Pacific Ocean Becoming More Acidic

Scientists recently traveled from Tahiti to Alaska, testing the waters of the Pacific Ocean and finding a considerable rise in the ocean's acidity.

The Pacific has grown more acidic over the past 15 years largely because of the water's intake of carbon dioxide released by humans burning fossil fuels, the researchers said. The study found a decrease of about 0.025 units in pH, which indicates the rise in acidity.

The findings are consistent with previous studies done in other oceans.

The seas serve as the biggest reservoirs for carbon dioxide belched by burning oil, gas and coal. They absorb about a third of the carbon dioxide humans put into the atmosphere each year.

Scientists say the oceans will absorb about 90 percent of carbon dioxide produced by humans during the next millennium.


LiveScience.com

Well, here's yet another way our polluting is destroying the environment.

I remember hearing something similiar about the Atlantic ocean awhile back as well.


Comments, Opinions?

[edit on 4/6/2006 by iori_komei]

A very interesting article indeed ……. And its almost believable

Again with the one sided articles though I should thank you for bringing them in to the light so I can dispel them. Ok first who ever wrote it should be slapped b/c if you say a loss in units of PH it is easily taken as a decrees in H+ meaning a increase in POH ok theirs the first problem. Next along the line is the cause by man this is RETARTED let me explain. Ok there are over 1 trillion fish in the oceans and a boatload (ha-ha) more other organisms not classified as fish but still use respiration. So there are lots of things in the ocean that produce CO2 ……and this production of CO2 BY FAR is more than humans have ever created by burning things. This increase of H+ decreases plankton witch creates a decrees in food that inurn decreases the total fish population! This will in turn increase OH-. And I love how it says the ocean will absorb 90% of the next Millennia’s CO2. what a load as it is now though water covers 2/3 the earth rocks and dirt actually neutralize 2/3 of the acid caused by CO2! And this fact will not change so there is absolutely no way they can make that clame.

•NOAA / NSF CRUISE REVEALS IMPACTS OF OCEAN ACIDIFICATION
ON CHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY OF NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN
•Impacts of Anthropogenic CO2 on Ocean Chemistry and Biology

This points to yet another reason we are on the wrong road in regards to fossil fuel use, war for oil and war escalating the use of oil . They are already pumping CO2 into our aquifers also.

ATS: US Says CO2 Injection Could Quadruple Oil Reserves

Old ways die hard...

its amazing how you can put two unrelated facts together and make a clame. Ok the data is for SURFACE WATER ONLY. Last time I checked coral is not at the surface. So you can’t use one set of data to explain another non related incident. Ok next time for chem. Class the oceans are a little over 8.2PH that’s a bit basic b/c of the salts and metals dissolved in to it. Rain is ~6.8-6.6PH depending on area… this fact has not changed since life has evolved on earth b/c when a organism exhales CO2 is released rain picks it up and poof its acidic….so you can expect that what ever the water falls on will become more acidic…. And guess what there are more fish more animals on earth then has ever happened since the last glacial period so using our brains you would expect the oceans to become more acidic b/c of rain. And tell me if man made CO2 production and ocean acidification where related why do they not change at the same rate or even a rate that is related to each other….

So yay for global warming….the warmer water is the less permeable it becomes to accept CO2 and the less the activation energy for carbonic acid becomes… if we as humans are responsible for warming the earth we are helping keep the fish in a basic environment b/c the ratio for temperature to permeability is exponential!

Originally posted by engenerQ
its amazing how you can put two unrelated facts together and make a clame. Ok the data is for SURFACE WATER ONLY.

It's amazing how you think they aren't connected and reside as seperate closed systems, while where rain intially comes from and atmospheric CO2 history going back 400,000 years from the Vostok ice cores saying your idea doesn't support the data.

Why don't you tell the readers how much more in acidic is pH 8.14 than pH 8.25 in a percentage?

Ocean acidification is a predictable consequence of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations from human activities.

Now go buy a fish tank+ fish and play with the pH and see what happens. Inject co2 gas thru the pumps and will say it's the chop and surf mixing the gases.

[edit on 11-4-2006 by Regenmacher]