The case is divided into three sections, each with a different focus. TEACHER ANSWER KEY to OCEAN ACIDIFICATION SURVEY . This directed case study covers fundamental information about ocean acidification using relevant examples from general science news articles as well as data excerpted from scientific research. Credit and Larger Version, Coral reefs in the tropics and beyond are threatened by ocean acidification. The building of skeletons in marine creatures is particularly sensitive to acidity. OCEAN ACIDIFICATION OVERVIEW This hands-on activity supplements the 2014 Holiday Lectures: Biodiversity in the Age of Humans. INTEGRATED MODELING TO ANSWER KEY MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS REGARDING OCEAN ACIDIFICATION AND HYPOXIA File No. Ocean acidification is a new field of research in which most studies have been published in the past 10 years. Ocean acidification (a result of increased CO 2 ): causes a reduction in pH levels which decreases coral growth and structural integrity. This is just one process that extra hydrogen ionscaused by dissolving carbon dioxidemay interfere with in the ocean. "These scientists will make major contributions to understanding this serious environmental threat," says Garrison. This means a weaker shell for these organisms, increasing the chance of being crushed or eaten. This can stunt growth or cause deformations, often at a cost to the animal's overall health. This might not sound like much, but the pH scale is logarithmic, so this change represents approximately a 30 percent increase in acidity. Ocean acidification is an issue that impacts every organism in the ocean. This is why there are periods in the past with much higher levels of carbon dioxide but no evidence of ocean acidification: the rate of carbon dioxide increase was slower, so the ocean had time to buffer and adapt. On the surface, this phenomenon sounds like a helpful way of trapping a potent greenhouse gas. into the CO 2 equation - qualitative and quantitative effects of ocean acidification on predator-prey . Even the simple act of checking your tire pressure (or asking your parents to check theirs) can lower gas consumption and reduce your carbon footprint. Ocean acidification is sometimes called "climate change's equally evil twin," and for good reason: it's a significant and harmful consequence of excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that we don't see or feel because its effects are happening underwater. At least one-quarter of the carbon dioxide (CO2) released by burning coal, oil and gas doesn't stay in the air, but instead dissolves into the ocean. So some researchers have looked at the effects of acidification on the interactions between species in the lab, often between prey and predator. With the pace of ocean acidification accelerating, scientists, resource managers, and policymakers recognize the urgent need to strengthen the science as a basis for sound decision making and action. The West Coast Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Science Panel (Panel) called for modeling . The best way to prevent further ocean acidification across the planet is to cut atmospheric CO2emissions. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. The program is part of NSF's Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability (SEES) investment. But they will only increase as more carbon dioxide dissolves into seawater over time. Part III examines the effects of ocean acidification on the shell of a marine snail, the sea butterfly (Limacina helicina). Like today, the pH of the deep ocean dropped quickly as carbon dioxide rapidly rose, causing a sudden dissolution event in which so much of the shelled sea life disappeared that the sediment changed from primarily white calcium carbonate chalk to red-brown mud. Most of this CO2 collects in the atmosphere and, because it absorbs heat from the sun, creates a blanket around the planet, warming its temperature. However, experiments in the lab and at carbon dioxide seeps (where pH is naturally low) have found that foraminifera do not handle higher acidity very well, as their shells dissolve rapidly. The rate of ocean acidification has increased as humans continue to release rampant levels of carbon dioxide through the burning of fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas. Additionally, cobia (a kind of popular game fish) grow larger otolithssmall ear bones that affect hearing and balancein more acidic water, which could affect their ability to navigate and avoid prey. Like calcium ions, hydrogen ions tend to bond with carbonatebut they have a greater attraction to carbonate than calcium. Ocean Acidification The Industrial Revolution's Effect on the Global Carbon Cycle Quick Facts Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2) increased 40% from preindustrial levels to the early 21 st century, ten times faster than has occurred on Earth for millions of years. This graph shows rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, rising CO2 levels in the ocean, and decreasing pH in the water off the coast of Hawaii. ; Direct students to compare the values of m (which will differ slightly . This topic can be taught in conjunction with lessons about food webs and ecosystems, the environmental impacts of climate change and CO 2 emissions, and chemistry lessons concerning real-life applications. But coralline algae, which build calcium carbonate skeletons and help cement coral reefs, do not fare so well. NSF 2012 Ocean Acidification awardees, their institutions and projects are: Jess Adkins, California Institute of Technology: Ocean acidification: Collaborative research: Measuring the kinetics of CaCO3 dissolution in seawater using novel isotope labeling, laboratory experiments, and in situ experiments, William Balch, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences: Ocean acidification: Effects of ocean acidification on Emiliania huxleyi and Calanus finmarchicus; Insights into the oceanic alkalinity and biological carbon pumps, Joan Bernhard, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution: Ocean acidification, hypoxia and warming: Experimental investigations into compounded effects of global change on benthic foraminifera, Robert Byrne, College of Marine Science, University of South Florida: Ocean acidification: Collaborative research: Investigation of seawater CO2 system thermodynamics under high pCO2 conditions, Anne Cohen, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution: Toward predicting the impact of ocean acidification on net calcification by a broad range of coral reef ecosystems: Identifying patterns and underlying causes, Erik Cordes, Temple University: Ocean acidification: Physiological and genetic responses of the deep-water coral, Lophelia pertusa, to ongoing ocean acidification in the Gulf of Mexico, Robyn Hannigan, University of Massachusetts Boston: Ocean acidification: Effects on morphology and mineralogy in otoliths of larval reef fish, Donal Manahan, University of Southern California: Ocean acidification: