Oceans- What will the future hold?

In previous posts I have concentrated on mainly terrestrial biodiversity (however not on purpose). Today I take a swim with the fishes to investigate one of Earth's most interesting biomes- the ocean.

'The ocean covers nearly three quarters of the Earth's surface, provides about half of the oxygen we breathe and feeds billions of people every year' (Le Roux, 2013). 

The oceans have been protecting the Earth from the worst effects of human induced climate change for years by absorbing excess carbon dioxide (Bijma et al. 2013). This absorption, however, is having a negative effect driving the oceans into an acidic state. Along side this acidification, ocean warming is having grave impacts on the structure of many marine ecosystems. Bijma et al.(2013) coined ocean warming, acidification and deoxygenation the 'deadly trio' of anthropogenic impacts that are causing  accelerated loss of marine populations (Worm et al. 2006). Since the industrial revolution the world's oceans have become 26% more acidic and will continue to force oceans into a acidified state at an unprecedented rate.

Ocean acidification is the reduction in the pH of the ocean waters by the uptake of carbon dioxide from the Earth's atmosphere. It can also be caused by chemical pollution into the oceans. The carbon dioxide dissolves in the seawater generating changes in seawater chemistry. The addition of carbon dioxide increases the concentration of bicarbonate ions and carbonate ions which, consequently lowers the pH making oceans more acidic. For a beginners insight into ocean acidification take a look at the below flow chart, showing the changes in chemistry from slight alkaline to acidified seawater. 

Beginners guide to ocean acidification.

Many recent reports, have discussed how ocean change may be faster than any time in the last 300 million years, predicting that by 2100 there will have been a 170% increase in ocean acidity. But is it all doom and gloom for oceans? There has in fact,  been scientists that have discussed how marine species could survive and even thrive (seagrass) under ocean acidification and warming (McGrath, 2013). 

What environmental scientists are most worried about is the effect of the 'deadly trio' on corals. In the Great Barrier Reef half of the coral cover has been lost over the past 27 years. There have also been dramatic coral bleaching events in 1998 and 2002 due to anthropogenic ocean warming. In the Southern Ocean, we can unfortunately already see corrosion of pteropods (sea snails) shells. In my next post, I aim to expand on corals in more detail, focusing on the threats posed by the anthropocene to these highly sensitive environments. 

Coral Disaster: Great Barrier Reef coral bleaching. Source. 

With a carbon release of around 30 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide a year, it is no surprise that academics are worried about a major ocean extinction. As I touched upon in my previous post a sixth mass extinction' is a upcoming worry. However, speculative this theory may be, oceans are one of the biomes which are most vulnerable to a huge biodiversity decline. With changing ocean conditions, many species could possibly find themselves in unsuitable environments, especially in oxygen poor "dead zones"(Le Roux, 2013). 

What will the future hold for the oceans? Will there be a biodiversity loss in one of the worlds most diverse environments? Keep your eyes peeled for my next post which will look at the threats posed to corals.

Score Board Update. 

Anthropocene 2- 1 Biodiversity.

Biodiversity vs 'The Anthropocene': Let the battle commence

Despite my initial inhibitions, I have finally joined the blogging world (enter applause here). Since this is my first post, I am going to explain the focus of my blog and why I believe it warrants such discussion. As my title, 'Is the grass greener on the other side?' suggests, I will be investigating debates surrounding the Anthropocene and its effect on global biodiversity. Are we entering a 6th mass extinction or is there still hope for the species that roam our planet? Roberts (2013) discusses how the Anthropocene has brought an age of 'ecological transformations' and my blog will explore the impacts of these 'transformations' for global biodiversity. My reasoning for choosing this focus, is probably due to my slight obsession with ecology (I love plants, what can I say). 

So what is the Anthropocene I hear you say? A simple definition can be found in the Oxford English Dictionary:

'relating to or denoting the current geological age, viewed as the period during which human activity has been been the dominant influence on climate and the environment'.

As is suggested, the Anthropocene is unlike any geological period before. The dangerous levels of industrialisation, land use change, ocean acidification, freshwater eutrophication, carbon dioxide and methane emissions are what distinguish this 'Age of the Humans'. Humanity has taken on the role of God and is now pushing the Earth over planetary boundaries. The exact time when the Anthropocene emerged still remains a highly contentious debate. For a VERY basic explanation of the Anthropocene and its implications, feel free to watch the following short video.

Over the course of my blog I aim to cover a wide range of topics including (but not limiting myself to) invasive species, ecosystem resilience, migration of species with climate change, ocean acidification, freshwater eutrophication and the 6th mass extinction. Rather than having a strict agenda, I want my blog to be an engagement with current literary debates and allow my opinions freedom to develop over the next 3 months. 

I hope you enjoy following the battle between biodiversity and the Anthropocene. What will come out on top? Will the grass for biodiversity be greener on the other side? 

Let the battle commence.