What is Ocean Acidification?

Ocean Acidification, What's that?

Since the onset of the industrial revolution, fundamental changes have affected the chemistry of world’s oceans. Thanks to the activities of mankind in the industrial and agricultural industries, great amounts of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere yearly. As the level of carbon dioxide released increases, the ocean level also increases (rises) as well. Furthermore, the carbon dioxide released is also absorbed by the ocean, leading to the chemical elements in the oceans to change, known as ocean acidification.  

From the smallest creatures to the largest creatures in the marine ecosystem, ocean acidification is inevitable. Ocean acidification has a negative impact on the marine ecosystem, especially its impact on shelled organisms. Since a large portion of the marine food web relies on these shelled organisms, the entire food web is also put at a risk. This risk not only affects marine species, but affects humans as well. Scientists today are trying to find ways to combat and slow down the rate of ocean acidification. Due to the wide spread of causes leading to ocean acidification, solutions to prevent this environmental problem is difficult to impose.

Ocean Acidification Solution Graphic

Solutions to Ocean Acidification:

Flowchart of the Different Solutions to Ocean Acidification

Above is a flowchart of the different ways to reduce the rate of ocean acidification. The different solutions include reducing carbon emissions, reducing industrial emissions, and reducing electrical emissions. 

Steps to Reduce the Rate of Ocean Acidification

Above is a diagram of the steps and ways to reduce ocean acidification through reducing the emissions of electric generations, transportation, industrial waste, and promote the use of technological advances.

What are Some Solutions to Ocean Acidification?

Solutions to Ocean Acidification:

Electricity Generation:

            Electricity production needs to be severely altered if any kind of dent is to be made in the anthropogenic carbon footprint. The United States (as well as all other superpowers) need to move away from the consumption of coal and other fossil fuels and towards green energy solutions. Currently, wind, water, and solar power are used throughout the U.S. However, these energy sources are too inefficient and expensive to be practical for use on a large scale. There is no way that we could fuel our nation using the current wind, water, and solar power technologies. That is why much more research and development must be dedicated to these fields. The government needs to encourage or force industries to move towards these energy sources, through stricter regulation and/or tax incentives. If solar power is made more efficient and less expensive, more residential communities will be more willing to adopt solar power as their primary source of electricity. Increased tax breaks will add to the list of reasons to switch over as well. If residential communities use more solar power, it will allow the energy produced by burning coal to be dedicated to industry, and will reduce the amount of fossil fuels that need to be consumed. Nuclear technology must be studied as well in order to make it more environmentally friendly and practical for large-scale use. Although it has negative effects on the environment in some ways, it does help to serve as a practical primary source of low emission energy, making it a definite logical solution to at least part of the problem that is ocean acidification.

            The other major step that needs to be taken in order to reduce electric carbon emissions is making the public aware. Ocean acidification is an extremely important issue that often goes unnoticed in the shadow of climate change, an issue that people have very strong feelings about. The public needs to be made aware that ocean acidification is definitely a real issue that is occurring every day, and that they need to do their part to combat it. Energy saving tactics such as unplugging batteries (laptops, cell phones, etc.), turning off lights when they are not being used, and trying to use electricity only when necessary must be put into practice. People will respond more positively to ocean acidification than climate change because there is no large opposing community denying that it is anthropogenic. The scientific community is aware and worried, and the public will follow suit once this issue is made more public. Saving energy means saving money, which is just another incentive to using less electricity, and using less electricity is absolutely necessary in order to save our oceans.

Industry:

            Carbon emissions from industry are the second largest source of greenhouse gases in the U.S.  Carbon emissions from the industrial sector have not increased since 1990, but manufacturing output has also not increased within this time.  The following industries account for the majority of energy use in the nation; petroleum refining, chemical production, mineral production, paper production, primary metal production, and food processing. Therefore, solutions need to be developed now to account for future production increases in manufacturing.  Loans and tax credits should be made available to established industrial companies to create environmentally friendly production processes.  Improved environmental regulation of the private sector would ensure that industrial carbon emissions decrease.  Funding for these types of government intervention can be funded by new taxes on “dirty” energy industries. 