Predicting "winners and losers" to ocean acidification--a physiological genomic study of genetically-determined variance during larval development, Figen Mekik, Grand Valley State University: Carbonate preservation in pelagic sediments: Developing a new aragonite preservation proxy, Bruce Menge, Oregon State University: Ocean acidification: Collaborative research: OMEGAS II- Linking ecological and organismal responses to the ocean acidification seascape in the California Current System, T. Aran Mooney, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution: Ocean acidification: Examining impacts on squid paralarval development, behavior, and survival, M. Brady Olson, WWU Shannon Point Marine Lab: Collaborative research: Ocean acidification: Impacts on copepod populations mediated by changes in prey quality, Mak Saito, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution: Ocean acidification: The influence of ocean acidification and rising temperature on phytoplankton proteome composition, Martin Tresguerres, UCSD Scripps Inst of Oceanography: Ocean acidification: Physiological mechanisms for CO2-sensing and related intracellular signaling pathways in corals, Jonathan Wynn, University of South Florida: Ocean acidification in the Canada Basin: Roles of sea ice, James Zachos, University of California-Santa Cruz: Ocean acidification: Collaborative research: Establishing the magnitude of sea-surface acidification during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, From carbon emissions to the oceans: Land and sea interact in ocean acidification. We can't know this for sure, but during the last great acidification event 55 million years ago, there were mass extinctions in some species including deep sea invertebrates. If this experiment, one of the first of its kind, is successful, it can be repeated in different ocean areas around the world. Answer key to follow up questionsWhat is ocean acidification?Ocean acidification is lowering of the pH or "acidification" of the world's oceans due to the increase incarbon dioxide added to the oceans as a result of increasing atmospheric CO 2 .Why are atmospheric CO 2 levels increasing?Carbon dioxide levels are rising as a result of . From tropical oceans to icy seas, the projects will foster research on the nature, extent and effects of ocean acidification on marine environments and organisms in the past, present and future. Ocean Acidification Lesson 1: Case Study Key question: What is ocean acidification, how is it linked to climate change and why is it so significant in the Arctic region? NSF News: nsf.gov/news Describe the relationship between anthropogenic emissions and ocean acidification. 2. What can we do to stop it? Credit and Larger Version, Earth's oceans may be acidifying faster today than in the past 300 million years. In the last 200 years, the ocean has taken up around 30% of all CO2 emissions and this absorption has altered the production of calcium carbonate in oceanic waters, causing the phenomenon known as Ocean Acidification (OA). When CO2 is absorbed by seawater, a series of chemical reactions occur resulting in the increased concentration of hydrogen ions. But a longer-term study let a common coccolithophore (Emiliania huxleyi) reproduce for 700 generations, taking about 12 full months, in the warmer and more acidic conditions expected to become reality in 100 years. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.. Keep exploring! So short-term studies of acidifications effects might not uncover the potential for some populations or species to acclimate to or adapt to decreasing ocean pH. Acidification may also impact corals before they even begin constructing their homes. Use an I Do, We Do, You Do format to find the slope (m) of each line in the NOAA Hawaii Carbon Dioxide Time-Series graph, using Part B of the Ocean Acidification Trends handout (see Tip) to track your calculations. This may happen because acidification, which changes the pH of a fish's body and brain, could alter how the brain processes information. purposes. Ocean acidification - caused by increases in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere - is having detrimental effects on marine life globally. Telephone numbers or other contact information may One study even predicts that foraminifera from tropical areas will be extinct by the end of the century. Materials are provided for 20 - 30 students to work in 5 groups of 4 - 6 students per group. 2. This may be because their shells are constructed differently. The case concludes with a broader consideration of the potential biological implications for other marine organisms and the environment in general. Native seaweed has the potential to be cultivated in California coastal waters and used to alleviate the effects of local ocean acidification, according to a new study funded by NOAA's California Sea Grant. Students will simulate the effects of decreasing pH caused by increasing atmospheric CO 2levels. Answer Key of Ocean Acidification Test 4 Academic Reading Book Achieve Ielts Ocean acidification strips seawater of the carbonate ion that pteropods need to build new shells, and it also damages their existing ones. Ocean Acidification Lesson 3: Practical task Key question: How can the process of ocean acidification be replicated in the laboratory, enabling us to consider its potential impacts on global ecosystems? When shelled zooplankton (as well as shelled phytoplankton) die and sink to the seafloor, they carry their calcium carbonate shells with them, which are deposited as rock or sediment and stored for the foreseeable future. A. Nitrogen cycle. Understand essential concepts of ocean chemistry and ocean acidification. In addition, acidification gets piled on top of all the other stresses that reefs have been suffering from, such as warming water (which causes another threat to reefs known as coral bleaching), pollution, and overfishing. (Flickr user Jenny Huang (JennyHuang)/EOL). Even slightly more acidic water may also affects fishes' minds. (Ensia)10 Key Findings From a Rapidly Acidifying Arctic Ocean (Mother Jones), Scientific Papers Facebook: facebook.com/US.NSF A NOAA-funded study has documented that ocean acidification along the U.S. Pacific Northwest coast is impacting the shells and sensory organs of some young Dungeness crab, a prized crustacean that supports the most valuable fishery on the West Coast. Credit and Larger Version, Coral reefs in the tropics and beyond are threatened by ocean acidification. They may be small, but they are big players in the food webs of the ocean, as almost all larger life eats zooplankton or other animals that eat zooplankton. One of the most important things you can do is to tell your friends and family about ocean acidification. Pteropods are an important part of many food webs and eaten by organisms ranging in size from tiny krill to whales. The passage seems to suggest that calcium carbonate in Pteropods' shells is being dissolved/damaged due to this CO2. 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