Ocean Acidification and Biodiversity

Flashcards about ocean acidification and its effect on biodiversity.

What is ocean acidification?

The process where the ocean's pH decreases due to the absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere.

Approximately what percentage of CO2 produced by human activities ends up dissolved in the ocean?

30 to 40%

What is pH?

A measure of acidity, ranging from 0 to 14.

On the pH scale, what number represents highly acidic conditions?

Zero

What pH value is considered neutral?

Seven

Since the pH scale is logarithmic, each step represents what kind of change?

A factor of 10

In pH, what does the 'P' stand for?

Potential of hydrogen ions

What was the decrease in surface ocean pH between 1751 and the early 1990s?

8.25 to 8.14

What acid is formed when CO2 dissolves in water?

Carbonic acid

What two molecules are formed when carbonic acid releases hydrogen ions?

Bicarbonate and carbonate

The current rates of acidification are similar to those during a greenhouse event that occurred at what boundary?

Paleocene-Eocene boundary

Why are corals, mollusks, and crabs vulnerable to ocean acidification?

They depend on dissolved calcium carbonate

What material do marine organisms use to build their skeletons?

Calcium carbonate

What single-celled organisms are significantly affected by ocean acidification and are crucial to marine ecosystems?

Foraminifera and coccolithophores

What are coccolithophores?

They are single-celled algae with calcium carbonate coverings

What do coccolithophores produce that contributes to climate regulation?

Cloud formation

What is the term for an excess of CO2 in the body fluids of marine organisms?

Hypercapnia

How does excess CO2 affect baby clownfish?

Interference with sensory mechanisms and the ability to hear predators

What marine plants may initially benefit from increased CO2 levels in the ocean?

Seagrasses

Changes in the acoustic properties of seawater have huge implications for any animal that uses what?

Echolocation