Transportation:

Carbon emissions released from the transportation of people and goods can be substantially reduced through technological innovation and government support.  Traffic congestion is a major issue that needs to be addressed in order to release transportation-related carbon emissions. The efficiency of vehicles is drastically reduced during peak travel hours, when traffic can slow to a crawl. This issue can be addressed by improving the present highway infrastructure in the nation.  An additional way to reduce congestion is to reduce the amount of drivers on the road.  This can be accomplished by adding incentives for companies that allow their employees to telecommute by changing the tax code.  Making public transportation more affordable would also help this cause.  All of the above mentioned solutions would reduce the frequency and duration of time that Americans spend creating carbon emissions through the use of personal vehicles.  However, the fuel efficiency of vehicles needs to continue to improve.  Fuel taxes would help fund infrastructure improvement projects and discourage fuel consumption.  Higher fuel prices would encourage consumers to purchase more fuel-efficient vehicles and spur technological innovation that would lead to increased efficiency and alternate energy vehicle development.

Ocean Acidification Causes Graphic

Diagrams of the Causes of Ocean Acidification:

Ocean Acidification: Atom Models of the Chemical Changes

Above is a detailed description using atom models to explain the chemical changes that occurs in th ocean once the carbon dioxide is absorbed.

Source:

Pmel carbon organization. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/What is Ocean Acidification?

Ocean Acidification: Chemical Changes in the Ocean 

Above is a basic diagram of what occurs in the ocean water when carbon dioxide is absorbed. An overview of the

chemical changes that make the ocean more acidic is displayed. 
Source:

What is ocean acidification?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://oceana.org/en/our-work/climate-energy/ocean-acidification/learn-act/what-is-ocean-acidification

Flowchart of the Steps Leading to Ocean Acidification

Above is a diagram of the causes that lead to ocean acidification.  Basically, carbon dioxide is absorbed by the ocean. This leads to the ocean to become more acidic and toxic. 

What Causes Ocean Acidification?

Causes of Ocean Acidification:

Ocean acidification is a global issue caused by increasing levels of Carbon Dioxide in earth’s atmosphere. The U.S. is one of the largest contributors of carbon emissions in the world. Carbon emissions are generated by industry, trade, transport, energy production, and many other sources.  The production of electricity is a huge contributing factor to the rising levels of carbon emissions. Although some clean energy solutions have been implemented, they do not even come close to producing the same amount of energy that we produce by burning coal and other fuels each year. The combustion of coal releases many different types of pollution into the environment, carbon dioxide being one of them. Industries that use large amounts of electricity are therefore indirectly responsible (if not directly responsible) for the release of carbon dioxide. Within the U.S., just six industries consume the majority of the electricity that is produced. According to data collected in 2006, the six industries that used the majority of U.S. electricity were:

1.      Petroleum Refining

2.      Chemical Production

3.      Primary Metal Production,

4.      Paper Production

5.      Food processing/Production/Transportation/Storage

6.      Mineral Production

The fact that these six industries consume the majority of the electricity that is produced is a problem that needs to be addressed, especially because most of these industries release large amounts of carbon emissions during production, in addition to the carbon dioxide released during the production of the electricity that fuel them.

            Transportation is also a major factor in the rising levels of carbon emissions seen in the U.S. Cars and smaller trucks are responsible for up to two thirds of emissions from transportation, leaving the other third to planes, freight trucks, trains and boats.

Ocean Acidification Research

Ocean Acidification Causes and Solutions

Causes:

The acidification of the world’s ocean has increased at a rapid rate following the Industrial Revolution. The main cause of ocean acidification is the increase in carbon emissions since this time. Oceans have become more acidic at such a rapid rate, that calcifying organism has been unable to evolve to meet this change. This is especially troubling as calcifying microorganism form the basis of marine food webs throughout the ocean. These microorganisms need these shells for protection from other microorganism. When microorganism finally succumbs to the acidification, all other populations within the marine food web will also be devastated. Ocean acidification is a truly international issue, as it is a threat to global biodiversity. The United States is in a unique position to take a stand on ocean acidification because it is the largest producer of the underlying cause; carbon emissions. This endemic will only continue to become more global as developing nations continue to industrialize and release carbon into the atmosphere.

