Dissolved excess CO2 acidifies seawater, altering chemistry and food webs.

Oceans absorb about 30% of human CO2, accelerating acidification.

Acidity is up 26% since pre-industrial times, projected to rise 100–150% by 2100.

Acidification dissolves calcium carbonate, weakening bivalve shells.

Adding shell hash to sediments helps infaunal clams under acidified conditions.

Abalone grow less and suffer shell erosion; buffering improves calcification.

Pteropods’ shell-building is impaired, jeopardizing food webs and carbon export.

Acidification often coincides with pteropod spring spawning, risking population stability.

In the Sunderbans estuary, pH fell from 8.3 to 7.9 since the 1980s, with 35–40% fewer shelled organisms and smaller oysters.

Acidification inhibits calcifying plankton, threatening fish, food webs, and seafood-dependent people.

High CO2 alters fish behavior, increasing predation risk and threatening populations.

Elevated CO2 changes fish gene transcription, affecting circadian and immune functions.

Some fish rapidly evolve under acidification, helping maintain population size and diversity.

Acidification and climate change can disrupt odor tracking in reef fishes and sharks.

Pacific cod early stages are sensitive to acidification, but warming currently dominates.

Warming and acidification stress shrimp and other crustaceans, reducing hatching and larval survival and contributing to stock declines.

Rising temperatures and acidification threaten shellfish and crustacean growth, reducing seafood quantity and quality.

Direct evidence on acidification impacts in cuttlefish and octopuses is limited.

Cephalopod physiology depends on carbonate chemistry, requiring targeted, species-specific studies.

During the Great Dying, acidification plus warming helped drive many externally shelled cephalopods extinct.

Acidification can be lethal, including for cephalopods, by hindering mineralized structures and interacting with other stressors.

Dissolved excess CO2 acidifies seawater, altering chemistry and food webs.

Title:

