To save oceans, resolve acidification problem

A 20th-century dictum on aquatic environmental protection proclaimed, “the solution to pollution is dilution.” The world’s oceans are so vast that it was believed that human output would ultimately yield a negligible effect on the global environment. Faced with unprecedented issues of planetary degradation resulting from a saturation of human byproducts, the foolishness of such an adage cannot be understated. Rather, the human impact on the marine ecosystem is such that we’ve actually lowered the pH of the oceans — a process known as ocean acidification — and have endangered organisms of both ecological and economic importance. The process, already well underway, is just another dangerous consequence of unchecked human activity, and serious mitigation efforts are necessary if we are to avert devastation.

Sometimes referred to as the “other carbon problem,” acidification occurs when increased concentrations of carbon dioxide enter the atmosphere and, ultimately, the ocean. Because the ocean acts as a sink for these heat-trapping emissions, increased fossil fuel combustion causes greater quantities of carbon dioxide to permeate the ocean. Once bound by sea, molecular carbon dioxide engages in a series of chemical reactions that ultimately produce a higher concentration of oceanic hydrogen ions. Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution some 150 years ago, the repetition of these chemical reactions has driven down the pH of the ocean, a process that in past geological epochs has occurred over many thousands of years. Scientists have measured a decline in pH from about 8.2 to 8.1. While this might seem insubstantial, the pH scale is logarithmic, so such a change actually represents about a 30 percent increase in ocean acidity.

For organisms that form shells or depend on calcifying processes — corals, shellfish, sea urchins, among many others — this is troublesome news. A decrease in ocean pH threatens these vital processes and the existence of these species. The variety, beauty and richness of species and ecosystems that have taken millions of years to evolve are now under assault from a century and a half of profligate human emissions. And the impacts aren’t of solely ecological concern. Shellfish aquaculture is a multibillion dollar global industry, and is at great risk of collapse if the change in ocean chemistry accelerates. Massive oyster deaths in hatcheries off the state of Washington have caused great alarm and have mobilized leaders toward allocating over $3 million in research funding. In Alaska and New England, offshore farms for crabs, clams and scallops face similar concerns.

Eco-tourism related to coral reefs comprises a tremendous sector in the global economy and is especially relevant to developing nations in the Caribbean and South Pacific. The bleaching and disintegration of many reefs is the predicted outcome if acidification follows its current trajectory. Increasingly corrosive waters greatly endanger these ecosystems, which are some of the most productive in the world.

To preserve our financial interests in these marine ecosystems, as well as their biological integrity, immediate action must be taken. Research remains of utmost importance as we continue to understand the process of ocean acidification and project how it will proceed in the coming century. Public funding towards state agencies and universities must forge academic coalitions and develop a network for monitoring vulnerable coastal areas and ecosystem health.  In the same vein, education of the public is a major priority, as many people still do not recognize ocean acidification as an additional consequence of global warming.

Most critically, society must take the necessary and timely steps to substantially cut its carbon dioxide emissions. As the predicted effects of climate change gain greater clarity, it is evident that efforts to subdue the problem will be far more efficient than the steps required to adapt to it. Entire industries and ecosystems depend on our ability to reduce emissions. As is evident with ocean acidification, failure to do so will have dire results.

Austin Reagan is a junior majoring in environmental studies and political science. His column, “The Scientific Method,” runs Mondays.