Twitter headlinesOcean acidification
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Marine Ecosystems Capture Carbon Emissions Equal to Near 50% of Emissions of Global Transport; UN Agencies Propose Blue Carbon Fund for Their Support
October 16, 2009
| Carbon cycle. Credit: Riccardo Pravettoni, UNEP/GRID-Arendal. Click to enlarge. |
A “Blue Carbon” fund able to invest in the maintenance and rehabilitation of key marine ecosystems should be considered by governments to combat climate change, according to a new Rapid Response Report released by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO.
The report estimates that carbon emissions equal to half the annual emissions of the global transport sector are being captured and stored by marine ecosystems such as mangroves, salt marshes and seagrasses.
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Statement from 70 National Science Academies Calls for Inclusion of Ocean Acidification in Copenhagen Agenda
June 01, 2009
Ocean acidification, a direct consequence of increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations, must be part of the agenda at the United Nations Copenhagen conference, the world’s science academies warned in a joint statement published by the InterAcademy Panel on International Issues (IAP). 70 national science academies signed the statement.
Ocean acidification is an important climate change challenge and is expected to cause massive corrosion of coral reefs and dramatic changes in the makeup of the biodiversity of the oceans, and to have significant implications for food production and the livelihoods of millions of people.
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Marine Scientists Issue Monaco Declaration Calling for Immediate Action to Reduce Ocean Acidification
January 30, 2009
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| Projected spread of acidification of the oceans from 1994 (left) to 2100 (right). Green areas indicate waters supersaturated with aragonite carbonate and favoring shell formation, with darker color indicating more favorable conditions. Red areas are those where waters are under-saturated in aragonite and so hostile to shell formation by marine organisms, with darker color indicating greater under-saturation. Source: ACECRC. Click to enlarge. |
More than 150 leading marine scientists from 26 countries are calling for immediate action by policymakers to reduce CO2 emissions sharply so as to avoid widespread and severe damage to marine ecosystems from increasing ocean acidification—the “other CO2 problem”. They issued this warning in the Monaco Declaration, released on 30 January.
The scientists note that ocean acidification is already detectable, and that it is accelerating. They caution that its negative socio-economic impacts can only be avoided by limiting future atmospheric CO2 levels.
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Study Finds Rate of Ocean Acidification Faster than Expected
November 27, 2008
University of Chicago scientists have found that the ocean is growing more acidic faster than previously thought. In addition, they have found that the increasing acidity correlates with increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, according to a paper published online by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on 24 November.
The new study is based on 24,519 measurements of ocean pH spanning eight years, which represents the first detailed dataset on variations of coastal pH at a temperate latitude—where the world’s most productive fisheries live.
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Two New Studies Detail Impact and Acceleration of Ocean Acidification in Different Regions
November 23, 2008
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| The potential for coral growth—represented by aragonite concentration—in the Caribbean region is dramatically changing due to ocean acidification. Click to view an animation of changes from 1988 to 2007. Credit: NOAA |
Two recently published studies highlight the growing impact of ocean acidification—the lowering of the pH of seawater due to the increasing absorption of large amounts of carbon dioxide—in the Caribbean and the Southern Ocean.
A paper by scientists from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science confirms significant ocean acidification across much of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. The paper, published in the 31 October issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research—Oceans, reports strong natural variations in ocean chemistry in some parts of the Caribbean that could affect the way reefs respond to future ocean acidification.
