Cooling ocean temperature could buy more time for coral reefs

Limiting the amount of warming experienced by the world’s oceans in the future could buy some time for tropical coral reefs, say researchers from the University of Bristol.

The study, published by the journal Geophysical Research Letters, used computer models to investigate how shallow-water tropical coral reef habitats may respond to climate change over the coming decades.

Dr Elena Couce and colleagues found that restricting greenhouse warming to three watts per square metre (equivalent to just 50-100 parts per million carbon dioxide, or approximately half again the increase since the Industrial Revolution) is needed in order to avoid large-scale reductions in reef habitat occurring in the future.

Shipping pollution – emissions from shipping making ocean more acidic, researchers report

Shipping pollution along major trade lanes can rival carbon emissions in contributing to the increased acidity of the ocean, according to a new study by an international team, including researchers from the University of Gothenburg, Chalmers University of Technology, the University of Delaware and the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies.

The research is the first global analysis that shows that acidification from shipping can during the summer months equal that from carbon dioxide.

Study highlights under-appreciated benefit of oyster restoration

Oyster reefs shown to buffer acidic inputs to Chesapeake Bay

Scientists have identified many benefits for restoring oyster reefs to Chesapeake Bay and other coastal ecosystems. Oysters filter and clean the water, provide habitat for their own young and for other species, and sustain both watermen and seafood lovers.

A new study co-authored by Professor Roger Mann of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science adds another item to this list of benefits—the ability of oyster reefs to buffer the increasing acidity of ocean waters.

Ny rapport viser omfattende havforsuring (in Norwegian)

En ny utredning om havforsuring i Arktis presenteres 6. mai 2013 under konferansen AMAP International Conference on Arctic Ocean Acidification i Bergen. Utredningen viser at verdenshavene blir surere. De siste 200 årene har gjennomsnittlig surhet i havoverflaten økt med omkring 30 prosent på verdensbasis, og Arktis er spesielt utsatt.

Havet i Arktis absorberer CO_². Dette fører til økt havforsuring – en varig nedgang i havets pH. Denne endringen påvirker marine økosystemer i Arktis, økosystemer som allerede er svekket av
stigende temperatur og smeltende havis.

Marine algae show resilience to carbon dioxide emissions

A type of marine algae could become bigger as increasing carbon dioxide emissions are absorbed by the oceans, according to research led by scientists based at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (NOCS).

The study, published this month in PLoS ONE, investigated how a strain of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi might respond if all fossil fuels are burned by the year 2100 – predicted to drive up atmospheric CO₂ levels to over four times the present day. Specimens grown under this high CO₂ scenario were compared with specimens grown under present day CO₂ levels.

Obama’s much-needed ocean plan falls short on warming, acidification

SAN FRANCISCO— The Obama administration released its National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan today, intended to strengthen ocean health and coordinate national management. The plan calls for actions aimed at improving ocean science, planning marine reserves and conservation, reducing risks from increased industrial activity in the Arctic, and bolstering the ocean economy. Missing in the plan are badly needed steps to reduce carbon pollution that’s plaguing oceans and rapidly transforming marine life.

UCSB scientists find resilience in shelled plants exposed to ocean acidification (text and video)

(Santa Barbara, Calif.) –– Marine scientists have long understood the detrimental effect of fossil fuel emissions on marine ecosystems. But a group led by a UC Santa Barbara professor has found a point of resilience in a microscopic shelled plant with a massive environmental impact, which suggests the future of ocean life may not be so bleak.

Putting larval cobia to the acid test

Study shows potential resistance to increasingly acidic oceans by certain species of fish, in some areas of development, not others

MIAMI – April 2, 2013 – Ocean acidification, which occurs as CO2 is absorbed by the world’s oceans, is a source of concern for marine scientists worldwide. Studies on coral, mollusks, and other ocean denizens are helping to paint a picture of what the future might entail for specific species, should carbon emissions continue to increase.

Some microscopic marine organisms could adapt to climate change

Certain tiny, ocean-dwelling creatures called foraminifera can survive in conditions similar to those caused by ocean acidification, say scientists.

The researchers, from Plymouth University and the National Autonomous University of Mexico, found the first evidence that some foraminifera can handle very low-pH conditions near seafloor vents in the Gulf of California. Carbon dioxide bubbles up through these vents, lowering the pH of the surrounding seawater and mimicking conditions of ocean acidification.

Large plastic bags in unique experiment to study ocean acidification

To study the effects of ocean acidification, ten huge plastic containers called mesocosms are placed in the Gullmar Fjord in Sweden. The project is unique: mesocosms of this size have never been used for such a long period of time. The experiment is part of a worldwide research project, and includes researchers from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.