The Ocean in a high CO2 world: Symposium in Monaco 6-9 October

Since the industrial revolution began, the acidity of the ocean has increased by 30%. What are the long-term implications of this rapid change known as ocean acidification? The “Second Symposium on the Ocean in a High CO2 World”, to be held 6-9 October at the Oceanography Museum in Monaco, will explore this increasingly urgent question.

UK. University of Plymouth researches increasingly acid Mediterranean waters

Sea Vision Partner, University of Plymouth has been examining the effects of ocean acidification, working on a site off the island of Ischia in southern Italy where geologic CO2 naturally seeps through the seafloor.

The research indicates that the acidic oceans of the future could be lush, grassy, and populated by invasive algae and molluscs with paper-thin shells.

The exploration of natural “bubble streams” of carbon dioxide in shallow Mediterranean waters off the coast of Italy is the first to document the effects of ocean acidification in a real ocean setting. The notion that the oceans will become more acidic as CO2 concentrations rise is well understood. By the year 2100, ocean acidity is predicted to be 7.8 pH, compared to 8.2 pH in 1900.