Are alarm bells ringing for the oceans?

Are alarm bells ringing for the oceans? According to a new theory developed by scientists, one-third of carbon dioxide emissions are absorbed by the sea, slowing global warming. This phenomenon poses a significant threat to sea creatures. Every day, a new one is added to the warnings of experts about global warming. However, one of the most debated issues regarding climate change in recent years is why the world has not warmed as much as climate models predicted in recent years.

According to a theory put forward by scientists, this is because excess heat is stored deep in the ocean.
The report of the International State of the Oceans Program (IPSO) draws attention to the increase in temperature in the world's seas. IPSO scientific director and marine biologist Prof. Dr. Alex David Rogers said: “We have evidence that the oceans are warming. In some points, such as the Baltic Sea, there are temperature increases of up to 1,3 degrees Celsius. In addition, we have obtained increasing findings that the temperature of deep waters is increasing and they are getting warmer. These are waters deeper than 700 meters,” he says.

Another point emphasized by the report is the change in PH values. Stating that about a third of carbon dioxide emissions are absorbed by the seas, Rogers emphasizes that this slows down global warming on the one hand, and changes the chemistry of the oceans on the other. Because carbon dioxide dissolved in water turns into carbonic acid; This increases the acidity of the oceans.
Seawater contains 26 percent more acid since the beginning of industrialization, according to recent findings. Experts predict that by 2100, the seas could contain 170 percent more acid.

What do all these numbers mean?

For nearly 20 years, different studies have been trying to determine what this change in the chemistry of the sea and oceans means for sea creatures.
Experiments on this subject were started in the natural environment for the first time in 2010. Ulf Riebesell from the Helmholtz Center for Ocean Studies in Kiel, who led the research, states that they simulated the acid rates expected to occur in the coming centuries with the giant capsules launched into the sea.
The results of the research reveal that organisms such as corals, mussels, snails, sea urchins, and starfish that take calcium ions from the water and convert them to limestone, that is, calcium carbonate, as well as fish and other organisms are in danger.

Stating that the polar regions are heavily affected by this situation as cold water absorbs carbon dioxide faster, Riebesell notes that the studies carried out in the Arctic Ocean show that the sea water here will become corrosive in the coming decades due to the high acidity rate. “This means that the acidity of the water is so high that it dissolves the limestone shells and skeletons of limestone-producing creatures,” Riebesell says.
Marine biologist Prof. Dr. Alex David Rogers states that the increase in the acidity of the water has been noticed in the South Pole region as well. Rogers notes that they found tiny sea snails here, whose limestone outer shells were starting to fall apart. The marine biologist warns that such creatures are the main source of protein for many animals, from small sea creatures to whales, and their extinction will have a heavy impact on the food chain.

'It will have economic and social effects'
According to experts, the change in the chemistry of the oceans will also have heavy economic and social effects. Ulf Riebesell of the Helmholtz Center for Ocean Studies said: “Without coral reefs, there would be no coastal management, and tourism in the region would not be what it is today. Coral reefs are important as breeding centers for many fish, including commercially important fish. So in the future, not only organisms will be deleted from the system. It is likely that all limestone-producing organisms will be wiped out from the ecosystem.”
But the nightmare doesn't end there. Marine biologist Rogers notes that the increase in the acidity of the seas will decrease the carbon dioxide absorption potential over time. “This is definitely going to recycle carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere,” Rogers said. This will likely accelerate the rise of the carbon dioxide level or increase the carbon dioxide rate. And that's a very serious issue because we're currently experiencing a possibly unprecedented increase in geological terms. “In other words, the current increase in carbon dioxide levels is probably the highest in 300 million years.”

 

Source : Deutsche Welle Turkish

📩 08/12/2013 23:56