Hi there curious minds! If you are interested to know in more detail the science behind the first episode, you are in the right place. Come along with us as we break down important concepts! And where better to find reliable information than in the reviewed articles presented in high impact journals? (Don’t worry, you will find all the links at the end of this post) Scientists have been collecting data for decades when it comes to climate change and specifically the process called “Ocean Acidification”. In one review that took the analysis of almost 1000 different studies spanning in over 20 years marine scientists and other researchers raise their concerns on the potential impacts on this phenomenon.

Imagine all the Earth as if it is covered in the hugest blanket made of air. This is actually the layer of atmosphere. Just like a cozy layer of blanket we keep at night, it protects us here on Earth to maintain a nice desired temperature.

There was a time in the 1700s called the Industrial Revolution when machines started being used a lot more. In a way the world changed as we knew it. With the burning of coal, oil and gas for energy a gas called carbon dioxide (CO2) was released in the air. But everytime we burn these fossil fuels we seem to be adding extra blankets. As a result, all the blankets trap too much heat making our planet warmer and warmer. Over the past 250 years, the amount of CO2 in the air has immensely increased, from 280 parts per million (ppm) to around 400 ppm to be more precise. Scientists are concerned that if we follow the same practices and do not reduce these emissions by the end of the century these values can get as high as 1000 ppm.

Our oceans are immense and magnificent. They have helped us with absorbing the extra heat since day one. However, apart from the heat they absorb this extra CO2 as well. In a way, it benevolently and generously takes some of these blanks to neutralize the high heat. Ocean is being naturally helpful but here we come to the main problem.

Strange things happen when the ocean absorbs too much CO2, it gets “fizzy” just like a bottle of soda after you shake it. A chemical reaction happens where the carbon dioxide is transformed into ions that make the water in the oceans become more acidic. Scientists are conducting experiments to learn how this acidity, also explained as a change in the pH level, is affecting all marine life. With the given data, ocean acidification is particularly affecting creatures that make their shells and skeletons out of the calcium carbonate. These would be the corals and shellfish. It is making it harder for them to thrive or even survive. In coastal areas it is found that the water can become even more acidic.

The ocean is a fascinating place and a healthy ocean means a healthy Earth too, they are this deeply interconnected! John Donne has famously written in one of his poems that “No man is an island”. This isn't just about feeling lonely; it applies to our planet too! The ocean, its creatures, you, me, and all life are complexly and carefully connected. Think about it some of the very oxygen we breathe comes from the oceans phytoplankton. The food we eat often relies on healthy fish populations. Even the rain that waters our crops is ultimately linked to ocean currents. The interaction between climate change and economies depending on it is bidirectional too.

A warming ocean is a changing ocean! Through clear research it is now evident for scientists and non scientists that climate change is shifting and altering oceans physics and chemistry. The impact of rising temperatures, ocean acidification, commercial unethical fishing practices and oxygen depletion can be shown in the ecology and the fish population reduction as well. Some scientists have shown how ending overfishing practices by commercial fishing can increase the resilience to climate change.

Fish and their populations are like people, they can better survive challenges (just like the climate change) when they start off healthy. When the fish and other marine life are caught faster than they can reproduce, their population reduces. This doesn’t simply affect the fish we eat but it disrupts the entire ocean food chain! They become more vulnerable to effects of climate change and at the same time this can worsen climate change itself. A double trouble situation! We are caught between a rock and a hard place, but it will have to involve our common endeavors to bring about change!

Researchers show how having international law enforcements for sustainable fishing practices can help rebuild fish populations and also decrease greenhouse gas emissions from the giant vessels. By allowing healthy fish stocks to regrow and catching fish sustainably, we can increase the oceans ability to absorb CO2 and to keep the burden of the previously mentioned blankets. In conclusion, the ocean's role in climate change should always be a priority.

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Footnotes

Leung, J. Y., Zhang, S., & Connell, S. D. (2022). Is ocean acidification really a threat to marine calcifiers? A systematic review and meta‐analysis of 980+ studies spanning two decades. Small, 18(35), 2107407.

Sumaila, U. R., de Fontaubert, C., & Palomares, M. L. D. (2023). How overfishing handicaps resilience of marine resources under climate change. Frontiers in Marine Science, 10, 1250449.