Ocean acidification, primarily caused by increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from human activities, leads to a decrease in seawater pH and a reduction in carbonate ion availability.

This chemical shift poses serious threats to marine life beyond coral bleaching, affecting organisms from microscopic plankton to large marine mammals.

These changes impair physiological functions, growth, reproduction, behavior, and survival, thereby disrupting marine ecosystems and the services they provide to humans.

Shellfish and crustaceans, including shrimp, clams, oysters, crabs, and lobsters, depend heavily on carbonate ions to form their calcium carbonate shells and exoskeletons.

Ocean acidification makes shell formation more costly and causes shell thinning and dissolution.

Studies show shrimp larvae are particularly vulnerable, with combined effects of acidification and warming causing reduced survival and stunted growth, signaling risks of population collapse .

In the Sundarbans estuary, pH has fallen from approximately 8.3 in the 1980s to 7.9 by 2019, leading to significant declines—35-40%—in populations of oysters and clams, accompanied by reductions in individual size by up to 40% .

These losses threaten biodiversity and the livelihoods of local fisheries.

Innovative mitigation approaches include adding calcium carbonate shell hash to sediments, which buffers acidity and promotes shell growth and healthier gene expression in bivalves .

Furthermore, coastal kelp farming has demonstrated the ability to locally increase seawater pH and alkalinity, accelerating shellfish growth and providing ecosystem benefits such as carbon and nitrogen sequestration as well as mitigating harmful algal blooms .

Plankton species like pteropods and coccolithophores form the foundation of marine food webs but are highly vulnerable to acidification.

Lower carbonate ion availability causes shell dissolution and decreases plankton survival and reproduction, threatening food sources for fish and marine mammals.

For example, Arctic copepods (Calanus hyperboreus) exhibit increased metabolic rates when exposed simultaneously to acidification and warming, implying heightened energy demands that could reduce survival and reproductive success despite stable lipid stores .

These changes at the base of the food chain can cascade upward, negatively affecting fish stocks and marine mammals dependent on plankton for nourishment .

Cephalopods, including cuttlefish and octopuses, are vital components of marine ecosystems but are also affected by ocean acidification, although they do not rely on calcium carbonate shells.

Recent studies reveal that Mediterranean common cuttlefish experience several physiological and behavioral changes under environmental stressors such as ocean acidification and anthropogenic noise pollution.

These include altered protein expression related to stress and structural integrity, reduced growth and reproductive rates, increased aggressiveness, decreased food intake, and elevated mortality rates .

A significant factor in cephalopod vulnerability is the disruption of statocysts, specialized sensory organs analogous to vertebrate inner ears, which aid in balance and spatial orientation underwater.

Ocean acidification combined with noise pollution impairs statocyst function, leading to developmental delays, higher larval abnormalities, and behavioral changes that inhibit survival and ecological functionality .

Cephalopods also rely on sophisticated camouflage, hunting skills, and learning abilities that may be compromised by acidification-induced physiological stress .

Fish species encounter multiple impacts from acidification, particularly through disruptions in their sensory systems and behaviors critical for survival and reproduction.

Acidified waters affect brain ion regulation and induce molecular adaptations linked to circadian rhythm genes, immune functions, and neural plasticity .

These changes can impair predator avoidance, feeding efficiency, and reproductive behaviors, reducing population resilience.

While some fish show rapid evolutionary responses enhancing survival under acidified conditions, species with slower adaptation rates are at risk of decline, which threatens marine biodiversity and fisheries globally .

Marine mammals experience indirect impacts from ocean acidification primarily through shifts in prey availability.

Declines in plankton and forage fish—key dietary components—translated from acidification-induced stress, impair marine mammals’ nutritional status and reproductive success.

For example, increased metabolic stress in Arctic copepod larvae threatens the stability of the Arctic food web, affecting predator species such as seals and whales that rely on these prey .

Beyond biological consequences, ocean acidification threatens global fisheries and economies reliant on marine resources.

Declines in shellfish and fish populations reduce harvests, affecting food security and livelihoods, especially in coastal communities.

Projections suggest that if CO2 emissions continue unchecked, ocean pH could drop by an additional 0.3-0.4 units by 2100, worsening acidification impacts on marine biodiversity and ecosystem services worldwide.

Efforts to mitigate ocean acidification include reducing carbon emissions and implementing localized remedies.

Kelp farming stands out as a promising nature-based solution, increasing local pH and supporting shellfish aquaculture while contributing to carbon and nutrient cycling.

Protective policies for marine habitats and enhanced monitoring of vulnerable species like cephalopods and plankton are also critical to safeguarding ocean health.

In summary, ocean acidification imposes widespread, multifaceted threats to marine organisms—altering physiological processes, disrupting reproduction and behavior, and destabilizing food webs.

