First Evidence of Ocean Acidification Affecting Live Marine Creatures in the Southern Ocean

 

Shells of sea snails - pteropods known as - in the ocean around Antarctica for a new journal Nature Geoscience, according to a study published this week by ocean acidification is being dissolved. For small animals, fish and birds are a valuable source of food and marine carbon cycle plays an important role.
During a science cruise in 2008, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and the Woods Hole oceanographic institution, the University of East Anglia and national marine and atmospheric administration (NOAA) together with colleagues from (UEA), the researchers discovered serious breaches of the Southern Ocean The shells of pteropods in the waters.
The team inspected the area of ​​upwelling, where cold winds from deep water towards the ocean bottom pushed out of the top. Upwelled a specific type of water usually calcium carbonate (aragonite) pteropods use to build their shells are corrosive. The team found that ocean acidification as a result of the additional influence, the shells of pteropods dissolve corrosive deep water.
Ocean acidification caused by burning fossil fuels emitted as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is due to take over. A large number of laboratory experiments on marine biology potential impact of ocean acidification is demonstrated. However, date, such models continue to live in their natural environment's impact has been very little evidence. Search the marine ecosystems and food webs to predict the effects of ocean acidification is important to support perhaps.
Lead author Dr. Nina Bednaršek, the boss and the UEA, and now a national marine and atmospheric administration (NOAA) of the said: "We know that a certain depth below sea-water shells is aragonite corrosive - the is 'saturation horizon' -., which is found in the depths around 1000m, in one of our sampling sites, we found that the natural upwelling and ocean acidification 200m in depth through a combination ofIn addition, as a result of induced carbon dioxide, dissolved attended. "
Science Cruise co-author and leader boss Dr Geraint Tarling, said: He said that although upwelling sites are natural phenomena that occur in the Southern Ocean, where, for example, saturation horizon 'overA good indication of the health of a major food source. Are.'
Co-author Dr Dorothee Bakker from the University of East Anglia, said: "Climate Model winds in the Southern Ocean during the 21st century, the continued rapid increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere response to this, it was operated and will increase the upwelling. possible to make an example of deep water - in which aragonite drive - faster than in the upper ocean current forecast for aragonite-saturation horizon in the winter of 2050 South Ocean reach the upper level layers., and by the year 2100.
The Research UK Natural Environment Research (NERC) Council and the European Union Curie Early Stage Training Network was funded by.