The root of ocean acidification is carbon dioxide emission. Carbon dioxide emission comes from a variety of source such as cars, industrial pollution, electric generated emission, petroleum, natural gas, coal, fossil fuels and much more. From the carbon dioxide that is emitted, the ocean absorbs a quarter of the carbon dioxide. When the carbon dioxide is absorbed, a chemical change occurs; the carbon dioxide + water + carbonate ion à 2 bicarbonate ions. This chemical change results in making the ocean more acidic and lowers the pH of the ocean.

Ocean acidification affects all aspects of ocean life, especially the shelled (calcifying) organisms. The lowering of the pH level affects mussels and oysters shells, causing a direct decline in their populations. This occurs because a lowering of pH causes the shells to dissolve in turn making shelled organisms vulnerable to dissolution. Statistics and tests show that there is a 25- 45% decrease in calcification and there are also clear signs of structural damage in their shell. Pteropods are small winged snails that are the basis of the food chain for much of the commercial fishing. Recent studies have showed the dissolution to their shells if exposed to the carbonate content of the ocean in the next 50 years.

Coral reefs are very sensitive to temperature and if the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere cause even a 1-2 degree change in the water that could cause bleaching of the coral. Bleaching of corals is when the coral expels their vital algal symbionts, leaving the coral looking translucent. An example of this was in 1998 when a single bleaching event led to the loss of almost 20% of the world’s living coral. And it is thought that by 2050 more reefs will be disappearing from erosion then we can build due to the combination of warm waters and reduced calcification due to acidification. Another danger to reefs is the higher carbon dioxide concentrate in the water, leading to lowered calcification rates. These lower rates affect the reef’s ability to grow its carbonate skeleton. If this is to happen then the coral will grow much slower and will be much more fragile leading to quicker erosion.

The effects of the increase in carbonate in the oceans could drastically damage humans as well. This is because nearly 500 million people depend on healthy reefs for sustenance, resources, and protection, and with an estimated 30 million people depending on reefs entirely for food. Challenges faced by the coral reefs in the future are directly temperature change.

Ocean acidification will affect different areas of the ocean at different times, for instance areas of higher latitude where the natural carbonate levels are lowest are more susceptible. Also areas to be greatly affected are cold water coral communities which often grow at depths of hundreds of meters and already grow at slow rates and are also fragile. They are thought to be important for many nursery habitats, they are also a hotspot for biodiversity, other benthic ecosystems and organisms such as mollusks, star fish and sea urchins are expected to be hit early due to their already low carbonate concentrations in their deep environments.

Solutions:

Numerous previous solutions exist to solve the problem of increasing carbon emissions and ocean acidification. Alternate energy solutions have been developed to generate electricity in more environmentally friendly methods. Solar and wind powered electrical generation systems have become more prevalent in their appropriate regions in recent years. The main limitation of alternate “green” energy producing solutions is that they cannot be utilized in all regions of our nation. Therefore, the current consensus is that only a combination of solutions will allow the nation to transition from its dependence on fossil fuels. Efforts are also underway to reduce the amount of carbon emissions produced in the transportation of people and commodities. Government regulations have and will continue to improve the fuel efficiency of consumer vehicles well into the future. Automobile manufacturers have recently embraced electric, natural gas, and hybrid vehicles due to rising fuel costs. The main obstacle of reducing transportation related carbon emissions are the American consumer. The commercial transportation industry will certainly shift to “green” sources of energy as fuel prices increase in order to maintain profits. However, consumers may not be willing to purchase smaller, fuel efficient vehicles that are presumed to be less safe. These combustion methods will not be able to proliferate until its supporting infrastructure becomes economical and readily-available. Public mass transportation in metropolitan areas also helps reduce carbon emissions.