Cephalopods such as cuttlefish and octopuses experience notable impacts on sensory systems and survival, while shellfish suffer from shell degradation.

Plankton stress triggers cascading effects throughout ecosystems, and fish experience reduced sensory and reproductive capacity, affecting populations and dependent predators including marine mammals.

Understanding these impacts enables informed advocacy and action, making education during events like your school’s Spirit Week essential to inspire climate justice and ocean conservation.

References to claims in this report include: , , , , , , , , .

Ocean acidification, primarily caused by increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from human activities, leads to a decrease in seawater pH and a reduction in carbonate ion availability.

Title:

Content: The Arctic region is currently undergoing rapid and significant changes, with acidification and warming occurring at alarming rates.
These shifts raise concerns about the resilience of marine communities in the face of such environmental shifts.
Marine zooplankton, especially copepods, play a crucial role in the Arctic food web.
However, differences in environmental conditions can disrupt zooplankton populations, leading to adverse consequences for the entire ecosystem.
Recent research has focused on understanding the extent to which copepods in early life are exposed to environmental stressors, as they represent a critical bottleneck in the copepods life cycle.
A study by Espinel Velasco et al.
(2023) Explore the responses of 4-day-old Kalanos Hyperborius Lenobli to acidification (pH 7.5 and 8.1) and warming (0 and 3 ° C), both individually and collectively.
The study revealed that the larvae 'breathing rates increased significantly when exposed to a combination of acidification and warming.
Surprisingly, exposure to these stressors individually did not produce the same effect.
Surprisingly, the researchers did not find any noticeable differences in fat content and fatty acid composition in the larvae across various experimental treatments.
Wax esters, which make up about 75% of the fat reserve, and high amounts of long-chain fatty acids 20: 1 and 22: 1, necessary for copepods to reproduce, have been detected in all treatments.
By highlighting the sensitivity of larvae to the combined effects of acidification and warming, this study aligns with a growing body of evidence from relevant research.
It highlights the potential impacts of global change on Arctic copepod populations and stresses the importance of understanding early life stage responses to environmental stressors.
Questions and Answers:
Q: What are zooplankton?
A: Zooplankton refers to small, often microscopic, organisms that drift into the ocean or other bodies of water and serve as one of the main sources of food for many marine species.
Q: What is the role of copepods in the Arctic food web?
A: Copepods, especially calanotic copepods such as Calanus Hyperboreus, are a critical component of the Arctic food web.
They serve as a vital link between primary producers (such as phytoplankton) and higher trophic levels, serving as a food source for various marine species.
Q: What is acidification?
A: Acidification refers to the process of increasing acidity (lowering pH) in seawater due to the absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
This occurs as a result of human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels.
Q: How does global warming affect marine ecosystems?
A: Ocean warming can have various impacts on marine ecosystems, including changes in species distribution, changing reproductive cycles, and potential disruptions to the delicate balance of food webs.
Source: Frontiers in Marine Science, DOI: 10.3389 / fmars.2023.1240673

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

What is the main cause of ocean acidification?

water absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

This chemical shift poses serious threats to marine life beyond coral bleaching, affecting organisms from microscopic plankton to large marine mammals.

Title:

Content: Newswise — STONY BROOK, NY, May 25, 2022 – While kelp is known as a nutritious food item for sea creatures and humans alike, harvesting kelp may be a new way to help keep bivalves such as clams and oysters – a more common food source and marine industry staple – healthy and more abundant. A new study led by Christopher Gobler, PhD, and a team of scientists at the Stony Brook University School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) shows that the presence of kelp significantly reduces ocean acidification, a result of climate change.

Published in Frontiers in Marine Science, the study also demonstrated that the deployment of kelp on an oyster farm nullifies ocean acidification and therefore protects bivalves against acidification. The process may also have additional ecosystem and aquaculture benefits, including the sequestration and extraction of carbon and nitrogen, and protection against harmful algae blooms.

For shellfish, one of the most serious climate change-related threats is ocean acidification. Carbon dioxide or CO2 levels in Earth’s atmosphere continue to rise, infiltrating oceans where it causes chemical reactions that lower pH and cause ocean acidification. For the past two decades, one of the most robust conclusions of ocean climate change research has been that increasing levels of CO2 in surface waters threaten shellfish that rely on higher pH waters to grow and survive. This threat is particularly acute in coastal zones where additional sources of acidity can further reduce pH and slow shell formation in shellfish, especially bivalves. And while many wild populations of bivalves have collapsed, a burgeoning wave of aquaculture in the U.S. and around the World has caused the global production of seafood via aquaculture to grow and now exceed wild capture.

