A Swim Through the Ocean’s Future
photo credit: Christopher Isherwood
A remote part of the Mariana Islands called Maug, is the top of an underwater volcano. This uninhabited island is at peace from human disturbances, but then why are the coral reefs dying?
As you descend underwater about 100 feet you no longer see an abundance of colorful tropical fish. Instead you see the rocky ground covered in a brown slime, which is a collection of cyanobacteria, and coming from these rocks are bubbles that produce acidic emissions. These acidic emissions are the result of carbon dioxide that was absorbed by the ocean from the atmosphere. Since humans have emitted so much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the ocean keeps absorbing more and more, which in turn creates an increase in oceanic acidity. These acidic conditions make it difficult for coral reefs and shellfish to survive, since acid breaks down their calcium carbonate shells.
The pH in the waters surrounding Maug is 7.8, which is what scientists predict surface ocean water all over the world will average in half a century. Therefore studying the water and marine life around Maug is a good indicator of what ocean life will be like in the future. As oceans become more and more acidic corals and shellfish will spend more time producing calcium carbonate for their shells, which will inhibit their abundance and growth.
Without change, our oceans future looks bleak. However there is still time to change and every effort helps make a difference. By living green and reducing our carbon footprint, our oceans still have a chance at a brighter future.
Check out the full article at Smithsonian
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Loved this article. First article that I have read that made sense to me as a person with no education in marine life. Hope to hear more from this author.
Its was really good. I completley understood eveything, which is great. It made me realize how bad our ocean’s water is and will be if we dont pitch in and help. I hope to hear more from this author!
Very interesting. I will definitely post this to my facebook page; fabulous writing too. Please keep more coming.
This author knows her science and inspires me to reduce my carbon footprint!
Great idea. I’ll look forward to future articles by this writer. Hope to see further research done to fully understand the challenges we face as stewards of the global environment.
Very well written article, this author incorporated a perfect amount of information to inform any level of reader. Hope there is more to come from this author and on this topic from various locations.
While visiting Australia’s Great Barrier Reef we were told that cyanobacteria was also damaging the mangroves and coral – and much of the damage is irreversible. Change happens through awareness. Thanks for the article.
Nice article. Short but full of information. Makes the reader think about what’s going on in our oceans.
Thanks to the author,I didn’t need a mask, fins, or snorkel to understand what is happening to our oceans. Her article was well written and reminded me of an experience I had in the Carribean Sea.Years ago I visited St. Croix and explored the underwater park. It was breathtaking and filled with colorful coral and what seemed to be hundreds of different fish. On a subsequent visit, a dozen years later, I was stunned to see the coral all white and very few fish. My hope is that this author continues to explore and write about these critical issues. I am looking forward to her clear explanations and thank her for publishing this one.
I would love to hear more from this author. I was able to understand exactly what is going on due to the wonderfully written article.
I love the sound, smell and beauty of the ocean. This article was short, but enlightening. Hope to hear more from this talented author.
This author is obviously a professional. Looking forward to hearing more, her words are more than poetic, they’re magical
Great article and demonstration of whats to come if we won’t change.