Southern Ocean acidification: A tipping point at 450-ppm atmospheric CO2
Southern Ocean acidification via anthropogenic CO2 uptake is expected to be detrimental to multiple calcifying plankton species by lowering the concentration of carbonate ion (CO32−) to levels where calcium carbonate (both aragonite and calcite) shells begin to dissolve. Natural seasonal variations...
Published in: | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , |
Format: | Text |
Language: | English |
Published: |
National Academy of Sciences
2008
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2596239 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19022908 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0806318105 |
id |
ftpubmed:oai:pubmedcentral.nih.gov:2596239 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftpubmed:oai:pubmedcentral.nih.gov:2596239 2023-05-15T14:01:01+02:00 Southern Ocean acidification: A tipping point at 450-ppm atmospheric CO2 McNeil, Ben I. Matear, Richard J. 2008-12-02 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2596239 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19022908 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0806318105 en eng National Academy of Sciences http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2596239 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19022908 http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0806318105 © 2008 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA Biological Sciences Text 2008 ftpubmed https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0806318105 2013-09-02T08:26:40Z Southern Ocean acidification via anthropogenic CO2 uptake is expected to be detrimental to multiple calcifying plankton species by lowering the concentration of carbonate ion (CO32−) to levels where calcium carbonate (both aragonite and calcite) shells begin to dissolve. Natural seasonal variations in carbonate ion concentrations could either hasten or dampen the future onset of this undersaturation of calcium carbonate. We present a large-scale Southern Ocean observational analysis that examines the seasonal magnitude and variability of CO32− and pH. Our analysis shows an intense wintertime minimum in CO32− south of the Antarctic Polar Front and when combined with anthropogenic CO2 uptake is likely to induce aragonite undersaturation when atmospheric CO2 levels reach ≈450 ppm. Under the IPCC IS92a scenario, Southern Ocean wintertime aragonite undersaturation is projected to occur by the year 2030 and no later than 2038. Some prominent calcifying plankton, in particular the Pteropod species Limacina helicina, have important veliger larval development during winter and will have to experience detrimental carbonate conditions much earlier than previously thought, with possible deleterious flow-on impacts for the wider Southern Ocean marine ecosystem. Our results highlight the critical importance of understanding seasonal carbon dynamics within all calcifying marine ecosystems such as continental shelves and coral reefs, because natural variability may potentially hasten the onset of future ocean acidification. Text Antarc* Antarctic Limacina helicina Ocean acidification Southern Ocean PubMed Central (PMC) Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105 48 18860 18864 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
PubMed Central (PMC) |
op_collection_id |
ftpubmed |
language |
English |
topic |
Biological Sciences |
spellingShingle |
Biological Sciences McNeil, Ben I. Matear, Richard J. Southern Ocean acidification: A tipping point at 450-ppm atmospheric CO2 |
topic_facet |
Biological Sciences |
description |
Southern Ocean acidification via anthropogenic CO2 uptake is expected to be detrimental to multiple calcifying plankton species by lowering the concentration of carbonate ion (CO32−) to levels where calcium carbonate (both aragonite and calcite) shells begin to dissolve. Natural seasonal variations in carbonate ion concentrations could either hasten or dampen the future onset of this undersaturation of calcium carbonate. We present a large-scale Southern Ocean observational analysis that examines the seasonal magnitude and variability of CO32− and pH. Our analysis shows an intense wintertime minimum in CO32− south of the Antarctic Polar Front and when combined with anthropogenic CO2 uptake is likely to induce aragonite undersaturation when atmospheric CO2 levels reach ≈450 ppm. Under the IPCC IS92a scenario, Southern Ocean wintertime aragonite undersaturation is projected to occur by the year 2030 and no later than 2038. Some prominent calcifying plankton, in particular the Pteropod species Limacina helicina, have important veliger larval development during winter and will have to experience detrimental carbonate conditions much earlier than previously thought, with possible deleterious flow-on impacts for the wider Southern Ocean marine ecosystem. Our results highlight the critical importance of understanding seasonal carbon dynamics within all calcifying marine ecosystems such as continental shelves and coral reefs, because natural variability may potentially hasten the onset of future ocean acidification. |
format |
Text |
author |
McNeil, Ben I. Matear, Richard J. |
author_facet |
McNeil, Ben I. Matear, Richard J. |
author_sort |
McNeil, Ben I. |
title |
Southern Ocean acidification: A tipping point at 450-ppm atmospheric CO2 |
title_short |
Southern Ocean acidification: A tipping point at 450-ppm atmospheric CO2 |
title_full |
Southern Ocean acidification: A tipping point at 450-ppm atmospheric CO2 |
title_fullStr |
Southern Ocean acidification: A tipping point at 450-ppm atmospheric CO2 |
title_full_unstemmed |
Southern Ocean acidification: A tipping point at 450-ppm atmospheric CO2 |
title_sort |
southern ocean acidification: a tipping point at 450-ppm atmospheric co2 |
publisher |
National Academy of Sciences |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2596239 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19022908 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0806318105 |
geographic |
Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Limacina helicina Ocean acidification Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Limacina helicina Ocean acidification Southern Ocean |
op_relation |
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2596239 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19022908 http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0806318105 |
op_rights |
© 2008 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0806318105 |
container_title |
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |
container_volume |
105 |
container_issue |
48 |
container_start_page |
18860 |
op_container_end_page |
18864 |
_version_ |
1766270464998506496 |