“Despite this wave of aquaculture, the intensification of ocean acidification now threatens bivalve aquaculture and has necessitated a solution,” explains Professor Gobler, the Endowed Chair of Coastal Ecology and Conservation at SoMAS.  “We believe our work is foundational to a solution.”

In the study, titled “Kelp (Saccharina latissima) Mitigates Coastal Ocean Acidification and Increases the Growth of North Atlantic Bivalves in Lab Experiments and on an Oyster Farm,” Professor Gobler and colleagues conducted six experiments to assess the effects of elevated CO2 and presence of kelp (S. latissima) on the growth rates of three different species of bivalves: (Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica), blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), and hard clams / Northern quahogs (Mercenaria mercenaria).

In each of the experiments, acidification was significantly reduced with the cultivation of kelp. They furthered the research with the ultimate test – a field experiment at the Great Gun oyster farm in Moriches Bay, New York.

They found that during a one-month deployment, oysters that were surrounded by kelp enjoyed higher pH water and grew significantly faster than individual shellfish located further away where the pH of the water was significantly lower.

Professor Gobler and colleagues emphasize that these findings have powerful implications for oyster farming in coastal zones.

“We have been witnessing coastal ocean acidification for years and have documented its ability to slow the growth, and even kill off, shellfish. We began growing kelp on oyster farms to simply expand aquaculture, regionally. After seeing its ability to rapidly take up CO2 and improve low pH conditions, we knew it had the potential to benefit shellfish experiencing acidification. And while showing that in the lab was exciting, being able to improve the growth of oysters on an oyster farm experiencing coastal acidification proves this approach can have very broad applications,” explains Professor Gobler.

Overall, the research clearly shows, according to the authors, that “the cultivation of kelp constitutes an environmentally friendly means of protecting shellfisheries against present and future ocean acidification and other coastal stressors.”

Building on the work, helping the oyster farms

“We’ve helped grow kelp on 10 oyster farms across New York since 2018 and more and more aquaculturists have been hoping to incorporate kelp into their farms,” says Mike Doall, Associate Director of Shellfish Restoration and Aquaculture at Stony Brook University. “In addition to providing crop diversification and additive revenue streams, the ability of kelp to fight ocean acidification gives these oyster farmers one more reason to add kelp as a second crop.”

The recent study builds on other research by the same SoMAS group, which published a study in Harmful Algae in 2021. That study demonstrated that kelp has the ability to deter the intensity of harmful algal blooms, another environmental threat to shellfish aquaculture.

Such scenarios with kelp appear to create a win-win scenario for oyster farmers like Paul McCormick, owner of the Great Gun oyster farm where the current study was performed.

“Kelp looks to be the perfect complement to oysters on my farm,” says McCormick. “It grows during winter and spring, when the oysters need less attention, and there is lots of interest in kelp from restaurants. If it is offering protection to my oysters against poor water quality, well that’s another good reason to add it to my farm.”

Citations:

Young, C. S., Sylvers, L. H., Tomasetti, S. J., Lundstrom, A., Schenone, C., Doall, M. H., & Gobler, C. J. (2022) Kelp (Saccharina latissima) mitigates ocean acidification and increases the growth of North Atlantic bivalves in lab experiments and on an oyster farm. Frontiers in Marine Science, Volume 9 | Article 881254

Sylvers, P. H., & Gobler, C. J. (2021). Mitigation of harmful algal blooms caused by Alexandrium catenella and reduction in saxitoxin accumulation in bivalves using cultivable seaweeds. Harmful Algae, 105, 102056.

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Frontiers in Marine Science

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

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

These changes impair physiological functions, growth, reproduction, behavior, and survival, thereby disrupting marine ecosystems and the services they provide to humans.

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?

Shellfish and crustaceans, including shrimp, clams, oysters, crabs, and lobsters, depend heavily on carbonate ions to form their calcium carbonate shells and exoskeletons.

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 do shellfish use to build their shells?

Ocean acidification makes shell formation more costly and causes shell thinning and dissolution.

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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What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

Studies show shrimp larvae are particularly vulnerable, with combined effects of acidification and warming causing reduced survival and stunted growth, signaling risks of population collapse .

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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?

it can kill shellfish
it slows their growth

In the Sundarbans estuary, pH has fallen from approximately 8.3 in the 1980s to 7.9 by 2019, leading to significant declines—35-40%—in populations of oysters and clams, accompanied by reductions in individual size by up to 40% .

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.

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How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

These losses threaten biodiversity and the livelihoods of local fisheries.

Innovative mitigation approaches include adding calcium carbonate shell hash to sediments, which buffers acidity and promotes shell growth and healthier gene expression in bivalves .

Furthermore, coastal kelp farming has demonstrated the ability to locally increase seawater pH and alkalinity, accelerating shellfish growth and providing ecosystem benefits such as carbon and nitrogen sequestration as well as mitigating harmful algal blooms .

