It turns out that the entire chemistry of the ocean may be changing due to climate change. Scientists have taken a closer look at the effects of this change and how the ocean is responding.
Both ocean acidification and hypoxia are growing problems when it comes to climate change. Ocean acidification is largely due to an excess of carbon dioxide that's dissolved in ocean waters. It can cause animals to not be able to form calcium carbonate shells properly and can cause other issues. In contrast, hypoxia is also associated with changing waters and is the result of less oxygen in the water. This can cause fish to flee an area and other issues.
"Ocean acidification is a global problem that is having a disproportionate impact on productive West Coast ecosystems," said Francis Chan, a marine ecologist at Oregon State University. "There has been an attitude that there is not much we can do about this locally, but that just isn't true. A lot of the solutions will come locally and through coordinated regional efforts."
With that said, there are ways to combat these issues. It's possible to develop new thresholds for near-shore water quality. In addition, it may be possible to improve methods of removing carbon dioxide from seawater. This can be done through the use of eel grass and other plants. It's also possible to manage coastal resources better in order to allow ecosystems to better adapt to climate change.
"Communities around the country are increasingly vulnerable to ocean acidification and long-term environmental changes," said Richard Spinrad, one of the researchers. "It is crucial that we comprehend how ocean chemistry is changing in different places, so we applaud the steps the West Coast Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Science Panel has put forward in understanding and address this issue. We continue to look to the West Coast as a lead on understanding ocean acidification."
The findings are important for better understanding this issue. More specifically, it shows how ocean acidification and hypoxia may have a huge impact on the oceans in the future and how policies need to change now in order to reflect this.
The findings were presented in a report on Monday.
