Future of the Sea: Ocean Acidification

• Main Authors: Birchenough, SNR, Williamson, P, Turley, CM
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Government Office Science 2017
• Subjects: Ecology and Environment; Marine Sciences; Williamson; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: http://plymsea.ac.uk/id/eprint/7775/; http://plymsea.ac.uk/id/eprint/7775/1/Ocean_Acidification_final_v3.pdf; https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/645500/Ocean_Acidification_final_v3.pdf

Ocean acidification (OA) and climate change are both influenced by increasing carbon dioxide concentrations coming from the atmosphere. However, the distinction between OA and climate change, is that OA is an alteration of the chemistry of seawater, therefore not a direct climatic process. The ocean is the largest natural reservoir of dissolved carbon and holds an immense buffering capacity for changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations. The rapid increase of atmospheric CO2 since the industrial revolution has caused oceans and seas to absorb increasingly greater amounts of CO2. This process disturbs the pre-existing chemical equilibrium of the sea, resulting in seas changing their chemical state and altering the ocean pH. Ocean acidification has become one of the most studied topics in the last 10 years (Williamson et al. 2017; Browman 2016). The UK has made a significant contribution in understanding OA effects on biodiversity and biogeochemistry, and the socioecological impacts across species and ecosystems. The evidence suggests that OA will act differently across species with some impacts already occurring for sensitive marine species and with direct and indirect repercussions for ecosystems. The direct effects will include changes in species morphology, ecology and behaviour whilst indirect effects may be repercussions for processes or higher trophic groups (e.g. wider food web effects and interactions within and between species). This review summarises the available ‘state of the art’ information with regards to OA effects, current issues and further recommendations for consideration on what will be the likely future issues for OA. This information intends to support marine planning decisions and future policy adaptations. A detailed section is included on how these changes will affect UK interests (e.g. maritime industries, fishing, health and wellbeing). A summary of key highlights is outlined below.  Monitoring data conducted over the North Sea assessments have shown clear pH changes in shelf and ...