Future of our oceans
The Future of Our Oceans
The fact of the matter is that the levels of CO2 that this planet we call Earth is expelling is incredible. Like 30 billion tons per year incredible. This rate of change drastically effects everything, including the most popular type of surface we have on Earth, our oceans. Although the oceans are delaying the effects of global warming by taking in heaps of carbon dioxide, this does not mean the oceans go unaffected. This is not a small problem either. As oceans take in more CO2, the more this rids the water of carbonate due to the chemical reactions we have studied and drawn up. The problem with taking these very important ions out of the water is that they are one of the two compounds that calcifiers, very small organisms, need to survive. Calcifiers, which are the base of pretty much every coral reef on the planet, need to make shells which is part of their colonies skeleton. This leaves a decision for calcifiers to make: should I expend more energy capturing the decreasing amount of carbonate ions or just give up. Studies show that most calcifiers do not have it in them to continue while some special cases are not affected or other decide to work harder. This is not the only problem for the calcifiers though. During summer, they have a special breeding session and another study by Selina Ward shows that the amount of fertilization that occurs when the water is acidified is far less to that of normal. The whole problem about these calcifiers though is that they are the long known, under-proclaimer base to coral reefs. Coral reefs are part of everyday living for 25% of all sea creatures. 25%!!! Do you know how much this would affect the whole ocean food chain if coral reefs were all of a sudden gone? According to studies, this is what could happen by 2050. On this rate, calcifiers will become less and less due to the carbon dioxide mixing with the water to make carbonic acid which breaks down into hydrogen gas and bicarbonate ions.
The fact of the matter is that the levels of CO2 that this planet we call Earth is expelling is incredible. Like 30 billion tons per year incredible. This rate of change drastically effects everything, including the most popular type of surface we have on Earth, our oceans. Although the oceans are delaying the effects of global warming by taking in heaps of carbon dioxide, this does not mean the oceans go unaffected. This is not a small problem either. As oceans take in more CO2, the more this rids the water of carbonate due to the chemical reactions we have studied and drawn up. The problem with taking these very important ions out of the water is that they are one of the two compounds that calcifiers, very small organisms, need to survive. Calcifiers, which are the base of pretty much every coral reef on the planet, need to make shells which is part of their colonies skeleton. This leaves a decision for calcifiers to make: should I expend more energy capturing the decreasing amount of carbonate ions or just give up. Studies show that most calcifiers do not have it in them to continue while some special cases are not affected or other decide to work harder. This is not the only problem for the calcifiers though. During summer, they have a special breeding session and another study by Selina Ward shows that the amount of fertilization that occurs when the water is acidified is far less to that of normal. The whole problem about these calcifiers though is that they are the long known, under-proclaimer base to coral reefs. Coral reefs are part of everyday living for 25% of all sea creatures. 25%!!! Do you know how much this would affect the whole ocean food chain if coral reefs were all of a sudden gone? According to studies, this is what could happen by 2050. On this rate, calcifiers will become less and less due to the carbon dioxide mixing with the water to make carbonic acid which breaks down into hydrogen gas and bicarbonate ions.