimp larval development.
Al-Musallam said: “The study is fully consistent across the entire life cycle of the M Nair shrimp, where high mortality of larvae at low pH and high water temperature indicates a possible collapse of this species of crustacean under conditions of increased ocean acidification and future warming of the ocean surface, which also leads to a significant reduction in shrimp stocks in the Arabian Gulf due to overfishing or reduced larval growth due to climate change. ”
For his part, dr.
Dr. Saifuddin Iqbaluddin, from the Center for Environmental and Life Sciences Research, said experts regularly measure water temperature and pH levels and look at how marine life might respond to these changes in the coming decades.
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How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

What do shellfish use to build their shells?

Ocean acidification affects the growth of shelled marine animals like oysters, clams, crabs, and lobsters by making it harder for them to form calcium carbonate.

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

What do shellfish use to build their shells?

"Ocean acidification affects shelled marine animals, including oysters, clams, crabs, and lobsters, by impacting their physiological development."

At what stage of life are calcium carbonate-based organisms most vulnerable to changes in water pH?

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

"Ocean acidification affects shelled marine animals, including oysters, clams, crabs, and lobsters, by impacting their larval stages and carrying over into their juvenile stages, with nuanced and context-dependent effects."

At what stage of life are calcium carbonate-based organisms most vulnerable to changes in water pH?

Ocean acidification affects shelled marine animals, including oysters, clams, crabs, and lobsters, by impacting their ability to build and maintain their shells.

Ocean acidification affects shelled marine animals, including crabs, oysters, clams, and lobsters, as evidenced by a study on the impact of ocean acidification on Dungeness crab.

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

Ocean acidification has increased by 26% since pre-industrial times, with a predicted rise of 100 to 150% by the end of the century, having severe effects on marine life.

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

How does elevated water acidity affect fish ability to survive?

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

Ocean acidification hinders shell growth in marine life by reducing calcium and carbonate ions.

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

it will affect their physiology and growth

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

What do shellfish use to build their shells?

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

Ocean acidification reduces calcium and carbonate ions in the water, hindering shell growth in marine organisms that rely on these ions for their shells and skeletons.

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

it will affect their physiology and growth

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

What do shellfish use to build their shells?

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

Which marine organism is vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification?

Ocean acidification hinders shell growth in shellfish and crustaceans by reducing calcium and carbonate ions, making it difficult for them to form calcium carbonate.

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

it will affect their physiology and growth

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

What do shellfish use to build their shells?

Ocean acidification hinders shell growth in marine life by reducing calcium and carbonate ions in the water.

How do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

it will affect their physiology and growth

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

What do shellfish use to build their shells?

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?