Content: If we continue to live the way we are, I am worried for the people who will see the next 90 years.
The latest scientific explanation suggests that the biological world is on the verge of destruction.
The collapse has indeed begun, and it is bound to accelerate, leading to an increase in the scale of the collapse and its impact.
Everything that we depend on for our survival — what our environment has always given us — may begin to falter or disappear altogether.
The predicted disaster will be more devastating than Chernobyl or any event to date, not only causing floods, powerful hurricanes and summer wildfires, but also reducing the quality of life for each victim and their descendants, with irreparable consequences.
When the global ecological collapse is finally resolved and a balance is reached, humanity will live forever on a barren planet if it still exists on Earth.
2030s
Decades of large-scale deforestation and illegal burning in the Amazon basin by people who want to develop more land for agricultural purposes will reduce the area of the Amazon rainforest to 75% of the original forest by the 2030s.
Although still massive, this could be a tipping point in the Amazon rainforest, triggering a phenomenon known as forest dieback.
Forests suddenly become unable to generate enough water from the shrinking canopy to nourish rain clouds, and the most vulnerable areas of the Amazon rainforest degenerate first into seasonal drylands and later into savannahs.
The phenomenon of this decline is self-propelled — the more cases of blight occur, the more trees will die; as a result, drought will quickly sweep across the Amazon basin, causing severe damage.
The loss of biodiversity is devastating, with one in 10 known species in the world inhabiting the Amazon basin, representing innumerable local extinctions that create a domino effect across the ecosystem.
All wild populations will be severely damaged, and it will become increasingly difficult for each individual to feed and find a mate.
Perhaps some of the species used in medicine, new food, and industry disappeared before we even knew it existed, and the human cost was even more profound and heavy.
As the forests wither, the Amazon basin floods frequently, flushing the soil from tree roots into rivers; 30 million people may have to leave the watershed, including nearly 3 million native inhabitants; changes in moisture in the air could show signs of reduced rainfall across much of South America, leading to water shortages in many large cities, ironically because, As a result, the farmland developed in the forest is also dry.
Food production in Brazil, Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay will be significantly affected.
For the Holocene, the Amazon rainforest ’ s best environmental service is absorbing more than 100 billion tons of carbon.
Forest wildfires that occur in each new dry season release large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, while the reduced capacity of forest photosynthesis means less carbon is absorbed by the region each year.
The extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will undoubtedly accelerate the rate of global warming.
On the other side of the globe, the Arctic Sea is expected to experience its first completely ice-free summer in the 2030s, making the Arctic open water.
Even if the sea ice that has been in the safe haven for many years, the thick ice layer freezes over and over again, it cannot avoid warming and may start to disappear.
The seaweed forests that lie beneath the ice fall to the ocean floor, affecting the entire Arctic food chain.
As the Earth's ice layer decreases, the white area will gradually shrink each year, which means that the solar energy reflected back into space will also decrease, and the pace of global warming will accelerate again.
The Arctic began to lose its ability to cool the Earth.
The 1950s
Forest wildfires and melting ice over the next three decades will dramatically increase carbon emissions in the atmosphere.
As always, the surface of the sea absorbs too much carbon, and carbon dioxide will form carbonic acid after it is dissolved in the water, first at the shallow beach, then into the ocean circulation, and finally throughout the water body.
By the 2050s, the entire ocean could reach enough acid levels to cause a catastrophic decline.
Coral reefs are the most abundant of all marine ecosystems and are particularly vulnerable to acidification.
Due to years of coral bleaching, rising ocean acidity makes it harder for coral reefs to repair their calcium carbonate structure.
In this era of warmer air and intense storms, coral reefs may collapse as a result.
It is predicted that 90% of the world ’ s coral reefs will be destroyed within a few years.
The oceans are also vulnerable to acidification.
Various plankton species at the bottom of the food chain also have calcium carbonate shells. An increasingly acidified ocean will inhibit its flourishing, and fish populations throughout the food chain will suffer from it, and the harvest of oysters and mussels will begin to decline.
The rest of commercial fishing and fish farming may begin to come to an end in the 1950s, with the lives of more than half a billion people directly affected, and some source of protein that humans have been consuming will disappear from our diets.
The 1980s
By the 1980s, global food production on land may be in crisis.
In the cool and affluent regions of the world, intensive agriculture has used too much fertilizer for a century, resulting in depletion of land forces, no vitality and no harvest; while in warm and poor regions, global warming will cause temperature rise, monsoon, storm and dry season changes, making farming doomed to failure.
Millions of tons of topsoil lost around the world could enter rivers, bringing flooding to downstream towns.
If current levels of pesticide use remain high, habitat loss continues, and pollinator diseases such as bees continue to spread, the disappearance of insect species will affect three-quarters of our food crops by the 1980s.
Harvests of nuts, fruits, vegetables, and oilseeds will be greatly affected if you can ’ t rely on the diligent pollination of insects.
At some stage, the condition may worsen while another disease is endemic.
We just learned that there is a link between the emergence of new viruses and the survival of the planet, with an estimated 1.7 million potentially human viruses hiding in mammalian and bird populations.
The more we cut down forests, expand farmland, and illegally trade wildlife to destroy nature, the more likely we are to cause another outbreak of infectious diseases.
2100s
The 20th century could set off a massive global humanitarian crisis, which would be the largest forced migration in history.
In the 21st century, coastal cities around the world are expected to face a sea level rise of 0.9 meters due to the slow melting of the ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica and the increasing warming of the oceans.
Over five decades, more than a billion of the 500 coastal cities may have been affected by storm surges, but by the 20th century, sea levels will rise enough to inundate ports and flood hinterlands.
Ports in Rotterdam, Ho Chi Minh City, Miami and other countries will not be able to withstand flooding, so they cannot take risks and become uninhabitable.
Those who were displaced had to move inland.
But there is a more serious problem.
If all of the above had happened, the Earth would be 4 degrees warmer by 2010 than it is today.
More than a quarter of the population may live in places where the average temperature exceeds 29 degrees Celsius, and today only the Sahara Desert can reach this daily high temperature.
It is impossible to farm in these areas, and a billion rural people may be forced to find a better way out.
Areas where the global climate is still milder will be under enormous pressure from population migration, where borders between countries will inevitably disappear, and conflicts may erupt around the world.
In this context, the arrival of the sixth great extinction will become overwhelming.
(Excerpt from Living on Our Planet)
【 Introduction 】
Netflix documentary of the same name
Forest fires, Arctic ice melting, torrential rain, floods, high temperatures to jump electric connection...
Is the Sixth Great Extinction Coming?
The human mind!
A 100-year-old man who wants to save young people ’ s lives tomorrow.
This is the planet we live on, and we can only protect our future on our own.
★ British National Treasure Nature Science Moderator, Historian, Witness of Earth History
★ Awarded the Order of the Lord by the Queen of England
★ IMDb top ten films, four of which are his works
Breaking the Guinness World Record with 4 Hours of IG Tracking Millions
★ Twice winner of the Emmy Award for Best Narrator
He traveled to 39 countries and photographed 650 species.
There are dozens of animals and plants all over the world named after him.
“I ’ m 95 years old, I ’ ve been making nature documentaries for over 60 years, and I ’ ve been witnessing the change of the planet all my life.
Having witnessed the decline of the earth from its beauty to its present day, and watching the oceans, wastelands, rainforests, and glaciers disappear and destroy their habitats, I will surely feel guilty if I choose to ignore them. "
After 2020, we will experience the following:
By 2030, the Amazon rainforest will be 75% less able to produce water and absorb carbon dioxide, and the Arctic Sea will have its first ice-free summer.
In 2040, the permafrost of the North melts, releasing 1,400 trillion tons of carbon dioxide and accelerating climate change.
By 2050, the oceans will absorb too much carbon leading to acidification, serious ecological damage, and reduced fish populations.
In 2080, the world is plunged into a food crisis due to overuse, exhaustion of land and failure of farming.
By 2100, the Earth's temperature had risen by 4 degrees, most areas were uninhabitable, national borders had disappeared, and wars had broken out.
The sixth great extinction is coming.
This book is the life story of David Attenborough and tells how we committed this terrible disaster, our present predicament, and our vision for the future.
But we ’ re lucky if we act now, make changes, and fix everything.
Live on our planet and make it better.
There is still time and a last chance to restore this beautiful world.
The book will teach you to take action, and what the earth needs is your will.
【 About the Author 】
by David Attenborough
In 1985, he was awarded a knighthood by the Queen of England for his contribution to the filming of natural and historical documentaries. In 2020, he was selected as one of the “Top 100 People in the UK ”.
Born in 1926, he is a natural science broadcaster and historian.
In collaboration with the BBC Natural History Unit, he has written nine comprehensive documentary films on animals and plants on Earth, four of which are ranked in the top 10 of IMBD. He won the Emmy Award for Best Interpreter in 2018 and 2019, and produced Living on Our Planet in 2020, documenting his life ’ s testimony to the Earth and his future. Attention.
> Johnny.
by Jonnie Hughes
A science writer and documentary director, he produces science and natural history films for the BBC, Discovery, National Geographic and Netflix, and has been involved in the BAFTA award-winning BBC series The Hunt and Emmy Award-winning Our Planet.
【 Translator 's Profile 】
＞ CHEN Si-wah
Graduated from the Department of Applied English at Ming Chuan University, he is interested in reading and writing, and is now a freelance translator.
# Earth # 22nd Century # Sea Level Rise # Rainforest # Extinction

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

What is the main cause of ocean acidification?

water absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Oceans absorb about 30% of human CO2, accelerating acidification.

