Joshua Jones
McLean, VA
2019, Senior, Creative Writing

400 years ago, the prevailing opposition to science burned those who championed the scientific truths that we accept now as undeniable facts (Martínez 2018). Today, the denial of clear scientific facts and evidence will lead to a different kind of burning, one that will affect all of us: global warming. According to the United Nations, “climate change is the defining issue of our time and we are at a defining moment” (“Climate Change”). We are at the precipice: we can address climate change now, and pave the potential for a prosperous future, or we can blindly charge forward, and plunge the world into darkness. Climate change is not some abstract concept, far removed from our generation, and it affects many facets of our world, but perhaps the most pressing threat is the one posed to our oceans.

Our oceans are the remnant of the primordial soup in which the miracle of life was conceived, and for hundreds of millions of years they have supported a stunning diversity of life, even as species migrated onto land. Today, they face threats on all fronts as a direct result of human actions and irresponsibility. Ocean acidification, known as “climate change’s equally evil twin” (Ocean Portal Team), is primary among those threats. Although the term was coined around 15 years ago, the human driven process of acidification has been happening for centuries, since the advent of the industrial revolution (Ocean Portal Team). It is universally agreed-upon that human activities emit huge amounts of carbon dioxide; in 2018 alone, fossil fuel combustion and industry practices were responsible for 37.1 billion metric tons of CO2, and emissions are only growing (Canadell et al.). Between a quarter and a half of the atmospheric carbon resulting from fossil fuel combustion dissolves in the ocean (National Geographic, “Ocean Acidification”), a figure equivalent to at least a total of 525 billion metric tons of carbon since the industrial revolution started nearly 300 years ago, but perhaps exceeding a trillion metric tons (Ocean Portal Team). This may appear to mitigate some of the negative effects associated with global warming, but it doesn’t—it just shifts the problems under the ocean’s surface, where, although less visible, they are wreaking havoc. When carbon dioxide dissolves in water, it does not remain inert and harmless: it reacts with water to form carbonic acid and has altered marine chemistry drastically (PMEL Carbon Group).

The most obvious effect of an increased concentration of carbonic acid is an increase in acidity, or equivalently, a lowering of pH. Absorption of normal amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide and the subsequent formation of carbonic acid in relatively low concentrations would be countered typically by a buffering effect caused by minerals carried into the ocean by rivers (Ocean Portal Team), but the rapid anthropogenic increase in the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide has upset this delicate balance, and the formation of carbonic acid now far outpaces its neutralization (Ocean Portal Team). Over hundreds of years, this effect has compounded; the acidity of the ocean has increased by 30 percent due to human activities (PMEL Carbon Group). The effects of this increase are becoming increasingly clear.

All organisms have ranges, or limits, of tolerance that define the environment in which they live. Humans, for example cannot live in the extreme cold or the extreme heat. Similarly, most organisms survive and thrive only within a narrow range of pH values; when the environment gets too acidic or too basic, they struggle to reproduce and can even perish. Fish and marine organisms are especially vulnerable to this effect: due to the fact that they are surrounded at all times by and continuously intake vast quantities of water, any change in seawater pH is amplified manifold. Studies suggest that a drop of only 0.1 pH units, which has already occurred, not only forces fish to waste valuable energy regulating their internal chemistry, but even affects the minds and capabilities of these fish (Ocean Portal Team). As pH continues to drop throughout the rest of this century, more and more organisms will be pushed out of their ranges of tolerance, and may become extinct or endangered. Such an effect will be felt rippling up the trophic chain, affecting all marine organisms.

Unfortunately, a drop in pH is not the only way in which carbon dioxide absorption fundamentally undermines the proper functioning of our oceans. Particularly hard-hit are the diverse and vibrant communities of shelled organisms. Hydrogen ions, introduced by carbonic acid, react with the carbonate ions present throughout the ocean to form bicarbonate, a relatively stable ion (Ocean Portal Team). As carbonate, a necessary ingredient for the prevalent calcium carbonate shells, becomes increasingly fixed into bicarbonate, it becomes less and less available to the organisms that need it. Even more distressingly, increased acidity can lead to the dissolution of calcium carbonate shells, thus affecting not only the expansion and growth of new creatures, but also damaging mature, developed organisms (Harvey 2018).

Coral reefs are perhaps the most endangered by this chemical shift due to their heavy dependence on carbonate for their characteristic shells. Currently, we are experiencing not only stunted growth, but also the dissolution and destruction of the established reefs that underpin coastal and marine ecosystems; by 2050—a scant 30 years from now—there will be a global net dissolution of coral reefs (Eyre et al. 2018). Every year, we will lose more reef than we gain, and eventually, there will be no reef remaining. Coralline algae, which is found on the surface of coral, covers only 8 percent of its original area in acid conditions (Ocean Portal Team); other types of algae take advantage of its absence by colonizing and smothering coral (Ocean Portal Team). Mussels, oysters, and other shellfish are similarly affected. By the year 2100, oysters will grow 10 percent less shell, and mussels are more deeply afflicted, expecting a 25 percent decrease (Ocean Portal Team). Acidity is already killing off massive oyster populations by preventing larvae growth (Grossman 2011). No species of foraminifera, a type of zooplankton, will survive the century (Uthicke).

