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The eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea in Split, Croatia photo by Elizabeth Lies on Unsplash
Since we started burning fossil fuels and pumping carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere during the Industrial Revolution, the oceans have acted like a massive sponge absorbing up to half of that CO2 .Oceans have become about 30% more acidic and if current emission rates persist, our oceans are becoming more acidic than they are. have been in 14 million years .The acidity of the oceans is particularly threatening for marine life with structures made of calcium carbonate, such as shells, as the pH of the ocean decreases, the carbonate becomes less readily available and dissolves these co hard components, but it is found in fossilized calcium carbonate. shells of small creatures, called foraminifers, that Dr. Sindia Sosdian and his colleagues were able to measure the acidity of prehistoric oceans.
As these foraminifers grew near the surface of the ocean several million years ago, the chemistry of the surrounding waters was embedded in their shells. Through chemical analyzes of these shells, researchers have been able to compare our modern ocean to those that existed in the Earth's past and contextualize their discoveries in the various emission scenarios presented by the Intergovernmental Panel of Experts. on Climate Change (IPCC). They determined that if we continued to burn fossil fuels beyond the year 2100, the oceans would be more acidic than they had been in 14 million years ago, when the Planet was warmer by 3 ° C and CO2 levels were higher than today.
It is important to note that the environmental conditions at that time, known as the Middle Miocene climatic optimum, were caused by natural cycles associated with the geology and movements of the Earth . In contrast, there is clear evidence that the increase in atmospheric CO2 levels and the ocean acidity observed today can be attributed to human activity. As oceans acidify faster than they have done for 300 million years, we need to drastically reduce the rate at which we produce CO2 emissions to prevent further anthropogenic acidification. and protect marine ecosystems. [>
Adriatic Sea in Split, Croatia Photo of Elizabeth Lies on Unsplash