Title:

Content: Fish are becoming more suicidal due to climate change.
Archival Image
A recent scientific study revealed serious risks to fish stocks in various seas and oceans around the world, as a result of climate changes, where greenhouse gas emissions lead to increased acidity of water, prompting fish to commit suicide, attracted to large predatory fish.
The study, conducted by a team of researchers at James Cook University in Australia, aims to assess the impact of greenhouse gases that cause climate change on the coral reef area off the coast of Papua New Guinea, in the southwest Pacific Ocean, where the region is witnessing volcanic activity.
The results of the study showed that the high rate of acidity in the ocean waters, as a result of the escalation of carbon dioxide from repeated volcanic activities below the depths, leads to the loss of species of fish, on which fishing activity depends, their ability to survive, making them easy prey for other predatory species.
The study, published on the site « Nature Climate Change », that fish in general can smell the smell of large predatory species, which helps them to get off track, but surprise that in the area under study, it turns out that fish are attracted to the smell of predatory species, making them easy prey.
Lead researcher Professor Philippe Mendai said the acidity effect of the water has also been shown to cause fish to wander aimlessly into the water and go to areas far from where they live, putting them at risk, where they are more likely to be attacked by predatory fish.
The main author of the study pointed out that these threats to fish are not limited to volcanic activities, noting that about 30% of the carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere are absorbed by water bodies, leading to increased acidity of the seas and oceans.
The researchers also warned that the acidity levels in the coral reef area in question have reached very high levels and are expected to spread to other areas, and may include the entire Pacific Ocean by the end of this century, as the phenomenon of climate change worsens.
The study concluded that fish that live for long periods of life exposed to high levels of carbon dioxide, could not cope with the changes caused by high acidity in the water, as a result of exposure to high levels of carbon emissions permanently.
Source: News Today
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What is the main cause of ocean acidification?

water absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Acidity is up 26% since pre-industrial times, projected to rise 100–150% by 2100.

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.
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Acidification dissolves calcium carbonate, weakening bivalve shells.

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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Adding shell hash to sediments helps infaunal clams under acidified conditions.

Abalone grow less and suffer shell erosion; buffering improves calcification.

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Content: There were 1,541 press releases posted in the last 24 hours and 466,409 in the last 365 days.

The effect of total alkalinity on growth performance and calcification in juvenile Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai

The effect of total alkalinity on growth performance and calcification in juvenile Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai

Published 5 October 2023 Science Leave a Comment
Tags: biological response, calcification, dissolution, laboratory, mollusks, morphology, North Pacific, physiology

A 45-day trial was conducted to study the effect of seawater total alkalinity (TA) level up- and downregulation on the growth performance and calcification of Haliotis discus hannai Ino, while seawater pH was maintained at pHNBS = 8.1. Although seawater was not acidified, the results showed that TA downregulation caused a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in the somatic tissue growth of juvenile abalone, while TA upregulation significantly increased growth performance (P < 0.05). Similar to the impacts of pH reduction, TA downregulation also induces a decline in CO2 buffering capacity, which may be the reason why somatic tissue growth was reduced, as lowered CO2 buffering capacity was reported to shift the acid-base balancing of abalone. Parts of the periostracum layer weremissing and exposed the inner shell layers of the individuals from the TA-downregulated group. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed calcium carbonate densely deposited onto the inner shell in the control and TA-upregulated groups, while sparsely deposited calcium carbonate was observed in the TA-downregulated group. The C: N ratio in the shell of individuals from the TA-downregulated group was significantly lower than that of the other two groups, indicating that less inorganic carbon was added to the shell. As a result, abalone grew lighter and thinner shells in TA-downregulated seawater. Although seawater was not acidified, TA downregulation also caused a reduction in the calcium carbonate saturation state (Ω), which induced the erosion of the surface shell and the interruption of calcium carbonate generation. In conclusion, although seawater pH remained at ambient levels, the lowered CO2 buffering capacity and Ω induced by seawater TA downregulation also showed a detrimental effect on the growth and calcification of Pacific abalone. The impact of ocean acidification on the growth of abalone should not be assessed using only seawater pH and/or pCO2 but rather taking into account all of carbonate chemistry, particularly the CO2 buffering capacity. Abalone cultivation is suggested to be carried out in seawater with a higher level of CO2 buffering capacity and Ω, which can be achieved through integrated culture with seaweed or increasing the seawater TA level.

Zhang M., Li J., Jiao M., Tang Y., Li A., Liu L., Liu L., Xue S. & Mao Y., 2023. The effect of total alkalinity on growth performance and calcification in juvenile Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai. Marine Environmental Research 192: 106209. doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106209. Article (subscription required).

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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?

Pteropods’ shell-building is impaired, jeopardizing food webs and carbon export.

Title:

Content: Newswise — When carbon dioxide (CO2) enters the oceans, it can make the water more acidic, which is called ocean acidification. This can make it harder for some ocean creatures, like pteropods, to build and keep their shells. Pteropods are important for the ocean environment.

Pteropods are small sea creatures, including shelled sea butterflies. Not much is known about them because of their size, and they don't survive well in captivity. A team of marine scientists studied the life cycles, abundance, and seasonal changes of shelled sea butterflies in the north-east Scotia Sea, where climate change is happening quickly.

