[Vision2020] National Research Council, April 2010: CO2 Emissions Causing Ocean Acidification to Progress at Unprecedented Rate

[Ted Moffett]

This is my over the limit fourth post today, but given one of the
websites regarding ocean acidification I listed in the thread
"Clarification: Re: Coral Reefs: CO2 Source or Sink? Re: Four Levels
of Global Warming: A Climate Change Update" I discovered is no longer
available (this one:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=ocean-chemistry-changing
),
I am posting an available website and information regarding the same
scientific report from the National Research Council on ocean
acidification:

http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=12904

Date:  April 22, 2010

Contacts:  Jennifer Walsh, Media Relations Officer

Alison Burnette, Media Relations Assistant

Office of News and Public Information

202-334-2138; e-mail <news at nas.edu>

CO2 Emissions Causing Ocean Acidification to Progress at Unprecedented Rate

WASHINGTON -- The changing chemistry of the world's oceans is a
growing global problem, says the summary of a congressionally
requested study by the National Research Council, which adds that
unless man-made carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are substantially
curbed, or atmospheric CO2 is controlled by some other means, the
ocean will continue to become more acidic.  The long-term consequences
of ocean acidification on marine life are unknown, but many ecosystem
changes are expected to result.  The federal government's National
Ocean Acidification Program, currently in development, is a positive
move toward coordinating efforts to understand and respond to the
problem, said the study committee.

The ocean absorbs approximately a third of man-made CO2 emissions,
including those from fossil-fuel use, cement production, and
deforestation, the summary says.  The CO2 taken up by the ocean
decreases the pH of the water and leads to a combination of chemical
changes collectively known as ocean acidification.

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, the average pH of
ocean surface waters has decreased approximately 0.1 unit -- from
about 8.2 to 8.1 -- making them more acidic.  Models project an
additional 0.2 to 0.3 drop by the end of the century.  This rate of
change exceeds any known to have occurred in hundreds of thousands of
years, the report says.  The ocean will become more acidic on average
as surface waters continue to absorb atmospheric CO2, the committee
said.

Studies on a number of marine organisms have shown that lowering
seawater pH with CO2 affects biological processes, such as
photosynthesis, nutrient acquisition, growth, reproduction, and
individual survival depending upon the amount of acidification and the
species tested, the committee found.  For example, some of the
strongest evidence of the potential effects of ocean acidification on
marine ecosystems comes from experiments on organisms with calcium
carbonate shells and skeletons.  The results showed decreases in shell
and skeletal growth in a range of marine organisms, including
reef-building corals, commercially important mollusks such as oysters
and mussels, and several types of plankton at the base of marine food
webs.

The ability of various marine organisms to acclimate or adapt to ocean
acidification is unknown, but existing data suggest that there will be
ecological winners and losers, leading to shifts in the composition
and functioning of many marine ecosystems, the committee said.  Such
ecosystem changes could threaten coral reefs, fisheries, protected
species, and other natural resources.

Although changes in ocean chemistry caused by increasing atmospheric
CO2 can be determined, not enough information exists to assess the
social or economic effects of ocean acidification, much less develop
plans to mitigate or adapt to them, the committee noted.

The federal government has taken initial steps to respond to the
nation's long-term needs with the development of the National Ocean
Acidification Program.  The committee found that legislation has laid
the foundation for a program that will advance our understanding and
improve our response to ocean acidification.

The committee recommended six key elements of a successful National
Ocean Acidification Program:

·         an integrated ocean acidification observation network that
includes the development of new tools, methods, and techniques to
improve measurements

·         research in eight broad areas to fulfill critical information gaps

·         assessments to identify stakeholder concerns and a process
to provide relevant information for decision support

·         a data management office that would ensure data quality,
access, and archiving, plus an information exchange that would provide
research results, syntheses, and assessments to managers,
policymakers, and the general public

·         facilities to support high-quality research and training of
ocean acidification researchers

·         an effective 10-year strategic plan for the program that
will identify key goals, set priorities, and allow for community
input, in addition to a detailed implementation plan

The study is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the National
Science Foundation.  The National Academy of Sciences, National
Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research
Council make up the National Academies.  They are independent,
nonprofit institutions that provide science, technology, and health
policy advice under an 1863 congressional charter.  Committee members,
who serve pro bono as volunteers, are chosen by the Academies for each
study based on their expertise and experience and must satisfy the
Academies' conflict-of-interest standards.  The resulting consensus
reports undergo external peer review before completion.  For more
information, visit
http://national-academies.org/studycommitteprocess.pdf.  A committee
roster follows.

Copies of the summary for the report Ocean Acidification: A National
Strategy to Meet the Challenges of a Changing Ocean are available from
the National Academies Press; tel. 202-334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242 or
on the Internet at http://www.nap.edu.   Reporters may obtain a copy
from the Office of News and Public Information (contacts listed
above).
------------------------------------------
Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett