The acidification of the oceans kills marine life: a new research

It is no secret that the high amount of carbon dioxide emissions kills marine life, especially coral reefs and kelp forests. Ocean acidification and heat waves can seriously damage marine ecosystems. A new study by researchers at the University of Plymouth reports that these last three centuries of rapid industrial development have already left their mark on our oceans.

The study was recently published in the journal Scientific Reports and warns that if CO2 levels as they are currently rising, a very low seawater pH will mean a disaster for many species marine. The research team based its predictions on the effects of the only recently discovered volcanic carbon dioxide on the coast of Japan's Shikine Island

The island is located near the border of the climates temperate and tropical, and ocean currents in this region. Groundwater naturally has low levels of CO2, which is similar to CO2 levels in seawater before the industrial revolution, but volcanic seeps also provide a good insight into how CO2 levels are going affect marine ecosystems Dr. Sylvain Agostini, lead author of the study and associate professor at the Marine Research Center of Tsukuba Shimoda University, said: "These CO2 seeps are a vital window on the sea. 39; future. There has been a massive mortality of corals in southern Japan last year, but many people are hopeful that corals can spread north. It is therefore extremely worrying to note that tropical corals are so vulnerable to ocean acidification, as this would prevent them from spreading further north and escaping the damage caused by too hot water for them. "

For the study, several teams of divers carried out underwater research to examine the CO2 gradients created by volcanic seeps and studied how marine flora and fauna reacted to acidification. The results showed that the few plant species did well in acidified conditions, but the majority of other species, especially corals, died at a high rate.

"Our research site is like a time machine. In areas where CO2 levels are pre-industrial, the coast has an impressive amount of calcified organisms such as corals and oysters. But in areas where the current average level of CO2 from seawater is present, we found a lot less corals and other forms of calcified life, and therefore less biodiversity. It shows the considerable damage done by humans over the last 300 years and if we can not reduce CO2 emissions, we will undoubtedly witness a major degradation of coastal systems around the world, "adds Jason Hall-Spencer , professor of marine biology at the University of Plymouth.