Dr Clara Manno, a researcher at the British Antarctic Survey and the corresponding author of the study published in Frontiers in Marine Science, said that the decrease in pteropod populations in the Antarctic Ocean could have significant consequences for the food web and carbon cycle. She also said that understanding the life cycle of this important organism could help to predict the impact of ocean acidification on the Antarctic ecosystem.

Population stability essential for species survival

To study the life cycle, abundance, and seasonal variability of shelled sea butterflies in the north-east Scotia Sea, a team of marine scientists collected sea butterflies in a sediment trap, a sampling device that was anchored at a depth of 400 meters. Since observing the entire life cycle of sea butterflies in a laboratory setting is impossible, the researchers had to gather information about their spawning, growth rate, and population structure. They were able to reconstruct the sea butterflies' life cycle for a year using the samples from the sediment trap.

The scientists found that the two most commonly collected species, Limacina rangii and Limacina retroversa, have different life cycles and therefore have different levels of vulnerability to changes in the ocean. During the winter months, L. rangii, which is a polar species, can be found as both adults and juveniles, while L. retroversa, a subpolar species, is only found as adults during the winter.

Sea butterflies that exist during the coldest season are more vulnerable to increased levels of ocean acidification. This is because ocean water is more acidic during this season than during other times of the year due to cooler temperatures that increase CO2 dissolution in the ocean. The researchers explained that the life stages of sea butterflies during this time are more exposed and vulnerable to the effects of ocean acidification.

L. rangii has a survival advantage over L. retroversa because both adults and juveniles coexist during winter, which reduces the risk of population instability if one cohort is vulnerable. In contrast, if one cohort is removed from L. retroversa, the entire population could be at risk.

Prolonged exposure is a survival challenge

The researchers pointed out that although the two species are affected differently, both are likely to suffer harm if they are exposed to unfavorable conditions for prolonged periods.

The scientists cautioned that the intensifying and prolonged events of ocean acidification overlap with the spring spawning period, posing a threat to the most vulnerable life stage, the larvae. This could endanger the future populations of sea butterflies.

The research team plans to further study the sea butterflies in the Scotia Sea to see how they would be affected by the increase in the intensity and duration of ocean acidification events. They will study multiyear sediment trap samples to identify potential changes in the life cycle that may occur due to environmental changes. Dr Jessie Gardner of the British Antarctic Survey, lead author of the study, said this will be the next step in their research.

Journal Link: Frontiers in Marine Science

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

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

Acidification often coincides with pteropod spring spawning, risking population stability.

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 survival
it will alter their key behaviors

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

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

In the Sunderbans estuary, pH fell from 8.3 to 7.9 since the 1980s, with 35–40% fewer shelled organisms and smaller oysters.

Title:

Content: Credits: Maxpixel

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.

Also Read: Rajasthan Bride Asks Father To Build Girls Hostel With Money Set Aside For Marriage

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Editor : Palak Agrawal
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Creatives : Devyani Madaik

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How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

Acidification inhibits calcifying plankton, threatening fish, food webs, and seafood-dependent people.

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?

High CO2 alters fish behavior, increasing predation risk and threatening populations.

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

it will affect their survival
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How does elevated water acidity affect fish ability to survive?

fish becomes easy prey for other predators

Elevated CO2 changes fish gene transcription, affecting circadian and immune functions.

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Content: Carbon Dioxide Makes Ocean Acidification Study Suggests Rapid Evolution Could Make Fish Easier to Deal With
March 03, 2022 17: 00
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Some fish can evolve rapidly to cope with ocean acidification.
(courtesy of Shutterstock)
In addition to causing climate warming, global emissions of large amounts of carbon dioxide will also cause sea water to become acidic, and marine life may be affected.
The study found that volcanic infiltration of high CO2 partial pressure, that is, high concentrations of CO2 dissolved in water, changes in the genetic transcription of fish, predict the response of wild fish to the continuous acidification of the marine environment.
The results show that some fish with faster rates of evolution may be more flexible in coping with ocean acidification, maintaining population size and diversity. One species of fish may be able to acidify the marine environment with its rapid evolution of gene molecular transcription regulation, but the population size and diversity of fish with slower rates of evolution are difficult to maintain in acidified environments.
As carbon dioxide emissions from human activities increase year by year, and the CO2 absorbed by the ocean continues to rise, causing the pH of seawater to decline and become acidic, scientists expect “ocean acidification ” on the surface of the world ’ s oceans, which may affect the physiology, growth and survival of some fish, and change some key behaviors that affect survival chances.
A team led by Celia SCHUNTER from the Faculty of Biosciences of the University of Hong Kong and the Swire Institute of Marine Science, along with foreign researchers, travelled to Papua New Guinea, the Pacific island nation, to extract the brains of six species of coral fish, including five species of finch and one species of celestial bream, from a carbon dioxide spill at the bottom of a volcano and about 500 m nearby coral reef. The organization conducts gene transcription group sequencing to understand the changes in fish gene transcription in the ocean acidification environment.
The results show that high CO2 partial pressure can cause transcription changes in genes related to circadian clock and immune function in several species, demonstrating that fish function is important in coping with acidifying environments, and that the core genes of circadian rhythms determine the 24-hour cycle of most species.
Immune-related regulation has been found in many species of fish in acidified environments, so regulation of the immune response may also be an important response to acidification, especially in nocturnal fish, which exhibit a greater proportion of immune regulation and are modulated in the opposite direction to diurnal fish.
In contrast to the fish body ’ s ability to regulate the pH value of the cells, the researchers found that the brain of the spinosus is used to maintain a large number of changes in potassium, sodium, chlorine and calcium ions that transmit signals in the carbon dioxide ooze. Corresponding changes are needed to cope with the acidification environment, but differences in the expression of related genes disappear when stress is reduced, and genes return to normal levels of expression.
Further research by the team found that this finch has evolved significantly faster than other fish over the past 15 million years, potentially giving it greater potential to adapt to environmental changes.
It is speculated that this species may have evolved molecular mechanisms to cope with future ocean acidification.

