Ocean Acidification

April 4, 2022

Written by: Caroline Kim

Spring is finally here, and all I can think about is the beach and all my favorite warmer weather activities, so here’s a quick post about ocean acidification. This occurrence is exactly what it sounds like: a global decrease in the pH in seawater. And if you haven’t guessed it already, the cause is an excess of CO2 being released into the earth’s atmosphere that is absorbed by the oceans. And this CO2 being released can be credited to human activity such as the burning of fossil fuels. In fact, Raffery states that from the 1750’s, “... scientists have estimated, the average pH of seawater declined from 8.19 to 8.05, which corresponds to a 30 percent increase in acidity”. Over time, this issue has accumulated significantly, to a point where sea life has been put at risk. For example, ocean food chains can be altered, which would also impact human good supply; other effects also include the consumption of necessary minerals in the ocean (Understanding Ocean Acidification). According to the article Understanding Ocean Acidification, the locations that are most strongly affected by this occurrence are The Pacific Northwest, Long Island Sound, Narragansett Bay, Chesapeake Bay, Gulf of Mexico, and areas off Maine and Massachusetts as of 2015.

In terms of solutions to this major issue, there are many ways in which we as humans can contribute. First, we can start by making this issue more public, as many may not know about it; I too, was unaware until I started researching the issues of environmental concerns. Other more habitual lifestyles to fix this issue include eating less meat, using less energy, conserving water, reducing plastic consumption, carpooling more, public transit, and recycling (Ocean Acidification). To read more about how recycling can help the environment, refer to last week’s post!

Sources:

Rafferty, John P.. "ocean acidification". Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Mar. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/science/ocean-acidification. Accessed 2 April 2022.

Fisheries, NOAA. “Understanding Ocean Acidification.” NOAA, https://test-www.fisheries.noaa.gov/insight/understanding-ocean-acidification.

“Ocean Acidification.” Revolution, 3 Sept. 2021, https://therevolutionmovie.com/index.php/open-your-eyes/ocean-acidification/solutions/.