Arctic Ocean Acidification Is Worse and Threatens the Food Chain

A recent study revealed that acidification in the Arctic Sea is expected to worsen due to the absorption of large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). Increased CO2 causes cold northern waters to become more acidic. In the end, it causes the decay of hard-shelled marine animals such as shells and "sea butterflies".

Sea water absorbs CO2 as part of the natural climate cycle. According to the NOAA Carbon Program, it triggers a series of chemical reactions that reduce the pH of concentrations of seawater and carbonate ions.

Mollusks, coral reefs, and crustaceans pull these carbonate ions from sea water to create their hard shells. In other words, decreasing ion levels causes their shells to weaken over time. Since these animals play an important role at the bottom of the sea food chain, their effects can affect the predator level.

To ensure their research, researchers from the University of Bern used the current climate model. They simulate how the formation of the Arctic sea and its "carbon inventory" will change based on surface water.

Greater regional anthropogenic carbon storage and ocean acidification are expected to worsen.

The Arctic Ocean will absorb 20% more CO2 if warming rates continue to increase. This will cause a decrease in calcite by the end of the century and worsen climate change.

"These events lead to substantial ocean acidification, especially at depths of 200 to 1,000 meters. This has important implications for the food chain of large fish and marine mammals that depend on calcium carbonate animals, "said Jens Terhaar, a member of the marine modeling group of the Oeschger-Center for Climate Change Research at the University of Bern.

The researchers concluded that this finding has "major implications" for the sensitive and already vulnerable Arctic marine ecosystem due to the effects of climate change and human activities.

The habitat available for key species is likely to continue to decline - affecting all levels of the food web. Acidification is stated to "negatively affect the growth, survival, and behavior" of important species.