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

it will affect their physiology and growth

Some fish rapidly evolve under acidification, helping maintain population size and diversity.

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

Acidification and climate change can disrupt odor tracking in reef fishes and sharks.

Title:

Content: 21: 00, November 15, 2023
2 min.
How climate change is changing the brain and behavior of animals
Due to global warming caused by human activities, the habitat on Earth is changing more and more.
This leads to an increase in temperature, rapid changes in rainfall and seasons, and ocean acidification.
How do animals deal with this?
Population Connection
In the response of animals to climate change, their nervous system plays a key role.
Due to its basic functions (sense detection, mental processing of information, behavior control), animals are oriented in the environment, can survive and reproduce.
Because of temperature changes, the energy balance of ecosystems is changing.
It is likely that this will also affect their basic senses, from sight and taste to smell and touch.
Mammals partially perceive temperature with the help of special receptor proteins in their nervous system.
These proteins respond to heat and cold, helping to distinguish between moderate and extreme temperatures.
Due to these proteins, animals can also look for a suitable habitat.
GETTY
Climate change disrupts the environmental signals that animals rely on when choosing their habitat, finding food, and partners.
Temperature shifts, for example, change where and when mosquitoes look for hosts, how they transmit diseases.
In addition, seasonal changes in daylight can lead to disconnection between daylight hours and flowering and fruiting of plants, changes in hibernation and migration of animals, when daylight hours no longer predict the availability of resources.
Due to the increase in temperature, the development and functioning of the brain of animals can be
This could also potentially affect their ability to adapt effectively to new habitats.
Scientists have found out how extreme temperatures can change individual neurons at the genetic and structural levels, the structure of the brain as a whole.
For example, in the marine environment, ocean acidification can affect the tracking of odors in reef fish and sharks.
Because of climate change, animals can change their habitat.
These behavioral shifts will change the structure of ecosystems around the world with complex and unpredictable consequences.
It is known that the brain of animals is very flexible and can significantly change even in adults.
However, studies have revealed a strong influence of the environment on the evolution of the brain.
Most likely, the new climatic regimes will eventually form nervous systems, causing them to develop.
https: / / vp.rambler.ru / player / embed.html? widget = Player & id = 2122398

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

Which abilities of sharks and reef fish are impacted by ocean acidification?

Pacific cod early stages are sensitive to acidification, but warming currently dominates.

Title:

Content: There were 734 press releases posted in the last 24 hours and 394,615 in the last 365 days.

Study explores combined impacts of ocean warming and acidification on pacific cod

Newly hatched Pacific cod larva. (Image credit: NOAA Fisheries/Emily Slesinger)

As the climate changes, the ocean is simultaneously warming and acidifying. Both have been shown to adversely affect the vulnerable early life stages of Pacific cod. But until now, the interplay of these two environmental stressors was unknown.

new NOAA Fisheries study takes a look into the future by replicating predicted Alaska ocean conditions in the laboratory. The study is the first to look at the interactive effects of ocean warming and acidification on Pacific cod. Researchers evaluated the growth and survival of eggs and larvae at combinations of temperature and acidity representing current and future ocean environments. The findings can help improve predictions to ensure climate-ready Alaska fisheries and communities in the future.

Alaska Fish Face Multiple Climate-Driven Stressors

Ocean warming and acidification are escalating faster in Alaska and other high latitude regions than anywhere else on the planet. Alaska produces more than half of the nation’s wild-caught seafood. Local communities depend on the ecosystem for their livelihoods. Understanding how climate-driven stressors will affect these valuable resources is critical to ensuring resilient Alaska communities and a strong blue economy in the future.

Because fish are cold-blooded, temperature profoundly affects their growth and behavior. The effects of acidification are more nuanced. Fish can buffer acidity in the bloodstream but at an energetic cost.

Very young fish—eggs and larvae—tend to be the most sensitive stages of the fish life cycle to both warming and acidification. Unlike adult fish that can move to cooler waters, these tiny creatures are incapable of migrating to more favorable conditions. Subtle differences in their growth and condition can make a big difference to the number of young fish that make it to the adult population.

Laboratory set up for ocean acidification and ocean warming experiments with early stages of Pacific cod. Large tanks in the background provide chilled and ambient seawater that are mixed to temperature. Small round tanks house eggs and larvae at different temperatures and acidification levels. Acidification is controlled by bubbling carbon dioxide into the seawater: more carbon dioxide causes higher acidity (lower pH). (Image credit: NOAA Fisheries/Emily Slesinger)

Pacific cod is an important subsistence food, a key species in the food web, and the second-largest commercial groundfish catch in Alaska. Understanding how warming and acidification together may affect this ecologically, culturally, and commercially valuable species is key to predicting future climate impacts.

“Knowing how individual species will respond to multiple climate stressors helps us put together this puzzle to figure out what species are more vulnerable than others,” Emily Slesinger said. “And that will help guide ecosystem-based fisheries management to ensure their sustainability.”

