Ocean acidification makes it more difficult in exoskeleton formation for a number of marine organisms, including stony corals, and existing shells may begin to dissolve. What to do to help solve this problem?
Seawater is a weak basic solution, with pH values typically between 8.0 and 8.3. This pH range is maintained through a carbonic acid buffer system similar to the one in blood. Just as in our bodies, the carbonic acid buffer system can be perturbed by removing or adding CO2(g). The concentration of dissolved CO2 in the ocean is sensitive to changes in atmospheric CO2 levels.
According to studies, the atmospheric CO2 concentration has risen by approximately 30% over the past three centuries. Human activity has played a prominent role in this increase. Scientists estimate that one-third to one-half of the CO2 emissions resulting from human activity have been absorbed by Earth’s oceans. While this absorption helps mitigate the greenhouse gas effects of CO2, the extra CO2 in the ocean produces carbonic acid (H2CO3), which lowers the pH.
If the amount of atmospheric CO2 continues to increase at the present rate, scientists estimate that seawater pH will fall to 7.9 sometime over the next 50 years. While this change might sound small, it has dramatic ramifications for oceanic ecosystems. Ocean acidification makes it more difficult in exoskeleton formation for a number of marine organisms, including stony corals, and existing shells may begin to dissolve. What to do to help solve this
problem?
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