The solution to ocean acidification is simply to reduce carbon emissions. Several working solutions have already been developed and utilized throughout the nation. Although increasing awareness would be detrimental to the effort, this course of action is limited as most people are already aware of global climate change and have not attempted to change their carbon footprints. Unfortunately, government intervention may be required to stop the rising trend of carbon emissions. It is clear that the majority of citizens will only adapt clean energy solutions when they become economically advantageous. One solution that seems practical is the process of geologic sequestration. This term refers to the injection of carbon emissions into deep underground reservoirs. However, this solution is also has be met with disagreements. It is agreeable that ocean acidification is impossible to get rid of. Even though public awareness may be overlooked as previously stated, increasing public awareness can always be a positive. It might seem that promoting public awareness is useless now, but in the long run, it will have served its purpose.  

 Sources:

Dr. Hood, M., Dr. Hans-Otto, P., Dr. Fabry, V., Dr. Gattuso, J., & Dr. Reibesell, U. (n.d.). Ocean acidification network. Retrieved from http://www.ocean-acidification.net/FAQeco.html

EPA. (2011, April 14). U.S environmental protection agency. Retrieved from

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/co2_human.htm

Natural resources defence council. (2009, September 17). Retrieved from

http://www.nrdc.org/oceans/acidification

Pmel carbon organization. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/What is Ocean Acidification?

Different Environmental Concerns

Current Environmental Problems

      1. Medical Waste in the Oceans

One of the crucial problems in the world today is the medical waste that is dumped into the oceans. The medical waste that is dumped into the ocean is items such as surgical gloves, swabs, body organ cultures, and bloody bandages. All of these medical materials come from hospitals, veterinary clinics, laboratories, and stem cell research facilities.

The problems of the medical waste that is dumped into the oceans are the possible medical toxin effects that might affect marine animals and even humans. Since some of the medical waste contains blood on it, HIV and AIDS is a problem that might affect animals and human in total. Also toxins are another problem at can affect animals and humans. Since toxins are passing into the oceans and into the marine animals, toxins will also be passed into the food. The toxins could human growth, developmental of human health, and death. There is a statistic that states between 10 to 15 percent of the medical waste are infectious.

Direct effects and indirect effects can result from medical waste. Direct wastes are examples such as the pathogens when dumped that contaminate the waters. As stated above, these pathogens affect both animals and humans together. Since the pathogens breed best in these conditions, the pathogens may end up in ground water and food sources. Indirect effects are examples such as pathogens that were not present when waste was discarded such as in human tissue. Since the immune system is not in check with the human tissue, population explosion of the pathogens can occur.

There are possible solutions to prevent medical waste being dumped into the oceans. Proper management of the materials include separating materials to prevent against workers getting a possible infectious disease, waste receptacles, and protective equipment necessary to handle the waste.

Overall, medical waste is a hazardous to the environment. The pathogens in the medical waste may affect marine animals and human both. These pathogens can cause harmful effects such as human growth, health development, and even death. There are solutions to prevention the dumping of medical waste in the ocean.

Sources:

Jorgensen, A. (n.d.). ehow health. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/about_5137120_effects-medical-waste.html

Wang, D. (2010, July 17). The effects of medical waste being dumped in the ocean. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/177094-the-effects-of-medical-waste-being-dumped-in-the-ocean/

2. Fertilizer runoff and Runaway Eutrophication

Fertilizer runoff is a main component of overall water pollution. This type of runoff accelerates the natural process of eutrophication. Fertilizer runoff is a global concern and is threat to developed and developing nations alike. All fishing industries located near river deltas can be decimated by water pollution, especially nutrient pollution. Within the United States, the Mississippi River delta and the Gulf of Mexico are the most prominent regions affected by nutrient pollution. Inland waterways are also subject to the consequences of excessive eutrophication. In the 1960’s, marine life in the Great Lakes was wiped out due to eutrophication and fertilizer runoff. The group hopes to solve this threat to local coastal communities and biodiversity by designing a solution to control soil erosion. An alternate solution may be to develop a more effective method of applying fertilizer in commercial farming processes.

Fertilizer runoff and subsequent eutrophication is principally but not solely an environmental concern. Eutrophication is of extreme concern because phytoplankton help comprise the basis of marine ecosystems. Therefore, any threat to these creates is also a threat to every animal in the food web. When these organisms are killed off, all organisms dependent upon them also die. Since this process removes almost all available oxygen in an environment, the succession of other marine organism is nearly impossible. Nutrient enhanced eutrophication is a threat to global biodiversity.