Partnerships and Unique Laboratory Capabilities Expand Possibilities for Studying Alaska Species

Finding answers posed some hurdles. “It’s really challenging to study these fish that are found in remote and cold environments,” Slesinger said.

They met those challenges through partnerships and a specially equipped laboratory facility.

Fishermen played a key role. To obtain eggs and larvae for experiments, they first needed live adults, ready to spawn. Commercial fishermen used baited fishing pots to catch adults off Kodiak Island during the spawning season.

Fertilized eggs were shipped to the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center Laboratory in Newport, Oregon. The eggs and larvae were reared at six combinations of temperature (3°C, 6°C, 10°C) and acidification (ambient and high acidity). Scientists measured their hatch success, growth, nutritional condition, and mortality throughout the nine-week experiment.

“The Newport lab is very special,” Slesinger said. “What is most unique is our seawater system that can chill water to Arctic temperatures. The lab has the capacity to house many fish at all life stages and the expertise to keep them thriving. And it has the facilities to run these complicated experiments on the younger life stages.”

Experiments Reveal a Dominant Stressor

The study found that overall, Pacific cod’s early life stages were more sensitive to warming than to acidification:

  • Temperature affected all measured traits: growth, condition, and mortality
  • Mortality of both eggs and larvae was highest at the warmest temperature
  • 6°C was the optimal temperature for hatching, condition, and survival
  • At the warmest temperature (10°C), Pacific cod grew the fastest but were in poor condition with high mortality rates
  • At the coldest temperature (3°C), mortality rates were lower, but both growth and condition were also low
  • Acidification effects were more modest and inconsistent
  • The single instance of a negative effect of acidification was at the optimal 6°C temperature

“We’re seeing that either temperature or acidification drove the response—they were not additive. At optimal temperatures, Pacific cod may be impaired by acidification. At the warm temperature, they were overwhelmingly negatively impacted, but there was pretty much no effect of acidification,” Slesinger said. “Our findings suggest that temperature is the dominant stressor and ocean warming is likely the greater threat.”

The research highlights the complexity of species- and stage-specific responses to multiple climatic stressors and the importance of understanding them.

“This work is exciting because we are able to provide information about these fish that can be useful for future management. It is really important to me that my research can be directly helpful to societies, economies, and communities,” Slesinger said. “This research contributes to our common goal of ensuring productive, sustainable fishing into the future.”

Ecomagazine, 30 April 2024. Press release.

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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?

it will affect their physiology and growth

Warming and acidification stress shrimp and other crustaceans, reducing hatching and larval survival and contributing to stock declines.

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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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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

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

Rising temperatures and acidification threaten shellfish and crustacean growth, reducing seafood quantity and quality.

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 do scientists expect ocean acidification to impact specific fish species?

it will affect their physiology and growth

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

it can kill shellfish
it slows their growth

Direct evidence on acidification impacts in cuttlefish and octopuses is limited.

Title:

Content:
International scientists warn of the serious impact of noise pollution on marine invertebrates

An international scientific study, led by the UPC's Laboratory of Applied Bioacoustics (LAB), shows that noise from human operations at sea damages marine invertebrates and ocean ecosystems. Published in Frontiers in Marine Science, the work points out that noise pollution at sea can even cause death in some marine species.

In recent decades, scientists have studied the sensitivity to noise of marine mammals—especially cetaceans and pinnipeds—and fish because they are known to possess hearing organs. Recent studies have revealed that a wide variety of are also sensitive to sound, particularly via sensory organs whose function is to allow maintaining equilibrium in the water column and to sense gravity. Not only do represent the largest proportion of marine biomass and are indicators of ocean health, but many species also have important socio-economic values.

A team of scientists, made up of researchers from the Laboratory of Applied Bioacoustics (LAB) from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya—BarcelonaTech (UPC) and other universities and research centers in Australia, Spain, the United States, France, Japan, Italy, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, have reviewed hundreds of studies on the impact of noise on marine invertebrates such as crabs, molluscs, squids, prawns and worms. They concluded that anthropogenic noise—noise from human operations—is harming these species in many ways, from cellular to ecosystem level.

"Many people are surprised to discover that invertebrates can even perceive sound, but sound is, in fact, essential to their survival," explains Marta Solé, UPC's LAB researcher linked to the Polytechnic School of Engineering of Vilanova i la Geltrú (EPSEVG). "Light does not travel easily underwater, but sound does, and invertebrates use sound for their vital activities (interspecific communication, predator detection, reproduction, etc.). Human operations, especially shipping, are changing the ocean soundscape very rapidly, and this study brings together the latest evidence on these impacts." Shipping is the main source of marine noise, but there are many others—drilling, dredging, sonar, etc.—and this affects the natural balance of the oceans.

Multiple impacts

Titled "Marine invertebrates and noise," the paper was published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science. It warns of the multiple impacts of on invertebrates, such as delayed hatching and development of eggs, and significantly increased larvae abnormality and in crustaceans, bivalves (mussels and oysters), gastropods (snails) and cephalopods (cuttlefish and squids).

Low-frequency sounds, such as those from underwater explosions, can cause injury and even death in blue crabs. Long-term exposure of these species to noise also affects their behavior. Ship noise limits shore crabs' ability to change color for camouflage, according to the team of researchers.

After sound exposure, Mediterranean common cuttlefish showed changes in the protein content, mainly structure- and stress-related proteins. The authors have also reviewed studies demonstrating physiological changes in some species, such as a significant reduction in the rate of growth and reproduction, an increase in the level of aggressiveness and the mortality rate, and a reduction in feed intake.

