scholarly journals Ocean Acidification - How will ongoing ocean acidification affect marine life? [Past]

PAGES news ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen Thomas
2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catriona L. Hurd ◽  
John Beardall ◽  
Steeve Comeau ◽  
Christopher E. Cornwall ◽  
Jonathan N Havenhand ◽  
...  

‘Multiple drivers’ (also termed ‘multiple stressors’) is the term used to describe the cumulative effects of multiple environmental factors on organisms or ecosystems. Here, we consider ocean acidification as a multiple driver because many inorganic carbon parameters are changing simultaneously, including total dissolved inorganic carbon, CO2, HCO3–, CO32–, H+ and CaCO3 saturation state. With the rapid expansion of ocean acidification research has come a greater understanding of the complexity and intricacies of how these simultaneous changes to the seawater carbonate system are affecting marine life. We start by clarifying key terms used by chemists and biologists to describe the changing seawater inorganic carbon system. Then, using key groups of non-calcifying (fish, seaweeds, diatoms) and calcifying (coralline algae, coccolithophores, corals, molluscs) organisms, we consider how various physiological processes are affected by different components of the carbonate system.


Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 241
Author(s):  
Mark Olischläger ◽  
Christian Wild

Recent research indicates that synchronicity of sexual reproduction in coral spawning events is breaking down, leading to aging populations and decreased recruitment success. In this perspective, we develop a hypothesis that this phenomenon could be caused by ongoing ocean acidification (OA). We hypothesize, that the underlying physiological machinery could be the carbon concentrating mechanism (CCM). The endosymbiotic zooxanthellae of corals could use this mechanism to sense calm water motion states in a comparable way to that known from macroalgae. In macroalgae, it is well-established that dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) acts as the trigger for signaling low water motion. Hence, evolutionarily developed signals of low water motion, suited for gamete-release, may be misleading in the future, potentially favoring opportunistic species in a broad range of marine organisms.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff Clements ◽  
Josefin Sundin ◽  
Timothy D. Clark ◽  
Fredrik Jutfelt

Ocean acidification – deceasing oceanic pH resulting from the uptake of excess atmospheric CO2 – is expected to affect marine life in the future. Among the possible consequences, a series of studies on coral reef fishes suggested that the direct effects of acidification on fish behaviour will be the most catastrophic. Recent studies documenting a lack of effect of experimental ocean acidification on fish behaviour, however, call this dire prediction into question. Here, we critically assess the past decade of ocean acidification research regarding direct effects on fish behaviour. Using a meta-analysis, we provide quantitative evidence that the research to date on this topic is strongly characterized by a phenomenon known as the “decline effect”, where large effects have all but disappeared over a decade. The decline effect in this field cannot be explained biologically, but is strongly associated with well-known biases to which the process of science is generally prone. We contend that ocean acidification does not have as much of a direct impact on fish behaviour as previously thought, and we advocate for improved approaches to minimize the potential for a decline effect in future avenues of research.


PAGES news ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Pierre Gattuso

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina C. Roggatz ◽  
Christopher J. Skinner

<p>Ocean acidification is often referred to as climate change’s hidden evil twin. As the world’s oceans partly absorb the carbon dioxide that humans are pumping into the planet’s atmosphere, the oceans’ pH decreases, making the water more acidic. This comes with a range of negative consequences, one of them being the recently uncovered impairment of the sense of smell of marine animals like fishes and crabs.</p><p>Awareness of ocean acidification, including its impacts on marine life, however, is low amongst the public. It is something that is viewed as remote to peoples’ lives, happening a long distance away and not for a long time into the future. It is important we take action now as a society to curb climate change and reduce the potential impacts of ocean acidification. Raising awareness and helping to make an emotional connection to the issue is a first step on this journey.</p><p>In <em>Crabby’s Reef</em> we use the power of gaming to enable players to experience the impact of this invisible and abstract process of ocean acidification. Inspired by classic arcade games, it puts players into the metaphorical shoes of Crabby, the crab. They navigate daily life on the ocean floor, guiding Crabby through the maze-like reef, seeking food and avoiding predatory octopuses who would make Crabby dinner. With each new level, you are transported to a more acidic future, your senses dampened by blurring the screen, reflecting Crabby’s loss of ability to smell the food.</p><p>With life getting harder, we ask how long can you survive?</p><p>Play the game here - <em>https://seriousgeo.games/activities/crabbysreef/</em></p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 59-66
Author(s):  
Clifford Ollier

Abstract A widespread alarm is sweeping the world at present about the ill effects of man-made increases in carbon dioxide (CO2) production. One aspect is that it may cause the ocean to become acid, and dissolve the carbonate skeletons of many living things including shellfish and corals. However, the oceans are not acid, never have been in geological history, and cannot become acid in the future. Changes in atmospheric CO2 cannot produce an acid ocean. Marine life depends on CO2, and some plants and animals fix it as limestone. Over geological time enormous amounts of CO2 have been sequestered by living things, and today there is far more CO2 in limestones than in the atmosphere or ocean. Carbon dioxide in seawater does not dissolve coral reefs, but is essential to their survival.


Oceans ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-33
Author(s):  
José Ricardo Paula ◽  
Eve Otjacques ◽  
Courtney Hildebrandt ◽  
Alexandra S. Grutter ◽  
Rui Rosa

The juveniles of gnathiid isopods are one of the most common fish ectoparasites in marine habitats and cause deleterious effects on fish by feeding on host blood and lymph. Reef fishes tend to engage in cooperative interactions with cleaning organisms to reduce their ectoparasite load. Ocean acidification (OA) pose multiple threats to marine life. Recently, OA was found to disrupt cleaner fish behaviour in mutualistic cleaning interactions. However, the potential effects of ocean acidification on this common ectoparasite remains unknown. Here, we test if exposure to an acidification scenario predicted by IPCC to the end of the century (RCP 8.5 – 980 μatm pCO2) affects gnathiid survival. Our results show that ocean acidification did not have any effects on gnathiid survival rate during all three juvenile life stages. Thus, we advocate that the need for cleaning interactions will persist in potentially acidified coral reefs. Nevertheless, to better understand gnathiid resilience to ocean acidification, future studies are needed to evaluate ocean acidification impacts on gnathiid reproduction and physiology as well as host-parasite interactions.


2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1775) ◽  
pp. 20132509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor James Hamilton ◽  
Adam Holcombe ◽  
Martin Tresguerres

The average surface pH of the ocean is dropping at a rapid rate due to the dissolution of anthropogenic CO 2 , raising concerns for marine life. Additionally, some coastal areas periodically experience upwelling of CO 2 -enriched water with reduced pH. Previous research has demonstrated ocean acidification (OA)-induced changes in behavioural and sensory systems including olfaction, which is due to altered function of neural gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA A ) receptors. Here, we used a camera-based tracking software system to examine whether OA-dependent changes in GABA A receptors affect anxiety in juvenile Californian rockfish ( Sebastes diploproa ). Anxiety was estimated using behavioural tests that measure light/dark preference (scototaxis) and proximity to an object. After one week in OA conditions projected for the next century in the California shore (1125 ± 100 µatm, pH 7.75), anxiety was significantly increased relative to controls (483 ± 40 µatm CO 2 , pH 8.1). The GABA A -receptor agonist muscimol, but not the antagonist gabazine, caused a significant increase in anxiety consistent with altered Cl − flux in OA-exposed fish. OA-exposed fish remained more anxious even after 7 days back in control seawater; however, they resumed their normal behaviour by day 12. These results show that OA could severely alter rockfish behaviour; however, this effect is reversible.


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