Ocean acidification and microbial changes that may increase acidification and decrease oxygen production

Varied links to my earth-ocean.info website.

I have been working on a different post today and I need to do more on it, so I posted the draft with a few quick additions and got a comment about the CO2 issue.

The issue is the ocean is getting more acidic and that is in part due to CO2 from the air and also agricultural chemicals. Coastal regions with chemical run-off and increased acidity have worst coral die-off than other areas with increased temperatures - it isn’t just temperature that harms corals.

While it might seem like a nutritionist isn’t a climate specialist, I have spent a few years focused on climate with particular attention to the ocean and ground water. I love water and took several long courses on the climate change topic and a certification course by the U.N. on ground water and water filtration systems, large and small - how to set them up. The course was for professionals and fairly complex.

My site earth-ocean.info was where I collected that type of article for the most part, though transcendingsquare.com probably has some too, which means my archives here may have a few environmental posts.

Ocean change was what I was talking about - there isn't much change in atmospheric carbon (and the tax thing is a scam) because the ocean absorbs extra and it has been. That is monitorable - and it gets over toxins and excess fertilizer from coastal waters.

Photo by Vizag Explore on Unsplash

Ocean dead zones and Ocean microbiome changes/dysbiosis for our standard of life.

• Ocean health is a major focus of the blog on my site earth-ocean.info. Ocean dead zones are increasing and are worst around coastal areas - all coastal areas practically. Bacteria are thriving that tend to exist before a major species collapse on the planet. https://www.earth-ocean.info/post/the-ocean-dead-zones-are-increasing-in-size-and-number

  • Map of the ocean dead zones: https://www.earth-ocean.info/post/map-2018-of-the-ocean-dead-zones-see-link

  • Here is a more current resource for looking at the health of coastal waters: resourcewatch.org/Eutrophication-and-Hypoxia

• If the bacterial species shift too much, then use of CO2 by algae would decrease, making dead zones, a positive feed-back loop of ocean microbiome dysbiosis. https://www.earth-ocean.info/post/rhodopsin-containing-marine-bacteria-don-t-make-oxygen

• Plastics in the ocean are harming microbes that make oxygen like algae. The ocean microbiome dysbiosis may also contain a lack of oxygen producing species and we depend on the ocean for about half our atmospheric oxygen. https://www.earth-ocean.info/post/plastic-found-to-be-harmful-to-some-oxygen-creating-ocean-microbes

Insurance and carbon tax credits are about money and money is not a big solution for this problem. We need to go back to traditional farming and make major changes in lifestyle, but also the rich jet setters, and shipping raw chicken across the ocean to be processed and then sent back - there are so many things wasting resources and polluting it is depressing. Starting locally with our own ecosystems is a place to start. Pick up litter before it becomes ocean microplastics and buy less fleece or NO fleece items. That super soft fluffy fabric being made into jackets and scarves and blankets and other things creates microplastics in every washer load. Specialized washing machine bags for fleece can help contain the microfibers from entering the wash water.

• This post is an overview about ocean risks and insurance as a not that great plan compared to taking more direct action and I have a lot of example links and links to a series on that site with my own ideas for improving ocean nutrition. https://www.earth-ocean.info/post/the-big-picture-of-climate-change-is-bigger-than-businesses-may-consider

The ocean needs a nutritionist, it has dysbiosis.

Me, a decade ago or so.

Brave AI on ocean acidity, gov links, standard info *I didn’t check it, just sharing the background that is generally accepted.

-- the agricultural chemical run-off is also acidic, some coastal regions are at greater risk of the coral die off because the combination chemicals and acidity makes it worse for them.

'Carbon dioxide levels in ocean over time'

The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the ocean has increased significantly over the past few decades due to human activities. Here are some key points about CO2 levels in the ocean over time:

- Historical context: The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased by about 40% since the Industrial Revolution, primarily due to fossil fuel burning and land use changes. This increase has led to an increase in CO2 absorption by the ocean, which has resulted in a decrease in ocean pH levels.

- Ocean acidification: The pH of surface ocean waters has fallen by 0.1 units over the past 200-plus years, which represents a 30% increase in acidity. This change is largely due to the absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere.

- Current levels: The ocean has absorbed about 28% of the CO2 produced by human activities over the past 250 years. This has led to an increase in dissolved CO2 levels in the ocean, which can have negative effects on some marine life.

- Monitoring: Measurements made over the last few decades have demonstrated that ocean CO2 levels have risen in response to increased CO2 in the atmosphere, leading to an increase in acidity (decrease in pH).

- Regional variations: The largest decreases in aragonite saturation have occurred in tropical waters, while decreases in cold areas may be of greater concern due to lower aragonite saturation levels.

- Future projections: If current trends continue, the ocean’s ability to absorb CO2 may be reduced, leading to further increases in atmospheric CO2 levels and potentially more severe impacts on marine ecosystems.

Timeline:

- 200-plus years ago: Industrial Revolution begins, leading to increased CO2 emissions and absorption by the ocean.

- 1958: Continuous observations of atmospheric CO2 levels begin at Mauna Loa Volcanic Observatory.

- 2008: Environment Canada and IPCC report on ocean acidification and its impacts on marine ecosystems.

- 2011-2020: Carbon cycle experts estimate that natural sinks on land and in the ocean absorbed the equivalent of about half of the carbon dioxide emitted each year.

- 2016: Climate Change Indicators: Ocean Acidity report highlights the impact of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems.

- 2024: Current atmospheric CO2 levels are higher than at any point in human history, with ongoing increases in ocean CO2 levels and acidity.

AI-generated answer. Please verify critical facts. Learn more

Context

1. www.noaa.gov, Ocean acidification | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/ocean-coasts/ocean-acidification

2. www.epa.gov, Climate Change Indicators: Ocean Acidity | US EPA, https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-ocean-acidity

3. www.climate.gov, Climate Change: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide, https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide

Disclaimer: This information is being provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of Fair Use and is not intended to provide individual health guidance.