Recent studies have revealed that a wide range of invertebrates are sensitive to sounds, especially via statocysts—analogous to the vertebrate inner ear—whose original function is to allow maintaining equilibrium in the water column and to sense gravity.

How do invertebrates produce and detect sound?

Sound travels about five times faster in water (ca. 1,500 m/s) than in air (ca. 340 m/s) because the density of water is greater, and also attenuates less over the same distance. Invertebrates detect underwater sound through three types of sensory systems: ciliated receptors on the , statocysts and chordotonal organs, linked to the joints of antennae or legs in crustaceans.

They can also produce sounds: from "coughing" in scallops to stridulation, in which lobsters, crayfish, prawns and crabs rub together certain body parts—similar to bowing a violin—and make sounds that may scare off predators. The study presents all these forms of sound production and perception specific to invertebrates, and the techniques used for their analysis.

Effects of noise on ecosystems

By changing the behavior and health of predators and prey in complex food webs, noise can thus affect entire ecosystems. Invertebrates provide major ecosystem functions, such as water filtering, habitat creation, organic matter processing, carbon transfer through food webs and nutrient recycling. Therefore, researchers see it as urgent to continue research in this area to mitigate the impacts.

"Our study highlights that these animals exist in a rich underwater soundscape," explains Dr. Sophie Nedelec from the University of Exeter. "We need to learn more about the impacts of noise pollution on these animals and ecosystems. Given that noise can affect invertebrates from cellular to ecosystem level, we need to bring together interdisciplinary expertise to gain a holistic view of the problem. Considering the many anthropogenic pressures, including and fishing, we must do everything possible to limit underwater noise."

The study summarizes the current scientific knowledge on invertebrate bioacoustics ( production, reception, sensitivity) and on how marine invertebrates are affected by anthropogenic noises. It also identifies gaps in scientific knowledge on the tolerance of marine ecosystems, concluding that more research is needed.

More information: Marta Solé et al, Marine invertebrates and noise, Frontiers in Marine Science (2023). DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2023.1129057

Journal information: Frontiers in Marine Science

Provided by Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya

Citation: International scientists warn of the serious impact of noise pollution on marine invertebrates (2023, March 15) retrieved 15 March 2023 from https://phys.org/news/2023-03-international-scientists-impact-noise-pollution.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

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

Cephalopod physiology depends on carbonate chemistry, requiring targeted, species-specific studies.

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

During the Great Dying, acidification plus warming helped drive many externally shelled cephalopods extinct.

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Content: The Sciences

The Late Permian Mass Extinction Explained

Burning coal caused the largest mass extinction in earth’s history — the Late Permian Mass Extinction, or the Great Dying.

By Gabe AllenJul 22, 2022 10:00 AM
(Credit: Catmando/Shutterstock)

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Mass extinctions are evolutionary turning points — brief moments on a geologic time scale that drastically change the course of life on earth. One moment in particular stands out. The Permian-Triassic extinction, aka the Great Dying, eradicated more than 90 percent of earth’s marine species and 75 percent of terrestrial species 252 million years ago. It was the deadliest mass extinction event in the history of our planet, and its legacy lives on in the flora and fauna of the modern world.

The climactic and geochemical triggers for the Great Dying are unsettlingly similar to the effects of anthropogenic climate change. Global warming, ocean acidification and ozone layer-depletion caused ecological collapse.

The organisms that did recover from the extinction, did so slowly. Equatorial regions, which had been scorched beyond recognition, did not regain their characteristic biodiversity for five million years. Global ecosystems lacked both diversity and stability for at least eight million years following the event.

Survivors of the extinction event, though few, eventually repopulated the earth. These organisms are the ancestors of every living thing today. To paleontologists, the End-Permian Mass Extinction is the temporal boundary between the ancient paleozoic fauna and the modern fauna — a theoretical border between our world and a barely-recognizable predecessor.

Finding Precision

As recent as the late 2000s, the research community was significantly divided over what caused the Permian extinction. Some suggested that volcanism was at fault, while others suggested a meteor impact, like the one that wiped out the dinosaurs, caused the extinction.

Those that preferred the volcanic explanation, suspected the Siberian Traps, an expansive region of volcanic rock in present-day Siberia. The formation developed during an unrivaled period of volcanic rock on the ancient supercontinent Pangea.

“It’s the largest continental volcanic event and the largest mass extinction that we’re aware of on earth ever,” says Dr. Lindy Elkins-Tanton, a planetary scientist and professor at Arizona State University. “At the time, we didn’t know what caused either one or if they were definitively related to each other.”

In 2014, Chinese and American researchers made a breakthrough. The team extracted ancient volcanic ash from the Global Stratotype Section and Point for the early Triassic period, a site in Meishan, China that contains sediment that dates to the crisis unambiguously. By analyzing the uranium and lead isotopes contained in the ash, they put a relatively precise date on the extinction: 251.9 million years ago, give or take 70,000 years.

The next step was to date the Siberian Traps. Using the same method, the scientists analyzed samples from the site. “The bulk of this diffusive and explosive volcanism led up to the extinction,” says Elkins-Tanton, who was a part of the research team.

From these two dates, a timeline began to emerge. Intense volcanic activity on the ancient supercontinent of Pangea spewed magma through layers of basalt, coal and organic material. The combustion of these layers produced an immense amount of CO2 as well as other greenhouse gasses and chlorofluorocarbons.

Victims and Survivors

On land, both plants and animals perished in equatorial regions. At further latitudes, mosses and other lycopods began to dominate ecosystems that were once forested with conifers. Our ancestors, the tetrapods, died en masse. Survivors fled from the tropics towards the poles.

