Increasing atmospheric CO2, ocean acidification and pelagic ecosystems ...
This thesis explores the impacts of rising atmospheric CO2 and the subsequent ocean acidification on pelagic calcifiers. The ocean plays a major role in the global carbon cycle and in regulating the atmospheric concentrations of CO2. About one third of the CO2 emitted to the atmosphere each year by...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | unknown |
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:unas
2009
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| Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.48350/192496 https://boris.unibe.ch/192496/ |
| Summary: | This thesis explores the impacts of rising atmospheric CO2 and the subsequent ocean acidification on pelagic calcifiers. The ocean plays a major role in the global carbon cycle and in regulating the atmospheric concentrations of CO2. About one third of the CO2 emitted to the atmosphere each year by human activities is taken up by the ocean. This leads to a reduction in pH (a measure of acidity) and a decrease in CaCO3 saturation state, which makes the ocean more corrosive to the mineral CaCO3. The pH of the oceans has already dropped by 0.1 units since pre-industrial times, and the current rate at which this process is occurring will likely have large biological consequences for ocean ecosystems within the near future. Plankton which build shells out of CaCO3 (mainly coccolithophores, foraminifers, and pteropods) might have difficulties producing and maintaining their shells. Two important forms of CaCO3 in the ocean are calcite and aragonite, the latter being 50% more soluble. Pteropods, which produce their ... |
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