Although the evidence supporting ocean acidification and climate change is very clear, there are still those who deny it. They claim that the evidence is not strong enough, that we cannot be sure that we truly are impacting our world drastically, or that we might not even be able to cause any permanent damage. This opposition may also be rooted in a belief that our own short-term gain is of greater importance that addressing climate change (Collomb 2014). The research, though, is clear: if we continue along this trajectory, there will be disastrous consequences, on land but also in the ocean. As marine organisms die off, effects will ripple throughout whole ecosystems, from the lowliest algae at the bottom to the mighty great white, shaking the very foundations of our human civilization. As fish continue to struggle, jellyfish will become more and more dominant throughout the world (Ocean Portal Team). Although this has an obvious and profound immediate impact on the structure and functioning of ecosystems, the damage will not be confined to the seas alone: jellyfish are associated with losses in tourism revenue and even human deaths (Cripps 2013). Revenue generated from the fishing and aquaculture of shellfish, especially oysters and mussels, will decrease, and organisms that depend and feed on shellfish may struggle to survive. Coral reefs are some of the most important ecosystems on this earth; they are referred to as nurseries of the ocean for the tremendous diversity of marine life that they support. In every nook and cranny of the reef, this diversity is evident in the vibrant aquatic life that thrives there, but the biodiversity supported and facilitated by coral reefs is no mere decoration: high species and genetic diversity contributes to resilience and productivity (“Importance of Coral Reefs”). Reefs protect coastlines by absorbing and dampening storms, as well as functioning in nutrient fixing and cycling (“Importance of Coral Reefs”). Their contributions to the tourism and hospitality sector are valued at $36 billion a year (The Nature Conservancy), but it is hard to imagine people flocking to the Once-Great, Now-Small Barrier Reef. By sheltering and providing habitats for many marine organisms, coral provides for the more than one billion people that are dependent on it (“Value of Reefs”).

We are currently experiencing a sixth mass extinction (“The Extinction Crisis”), and just as it played a major role in the Permian extinction 250 million years ago that wiped out 95 percent of marine species (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica), ocean acidification is an important contributing factor. Today, in 2019, we enjoy beautiful marine life that supports and provides for us. Fish and shellfish exist in astonishing numbers. Coral reefs are a testament to the artistry of nature. The complexity of the interlocking systems that make up our world is a marvel in and of itself. Without intervention and legislation, we stand to lose all this. Without intervention, the oceans will be far more barren. Without intervention, we will destroy ourselves.

 

Works Cited

Canadell, Pep, et al. “Carbon emissions will reach 37 billion tonnes in 2018, a record high.” Phys.org, 6 Dec. 2018, phys.org/news/2018-12-carbon-emissions-billion-tonnes-high.html. Accessed 8 June 2019.

“Climate Change.” United Nations, www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/climate-change/. Accessed 6 June 2019.

Collomb, Jean-Daniel. “The Ideology of Climate Change Denial in the United States.” European Journal of American Studies, Spring 2014. European Association for American Studies, doi:10.4000/ejas.10305. Accessed 8 June 2019.

Cripps, Karla. “Jellyfish taking over oceans, experts warn.” CNN Travel, Cable News Network, 6 Nov. 2013, www.cnn.com/travel/article/jellyfish-taking-over-oceans/index.html. Accessed 8 June 2019.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Permian extinction.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 9 Aug. 2018, www.britannica.com/science/Permian-extinction. Accessed 8 June 2019.

“The Extinction Crisis.” Center for Biological Diversity, www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/biodiversity/elements_of_biodiversity/extinction_crisis.

Eyre, Bradley D., et al. “Coral reefs will transition to net dissolving before end of century.” Science, vol. 359, no. 6378, 23 Feb. 2018, pp. 908-11. Science, doi:10.1126/science.aao1118. Accessed 8 June 2019.

Grossman, Elizabeth. “Northwest Oyster Die-offs Show Ocean Acidification Has Arrived.” Yale E360, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, 21 Nov. 2011, e360.yale.edu/features/northwest_oyster_die-offs_show_ocean_acidification_has_arrived. Accessed 8 June 2019.

Harvey, Chelsea. “Corals Are Dissolving Away.” Scientific American, 23 Feb. 2018, www.scientificamerican.com/article/corals-are-dissolving-away1/. Accessed 8 June 2019.

“Importance of Coral Reefs.” Queensland Museum, www.qm.qld.gov.au/microsites/biodiscovery/05human-impact/importance-of-coral-reefs.html. Accessed 8 June 2019.

Martínez, Alberto A. “Was Giordano Bruno Burned at the Stake for Believing in Exoplanets?” Scientific American, 19 Mar. 2018, blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/was-giordano-bruno-burned-at-the-stake-for-believing-in-exoplanets/?redirect=1. Accessed 6 June 2019.

The Nature Conservancy. “Coral Reef Tourism is worth $36 Billion to the Travel Industry and Host Nations Every Year.” The Nature Conservancy, 21 May 2017, www.nature.org/en-us/explore/newsroom/coral-reef-tourism-is-worth-36-billion-to-the-travel-industry-and-host-natio/. Accessed 8 June 2019.

“Ocean Acidification.” National Geographic, edited by Susan Goldberg, 27 Apr. 2017, www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/oceans/critical-issues-ocean-acidification. Accessed 8 June 2019.

The Ocean Portal Team. “Ocean Acidification.” Edited by Jennifer Bennett. Smithsonian Ocean, Smithsonian, Apr. 2018, ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/invertebrates/ocean-acidification. Accessed 6 June 2019.

PMEL Carbon Group. “What is Ocean Acidification?” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/What+is+Ocean+Acidification%3F.

Uthicke, Sven. “Early victims of ocean acidification could go extinct this century.” AIMS, Australian Institute of Marine Science, www.aims.gov.au/docs/media/latest-releases/-/asset_publisher/8Kfw/content/early-victims-of-ocean-acidification-could-go-extinct-this-century.

“Value of Reefs.” Reef Resilience, The Nature Conservancy, reefresilience.org/value-of-reefs. Accessed 8 June 2019.

Share Gallery

Ocean Acidification: The Scourge of the Seas