Plankton species like pteropods and coccolithophores form the foundation of marine food webs but are highly vulnerable to acidification.

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

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

Lower carbonate ion availability causes shell dissolution and decreases plankton survival and reproduction, threatening food sources for fish and marine mammals.

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

How does coastal ocean acidification affect shellfish?

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

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

For example, Arctic copepods (Calanus hyperboreus) exhibit increased metabolic rates when exposed simultaneously to acidification and warming, implying heightened energy demands that could reduce survival and reproductive success despite stable lipid stores .

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?

Which regions are most affected by ocean acidification?

These changes at the base of the food chain can cascade upward, negatively affecting fish stocks and marine mammals dependent on plankton for nourishment .

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

How does elevated water acidity affect fish ability to survive?

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

Cephalopods, including cuttlefish and octopuses, are vital components of marine ecosystems but are also affected by ocean acidification, although they do not rely on calcium carbonate shells.

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

Recent studies reveal that Mediterranean common cuttlefish experience several physiological and behavioral changes under environmental stressors such as ocean acidification and anthropogenic noise pollution.

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
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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?

These include altered protein expression related to stress and structural integrity, reduced growth and reproductive rates, increased aggressiveness, decreased food intake, and elevated mortality rates .

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

How does elevated water acidity affect fish ability to survive?

A significant factor in cephalopod vulnerability is the disruption of statocysts, specialized sensory organs analogous to vertebrate inner ears, which aid in balance and spatial orientation underwater.

Ocean acidification combined with noise pollution impairs statocyst function, leading to developmental delays, higher larval abnormalities, and behavioral changes that inhibit survival and ecological functionality .

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 elevated water acidity affect fish ability to survive?

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

Cephalopods also rely on sophisticated camouflage, hunting skills, and learning abilities that may be compromised by acidification-induced physiological stress .

Title:

Content: Carbon Dioxide Makes Ocean Acidification Study Suggests Rapid Evolution Could Make Fish Easier to Deal With
March 03, 2022 17: 00
Eastern Network Television
More News Clips
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

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

Fish species encounter multiple impacts from acidification, particularly through disruptions in their sensory systems and behaviors critical for survival and reproduction.

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

it will affect their survival
it will alter their key behaviors

How does elevated water acidity affect fish ability to survive?

Acidified waters affect brain ion regulation and induce molecular adaptations linked to circadian rhythm genes, immune functions, and neural plasticity .

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

it will affect their physiology and growth

These changes can impair predator avoidance, feeding efficiency, and reproductive behaviors, reducing population resilience.

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?

fish becomes easy prey for other predators

While some fish show rapid evolutionary responses enhancing survival under acidified conditions, species with slower adaptation rates are at risk of decline, which threatens marine biodiversity and fisheries globally .

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?

Marine mammals experience indirect impacts from ocean acidification primarily through shifts in prey availability.

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.
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Declines in plankton and forage fish—key dietary components—translated from acidification-induced stress, impair marine mammals’ nutritional status and reproductive success.

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?

For example, increased metabolic stress in Arctic copepod larvae threatens the stability of the Arctic food web, affecting predator species such as seals and whales that rely on these prey .

Which regions are most affected by ocean acidification?

Beyond biological consequences, ocean acidification threatens global fisheries and economies reliant on marine resources.

Declines in shellfish and fish populations reduce harvests, affecting food security and livelihoods, especially in coastal communities.

Projections suggest that if CO2 emissions continue unchecked, ocean pH could drop by an additional 0.3-0.4 units by 2100, worsening acidification impacts on marine biodiversity and ecosystem services worldwide.

What factors lead to damage of coral reefs?

Efforts to mitigate ocean acidification include reducing carbon emissions and implementing localized remedies.

Kelp farming stands out as a promising nature-based solution, increasing local pH and supporting shellfish aquaculture while contributing to carbon and nutrient cycling.

Protective policies for marine habitats and enhanced monitoring of vulnerable species like cephalopods and plankton are also critical to safeguarding ocean health.

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

In summary, ocean acidification imposes widespread, multifaceted threats to marine organisms—altering physiological processes, disrupting reproduction and behavior, and destabilizing food webs.

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?

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

Cephalopods such as cuttlefish and octopuses experience notable impacts on sensory systems and survival, while shellfish suffer from shell degradation.

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

Plankton stress triggers cascading effects throughout ecosystems, and fish experience reduced sensory and reproductive capacity, affecting populations and dependent predators including marine mammals.

Understanding these impacts enables informed advocacy and action, making education during events like your school’s Spirit Week essential to inspire climate justice and ocean conservation.

References to claims in this report include: , , , , , , , , .