What are the causes and consequences of ocean acidification for marine biodiversity?
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Causes and Consequences of Ocean Acidification for Marine Biodiversity
Causes of Ocean Acidification
Anthropogenic CO2 Emissions
The primary cause of ocean acidification is the absorption of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) by the world's oceans. This process alters seawater chemistry, leading to a decrease in pH levels and a reduction in carbonate ion concentration, which are critical for the formation of calcium carbonate structures in marine organisms1 7. The rapid increase in atmospheric CO2 levels, primarily from fossil fuel combustion, is unprecedented and is driving significant changes in ocean chemistry4 8.
Synergistic Environmental Stressors
Ocean acidification does not occur in isolation but is often accompanied by other environmental stressors such as global warming, nutrient runoff, and hypoxia. These factors can exacerbate the effects of acidification, leading to more severe impacts on marine ecosystems8. For instance, increased temperatures can amplify the physiological stress on marine organisms already struggling with lower pH levels6.
Consequences for Marine Biodiversity
Impact on Calcifying Organisms
Calcifying organisms, such as pteropods, foraminifera, corals, and some benthic invertebrates, are particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification. The reduced availability of carbonate ions impairs their ability to produce and maintain calcium carbonate structures, leading to decreased survival, growth, and reproduction rates1 2 3. This vulnerability is more pronounced in organisms that use less soluble forms of calcium carbonate, such as aragonite and calcite, compared to those using high-magnesium calcite2.
Ecosystem-Level Changes
The decline in calcifying organisms can have cascading effects on marine ecosystems. For example, the degradation of coral reefs, which are vital for biodiversity, can lead to reduced habitat complexity and lower species diversity4 5. Similarly, the loss of key habitat-forming species in other biogenic habitats, such as mussel beds and macroalgal habitats, can result in significant shifts in community structure and function5 9.
Shifts in Species Distribution and Abundance
Ocean acidification can cause shifts in species distributions and abundances, potentially leading to the dominance of non-calcifying organisms such as fleshy algae over calcifying species. This shift can simplify ecosystems and reduce biodiversity, as observed in subtropical-temperate transition zones9. Additionally, the sensitivity of different developmental stages and taxonomic groups to acidification varies, with mollusk larvae showing enhanced sensitivity, although this is not universal across all groups3.
Impacts on Ecosystem Services
The degradation of biogenic habitats due to ocean acidification can lead to a loss of ecosystem services, such as coastal protection, fisheries, and aquaculture. The decline in habitat complexity and biodiversity reduces the resilience of marine ecosystems, making them more susceptible to other stressors and less capable of providing essential services to human societies7.
Conclusion
Ocean acidification, driven by anthropogenic CO2 emissions, poses a significant threat to marine biodiversity. The impacts are particularly severe for calcifying organisms, leading to reduced survival, growth, and reproduction. These biological effects can cascade through ecosystems, causing shifts in species distributions, declines in biodiversity, and loss of ecosystem services. Addressing ocean acidification requires urgent action to reduce CO2 emissions and mitigate its synergistic effects with other environmental stressors.
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Most relevant research papers on this topic
Impacts of ocean acidification on marine fauna and ecosystem processes
Ocean acidification and other anthropogenic stressors have the potential to cause widespread changes to marine ecosystems, affecting marine biota's ability to produce calcareous skeletal structures and physiology.
Highly CitedMeta-analysis reveals negative yet variable effects of ocean acidification on marine organisms.
Ocean acidification negatively impacts marine organisms' survival, calcification, growth, and reproduction, but sensitivity varies among different taxa and developmental stages, impacting ecosystem responses.
Meta-AnalysisHighly CitedImpacts of ocean acidification on marine organisms: quantifying sensitivities and interaction with warming
Ocean acidification leads to decreased survival, calcification, growth, development, and abundance for marine organisms, with varying sensitivity among taxonomic groups and enhanced sensitivity in mollusk larvae.
Meta-AnalysisHighly CitedOcean Acidification and Its Potential Effects on Marine Ecosystems
Ocean acidification could lead to significant changes in marine ecosystems, highlighting the need for political will and large-scale investments in clean-energy technologies to avoid irreversible ecosystem changes.
Literature ReviewHighly CitedOcean acidification can mediate biodiversity shifts by changing biogenic habitat
Ocean acidification may lead to decreased biodiversity in coral reefs, mussel beds, and some macroalgal habitats, but increases in seagrass and other macroalgal habitats, impacting ecosystems.
Highly CitedMeta-analysis reveals complex marine biological responses to the interactive effects of ocean acidification and warming
Combining ocean acidification and warming has a stronger impact on marine organisms, highlighting the need for more robust, holistic climate change experiments that incorporate interactions.
Meta-Analysis
Rigorous JournalHighly CitedOcean acidification impacts on coastal ecosystem services due to habitat degradation
Ocean acidification negatively impacts coastal ecosystem services, leading to habitat degradation and a loss of biodiversity, affecting millions of people dependent on coastal protection, fisheries, and aquaculture.
Highly CitedReviews and Syntheses: Ocean acidification and its potential impacts on marine ecosystems
Ocean acidification, driven by increased atmospheric CO2 and dissolved inorganic carbon, is expected to have amplified negative impacts on marine organisms and ecosystem processes and services.
Literature ReviewHighly CitedOcean acidification drives community shifts towards simplified non-calcified habitats in a subtropical−temperate transition zone
Ocean acidification leads to community shifts and biodiversity loss, leading to a shift from carbonate to fleshy algal dominated systems in sub-tropical ecosystems by 2050.
Rigorous JournalHighly CitedCharacterization factors for ocean acidification impacts on marine biodiversity
Ocean acidification impacts marine biodiversity, with higher sensitivities for strongly calcifying taxa and polar regions, and future-oriented average effects being higher than past or marginal effects.
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