Braxton Griffith

Freshman Inquiry
Life unlimited
Michael Flower

Ocean Acidification

Earth is blessed with an unfathomable amount of life, be it land or sea. Us

humans, being the most intelligent life forms that inhabit this planet have adapted and
overachieved, we continue to blow ourselves away with staggering product, while
venturing to places no one thought possible or even existed, and much more beyond
that. As we advance, we have come to realize in past years that we have harmed and
tarnished the stability of our planet.
Humans consume more species of living beings and vegetation than any other
on Earth. We emit preposterous amounts of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere as if we
ignorantly believe if it will subside and meander off into space, or just self eradicate. Our
actions thus far have proved to be toxic to Earth, and in detail I would like to specify one
concept in particular. The dwindling pH levels amongst our oceans.
Ocean acidification is the process of decreasing pH levels of the Earths seas.
This is caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. The last
time the pH levels managed to slump this low was eons ago when horses just began
roaming the land. However, at that time the process of acidification was immensely
drawn out compared to our current affair. This is thought to be due to the industrial era
which has us burning a large amount of coal and releasing toxins into our atmosphere.

For us humans, speeding up the process by continuously pumping carbon dioxide into
the air over a vast majority of the planet, falling hand in hand with global warming.
Increasing acidity is thought to have many diverse possibilities of harmful
repercussions, such as reducing metabolic rates and cause resisting responses in some
organisms. Not to mention coral bleaching, which decreases oxygen levels as it kills of
algae. Pteropods for instance, vital to the diets of many marine creatures and seabirds,
are succumbing to ocean acidity. In Antarctica, the thin calcium shells of Pteropods
have already begun eroding, as they are fearfully vulnerable to changes in the
environment. Its become difficult for them to develop a shell structure at all which puts
them in a large amount of danger. Levels of acidity differ across the globe, and the
impact it has on sea life differs as well. You can bet that if some species havent been
affected physically, the predator/prey dynamic or to prey survival rate will absolutely
affect them one way or another. These changes in behaviors not only impact life under
the water, it will change everything on land and beyond exponentially.
Coral bleaching is gradually becoming widespread, as quite a few coral reefs
have experienced it. Coral bleaching takes place when coral becomes overtaxed by the
changes in the conditions of its environment, they begin to expel the symbiotic algae
living within its tissues turning it completely white. Thankfully, the coral doesnt die right
away when bleached, but it does make it much harder for the coral to survive. Acidity
isnt the only factor that partakes in bleaching coral, the water temperature changing
either colder or warmer can have poor results on it, not to mention a sudden difference
in light and nutrients. In the past 20 years, coral bleaching has made a fast uprising, and
as inhabitants of Earth we really need to keep our eye out for this sort of thing to make

sure we dont let it slip by the point of no return. If the coral is constantly damaged, it
won't be able to handle, or process, the natural changes that occur in the ocean.
Along the coast of Australia lays the Great Barrier Reef, which experienced
bleaching incidents in 1980, 1982, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006. A few spots
underwent some severe damage, with up to 90% mortality. From 1995 to 2012 the coral
population declined 50.7%, though 50% of the damage was actually caused by tropical
typhoons and such, and only 10% due to ocean acidification. Even so, we need to do
our part for this beautiful planet, we're not the only ones who dwell here.

Sources Cited:
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/sea_butterfly

National Ocean Service - oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/coral_bleach

www.pnas.org/content/105/45/17442.full

www.adn.com/article/20141207/alaska-must-lead-addressing-oceanacidification-and-fast

www.marinebiology.org/coralbleaching.htm