Nutrient pollution from fertilizer runoff is also a financial concern. The worldwide fishing industry could become severely curtailed if a solution to agricultural runoff is not implemented. This would be especially disastrous to developing and undeveloped nations with populations reliant upon the sea for their livelihoods. Developed nations with coastal tourist centers would also suffer from eutrophication proliferation.

Nutrient pollution creates large dead zones in ocean habitats. Excessive eutrophication results from fertilizer runoff entering waterways. Nitrates and phosphates contained in fertilizers cause phytoplankton population to grow beyond the habitat’s capacity for microorganisms. This large scale blooming of phytoplankton is often referred to as a “red tide” due to its appearance. The organisms consume all of the oxygen in their environment quickly, and the other inhabitants as well as the phytoplankton suffocate and die. The areas left behind are desolate in life as they contain no oxygen.

Nutrient pollution from fertilizer runoff is not just the result of aggressive commercial farming techniques. However, commercial farming is the largest non-point source of nutrient pollution that leads to widespread eutrophication. Residential fertilizer use in developed nations contributes to this issue.

A design could be developed to prevent the entrance of nitrates and phosphates into waterways. This filtering device could physically constrain and capture the runoff or chemically neutralize the offensive substances. One benefit of this approach would be that it would prevent damage to marine environment. This solution would address the underlying problem of soil erosion. A drawback might be the practicality of constructing filtering devices along miles of rivers and coastline.

Sources:

Muir, P. (2011, November 18). Retrieved from http://people.oregonstate.edu/~muirp/eutrophi.htm

UNEP. (n.d.). Where nutrients come from and how they cause eutrophication. Retrieved from http://www.unep.or.jp/ietc/publications/short_series/lakereservoirs-3/3.asp

U.S. geological survey. (2011, August 10). Retrieved from http://toxics.usgs.gov/definitions/eutrophication.html

3. Use of UV Rays to Purify Water

Statistics have shown that 85% of child sickness and 65% of adult diseases come from water borne viruses, bacterial, and intestinal protozoa likeCryptosporidium. Water that is not treated properly can lead to numerous of health problems such as hepatitis B, tuberculosis, choler, salmonella, and many others. E. coli is a dangerous strain of bacteria that is in water. E. coli affects more than 80,000 people yearly. However, E. coli can be killed by U.V. rays.

The process of using U.V. rays to disinfect water from E. coli is affordable and easy. The process entails using a mirror and chamber system to magnify the sun’s rays directly at water running through chamber to purify water. This causes ultraviolet light to be absorbed by bacteria and viruses. This absorption causes the genetic material in the bacteria and virus to rearrange, leaving them unable to reproduce.

Source:

Mbuya, O. (2011, October 18). Ultravoilet light disinfection. Retrieved from http://www.excelwater.com/eng/b2c/water_tech_3.php

4. Ocean Acidification

What is ocean acidification? Ocean acidification stems from the increase absorption of carbon dioxide by the ocean water. The carbon dioxide that is absorbed causes the pH of the ocean water to decrease; in turn making the ocean water more acidic.

Lowering the pH of the ocean leads to detrimental effects, specifically for marine calcifying organisms. These organisms include: sea stars, corals, mollusks, crustaceans, and others. It has been tested that lowering the pH of the water around them leads to a reduction in their calcifying raters. Furthermore, tests also show that there is a lower larvae survival rate when these organisms are exposed to the acidic water. It also has been speculated that other adverse reproductive and anatomical effects will be seen in the future in many of these marine organisms in result of the rising ocean acidity.

Stopping ocean acidification is an impossible task. However, slowing the rate of ocean acidification is possible. Scientists are now finding ways to slow down ocean acidification by imposing different laws and cutting down on the amount of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere. The only problem is having the public follow these laws. However, if we all work as a community, the rate at which ocean acidification is grown can be slowed down.

Source:

NRDC. (2009, September 17). Natural resources defence council. Retrieved from http://www.nrdc.org/oceans/acidification/