Like the mass extinctions before it, the End-Permian had an outsized impact on marine organisms. As CO2 from the atmosphere leached into the water, the ocean became more and more acidic. Simultaneously, high temperatures and cyanobacteria blooms consumed dissolved oxygen until there was little left.

Many organisms that had evolved to construct exoskeletons from minerals, found in ambient seawater, did not survive these changes in marine chemistry. The engineers of Permian reef ecosystems, rugose and tabulate corals, went completely extinct. Vast groups of externally-shelled cephalopods, ancestors of the nautilus, succumbed to the same fate. The End-Permian extinguished the last species of Trilobites as well, a group that had been on the decline since the Ordovician Mass Extinction.

Read more: The First Mass Extinction Event Explained: End-Ordovician

As with any mass-extinction, there were survivors of the Great Dying. Before the event, clam-like brachiopods were plentiful and diverse, but the extinction extinguished them in favor of their cousins, the bivalve mollusks. To this day, bivalves are widespread, while only a few orders of brachiopods remain.

Many researchers have speculated that the End-Permian may have catalyzed diversification among tetrapods. Though the extinction wiped many out permanently, the Early Triassic saw the creatures diversify and expand their ranges rapidly. This “radiation” eventually gave rise to archosaurs and later dinosaurs.

Drawing Parallels

The same factors that have driven anthropogenic global warming today drove global ecological collapse at the end of the Permian. An over-abundance of greenhouse gasses made the planet unlivable for most living organisms. Actually, the warming that initiated the End-Permian may have occurred at a much slower rate than anthropogenic global warming.

“It was the same climate change caused by the same greenhouse gasses as what we’re seeing today,” Elkins-Tanton says. “And it was almost the end of multicellular life on earth.”

However, climate scientists project that, if we can lower our emissions quickly enough, we can keep global warming to levels far below the ones that scorched the earth during the earth’s largest extinction event. It’s not too late to avoid total and complete ecological collapse.

“The rate of change might not have been as fast as today, but it changed the temperature so much that it’s really the worst-case scenario of what might happen,” David Bottjer says, paleoecologist and University of Southern California professor of earth sciences. “That’s why we should study it. To understand future scenarios for our climate.”

The future scenario, most-analogous to the End-Permian, would see humans continue to burn fossil fuels until few surviving organisms remained. It’s a scenario that may not represent the end of life on earth, but a fundamental change that would take millions of years to rebound from.

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How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

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

Acidification can be lethal, including for cephalopods, by hindering mineralized structures and interacting with other stressors.

Title:

Content: People 's Daily Online > > Economy and Technology
Three key factors confirmed: deoxygenation, water temperature rise and acidification
March 02, 2022 09: 22 | Source: Science and Technology Daily
Small number
Science and Technology Daily, Beijing, March 1 (Reporter Zhang Mengran) According to the latest issue of "Paleontology" magazine, by analyzing how now-extinct sea creatures once lived, a team of geoscientists at the University of Hamburg in Germany directly linked their extinction to the following climate change: declining oxygen content in water, rising water temperatures and ocean acidification.
The late Permian is characterized by the largest mass extinction event in Earth ’ s history. 252 million years ago, a series of volcanic eruptions in Siberia led to the release of large amounts of greenhouse gases.
Over the next few thousand years, the climate eventually warmed by 10 ° C.
As a result, on land, about 75% of all living things went extinct; in the ocean, the figure was about 90%.
These changes are similar to current trends.
Researchers say the Permian findings cannot be applied one-on-one to modern climate change.
The two climatic systems differ too much, yet they do show which features are essential for survival or extinction under similar conditions.
The team analyzed more than 25,000 records of 1,283 marine fossils from southern China, such as bivalves, snails, sponges, algae and crustaceans, all of which have mineral skeletons or shells.
Their fossil remains can be dated using a special method that provides insight into marine ecosystems millions of years ago.
The team also leveraged a vast database that provided a variety of ecologically relevant information about how these creatures lived.
For each genus, the researchers analyzed 12 of these criteria to identify certain survival-related traits.
With the help of machine learning, all of these factors were analyzed simultaneously, and the team compared the results to determine which organisms existed before, during, and after the mass extinction.
The team ’ s new findings shed light on the four most important factors that make it possible for organisms to survive the end of the Permian: where they live in water, how mineralized their shells are, the diversity of species within their genus, and their sensitivity to acidification.
Using the new game theory approach, the team succeeded in revealing the survival of a variety of organisms: some live in deeper water, where worsening hypoxia poses a risk.
By contrast, animals that live near the surface have to cope with rising water temperatures.
Also, if a creature has only one limited habitat, it has nowhere to go when that particular habitat becomes uninhabitable.
The findings identify which biometrics are "potentially lethal."
The team ultimately confirmed that mass extinctions can be directly attributed — suggesting that these could also be the three main causes of long-term extinctions in future climate crises.
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Declining oxygen levels in the water, rising water temperatures, ocean acidification — scientists have identified the culprits responsible for the extinction of marine life hundreds of millions of years ago.
These three reasons, which are not surprising, are also entirely logical deductions.
Only, it clearly reveals the catastrophic consequences of climate warming.
These three phenomena seem to be unremarkable, and because of this, it is actually very easy to appear.
As the article says, we cannot directly correspond to today ’ s climate in the Permian, nor can we directly regard the Permian mass extinction as today ’ s pessimistic assertion.
However, no matter what geological period, life is equally fragile, and they do not have enough time to adapt to a sudden climate crisis.
(Editor: Wang Zhen, Chen Jian)
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