Impacts Of Climate Change On The Oceans

• The oceans are a great sink of atmospheric Carbon Dioxide CO2 by absorbing a large amount of it

• However, the increased concentration of dissolved carbon Dioxide in the oceans makes them become more and more acidic. About a third of man-made carbon dioxide emissions has dissolved into the oceans. As carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater, it forms carbonic acid, which lowers the ocean's alkalinity and pH level, making it more acidic

• Even a slight acidification of oceans will have an impact on biodiversity and will put lots of species at risk

• Chicago University researchers recently found that acidity levels increased at more than 10 times the rate predicted by computer models designed to study the link between atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and ocean acidity

• Acidification is also likely to impair the movement and function of high oxygen demand fauna (e.g. squid, fish)

• Acidification of the oceans will have a great impact on the ability of organisms to produce calcium carbonate necessary for their survival

• A large proportion of our food supplies comes from the  oceans. Ocean acidification has the potential to substantially destabilize all marine ecosystems which will add onto already extreme pressures put on those ecosystems from over fishing, overexploitation of resources and pollution

Source of Information : Climate Change: A Silent Threat by Sylvain Richer de Forges

Impacts Of Climate Change On The Oceans