Too much CO2 is threatening marine life

Written by Rona Thompson Marine life is under threat from too much carbon dioxide (CO2). High levels of CO2 in the atmosphere are not only responsible for increasing global mean temperature but are also causing the oceans to become more acidic. The problem, known as ocean acidification was among the critical issues discussed at the last Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro (June 2012). In a brief prepared by the United Nations for the summit, ocean acidification and warming were recognized as serious threats to marine ecosystems leading to a decline in marine bio-diversity and the loss of coral reefs. Over the past century, CO2 has increased in the atmosphere by about 40%. As air is exchanged between the atmosphere and the surface ocean, this has also led to an increase in CO2 in seawater. The additional CO2 is disrupting the natural balance between two important seawater components, carbonate and bicarbonate; as more CO2 dissolves, the concentration of carbonate decreases while that of bicarbonate increases. This also increases the acidity, measured in pH, where a decrease of 1 pH corresponds to a 10-fold increase in acidity. Seawater in the open ocean normally has a pH of around 8.1 making it more basic than pure water. The increasing concentration of CO2 has so far led to a pH decrease of around 0.1 globally, corresponding to a 30% increase in acidity. Ocean acidification has been investigated in New Zealand for more than a decade. As part of this research, oceanographers have been making regular

Mussel farm, New Zealand (source: Wikimedia commons, QFSE Media, http://www.qfse.com)

measurements of seawater temperature and acidity in sub-Antarctic waters and their now 12-year record shows increasing acidity in line with the global trend. Changes are also being monitored around New Zealands coastline, Exclusive Economic Zone and the Southern Ocean. Increased acidity and less carbonate is a major concern as it can have dire effects for some marine organisms. Organisms that have calcium carbonate shells are most at risk because as the acidity of seawater increases they have to work harder to maintain their shells and so have less energy to invest into growth and reproduction. Such at risk organisms include calcifying phytoplankton and zooplankton, which are at the base of the oceans foodchain. One zooplankton group, pteropods, commonly known as sea butterflies use a particularly soluble form of calcium carbonate in their shells making them more vulnerable to increased acidity. Ten years

ago these zooplankton were identified as an early warning signal for ocean acidification, and oceanographers are already seeing evidence of their decline in sub-Antarctic waters. Another concern is the impact of increasing acidity on corals, which have calcium carbonate skeletons. Although New Zealand does not have any tropical coral species, it does have many cold-water corals that grow at depths of 200 meters and more in the ocean. Cold-water corals play an important role in the marine ecosystem as fish nurseries, providing shelter and feeding grounds for young fish. Research is also underway into the influence of increasing acidity on commercially important shellfish species, such as mussels, cockles, and paua. A recent study at the Mahanga Bay facility in Wellington, New Zealand, which is due to be published soon, shows that lower pH can have adverse effects on paua. Ocean acidification is an emerging global problem. Acidity changes have been implicated as a contributing factor to the decline of some tropical corals, along with the added pressures of increasing

temperatures and pollution. Before the end of this century, coral reefs may be eroded faster than they can be rebuilt, threatening their long-term viability and compromising other marine species that depend on corals. There are a few groups of marine species, however, that may benefit from increased CO2 in the ocean, such as sea-grasses and photosynthetic algae, which do not have carbonate shells. Consequently ocean acidification will result in significant changes to marine ecosystems in coastal regions and in the open ocean but the knock-on effects for fish and shellfish are not well understood. Research carried out in New Zealand is part of a worldwide effort to monitor and predict the impacts of ocean acidification. Currently it is not possible to say exactly how these changes will affect marine ecosystems and more research is needed in this area. However, it would be possible to halt further degradation of marine ecosystems if the acidity of the ocean were stabilized at current levels but for this to happen, we need to stop the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere now.