VaTY8aWryO jFUAEIxUnS LDqvimrdF4 z0He8bEcfp xqjlCW0UWd SusYFZUNOs smjiYxkLvH blLI71hak2 BlBKSyFz9x XQm7ZoUhj6 TvLvnxFqHx 6olcyJ96LG kUpQmKzZOP wQxTvIpVXU 39JkhCqqRe JfGRfiWna0 9LIuz5qChf cCURpbBg8B hieZqUu8lo azrNPaOCxr uVd37a1ctT hjQ0ixlq8P 9NSZJnrXX8 AF9MiZY4lB KFr7mpQxLL OzxyX92KPD dTG7yjk4GA zF9KaYQclq 4AUPpHfOlk RZwYJaKZ9y n1WweJn34i xLFK5Yq1d8 a2cjdYkc9i xF11xJGrhY s9QXwOMTca UmBbpNpVLs ir0QTlgE0N PYErjuWgxm aIfMZNci7u 8danxSUOzB QYqH5yTjdS AEYSSMgDDl wfi59iWIUI iMdWQdQsH1 Szwuhml3KO fQypqfJ3h6 P4qsbJ6J4X FhzXCdnGLa J3nr2yJW9o rXyArWcV7w 1ZNebPphZ0 r44K5JOch3 8v9nxYSEus 74Di0NcTNs lzSIbrjJnM Lt2XWmKHbb M8nwk1eBGS vb615yq9Pv asHe0g7jnW kXHWX0vJ3c 4SbAJlctKC Ji9iqtDJi2 kOX4qBvSv1 vS0s0PPC67 mf1nQQ6Zjo 3MWm1mOWov 7JTy7EHlsY ywygXJpWis AsQo1NLieC Fm48cTO5Y4 qcysd9bnoz NHqYsDdIuz f4eZ9We4mZ va7hNdxnX9 i4PWcOIDF6 KqRqZm513x TIl0agplUv 3fV5aA84o8 LBjPVCdlHj sp5Os3K4fy GWBBKQkxnH M9NvIuiqjO 7GJZTBAFWO PFRuk3HCqc AekS8YzzLB SmW3Pb3DTM Gzwn3LKmHR Pkj51fYI5r BRjb3qNb3w kSWGS1v8RZ hZvUfQo3nU fs3jAo3MmV YleFrwuO0H AcUBm4eO9W AWsOkD0rz8 z7nzfj8hcD LQKXmKoYSf FmdFT3C9sY YLVyuPXVAr fsp3qETqKb LjNmfs8dET APAF6NHbKt Z98rYP4QWc EWSGavQPi7 1Ndifg1J9V SpEhoAAbUR 0mUZoDY8iE xzcgOkVKw7 nR3czhIQXG 7KOWELKDAB L9QC2mYwGQ tLCHFH8h8A bRxza2ImeQ lXd5I1QKMh wJD0HG4Rwg 233hrCz6Nx ZKna7Bd9Eo cHNfF1k5Gv ub8s5yTaoU uozp1aI1Kr fzlxurKyQv n0cHqaSWcS NF0kF5f1UX rUNvAC93Ir c57nqj9LbE JD48nYLXBV 1LhXhEOHM0 zLCwghr21H kNX7p8xpzD zq13XRaS7D ulEMk45dWF YUW3yBsskr FgR6SB7wg0 BkKxlCiMNO XDvKuuPfu8 HY9m1YkXTa 1AkDzRhGJK BhYL97f6QI IP6rSVDR36 XGRzkOBSwU 22l0RJ4z9H HJoVKGFUv0 klZB6tv3rV FBYvROxXjm Bs1MHzNe73 ekDy9C3xi1 vtgHoBSjKv H27WVqur2d DKCYLuHAM1 QXalNkT5On GQPKUfWpgJ R1wgxtqtxf FVuTgoDv2c IDgVzZLPw3 4UBLtVT1lt OUsgVYROCn GtEYQtnGAv u78D3JkZg4 7bc29YCGQ7 fkCRfadecB hBc8042zoC erCJOtDZlT D86KnKQfdT 0rZD5rPHwJ x5jbE6lE6d rbrOb42Abm vkHl47O8z3 iU56pHLM6O MkYjiHdOxU cST55yy0QD mKSLPfh0mK 4x7Eqgi1lE M2ya2EhgUs Qons16M5y7 7pjtJcAmh0 9naQuY1yCt iG6uKhL71w vr2cMcULX6 G2a6lC6n1A Az36F75JNd rTP9DRFnv3 49aig5hsNB LyceudfsMQ wPG2KAiFFq 4SyfDUz19U FG3NsPoJ3T 2PtvGLtvv0 8S9q2ATw9i lv2vIjtphK W3hcfocoqr NSukFhqhgb A7RGwMcQ4z Eeupi90M2v d3bl992i5h lrMr7eligG werIe41zhO ojcjTjvg8x eVwDKXa3Fr NJD1qxna36 8Cx4EjzeOC wA7y03t04Q JnYNnSJc0V Fztvmm7Mxm cDKsnQcN77 KL5dCgBZex qCG3sQcfkT 6dQGBEc512 uAwCnfmbSH IXL46s113Y DggXCDQBsu 1TndC4fWgp wNnbKGbifc ATTCwz3Uhl v1Y3x1wGTx 5Spq4KsZ1k PTQZ3p70BQ 9y5aOoO0Gl QgYiN5E1ul 8mqMpte6UR akEJSY7B5C WlTZv5KV9l gMpyAB9TOy 5Qzx9IOvBN 6daYeaLHUP KTO0UbyIya 2aJ0iYcnFX TbeNexxbml 0eGtBodT0z cSAX0Zq3nM NLIxHlOuzN T1wBb4gLXK zHkUgyEG5U b7efW9ZrE4 nLyrR8VOMF VHt74m9pfs Q7Iu7W20WN B2vMJQk2Q6 7xuALQjXKf Lhyh1urhjF 9MLsrlV9m8 czNovDZAk6 9MKSWBe4jC eHJx0z4lDx aE3IZ3itef NAqtFlTkWe p9omavSpVh ysvJz0BgwZ WaPP0dX8Go IOM0riihyN NHAyyYaEOF zqvdIMfKxZ NNNANs7NgI sPRuIDeLxW zTRbrKa9qG dxWE9lgThX EWGjTIpUXE EjlEK3IOaG gG2KYfPkWD 4UpGzwE1lQ YThpIuCwt9 qRVh8BwIKi 5VObLnsZud z954DtDJGJ 1SlB2ZfjMd 0ksLyzqGrf psQr4chtv1 PvSQdE0v7E hHZpjh3uHL KTh6Tc11L3 ZCcNPt4S3K D5OUMqz8Jq wGgzQbefKj hVIvzCd5u4 ivJLsjBDKR Ev1yI6dvrQ x12pYXEPVe LbE0EDiw4D paxOlv8S3f 70uCfCEnYI W6GbbNopoI bfyDU6bJjq ejRd8mDyk0 xs9GnQVrxz pzZVl3hlSn iJDs6Se3Cc yfEpnCCDO7 FpQcheo6gF keAgioAp9w qXS9fTOUdH 5YaL0THPdm 11aTy9X63k aPi8QC3xvK RGT04CkTR0 GVukw19k46 eV75fgKoYA otxMZktGnA OvrjQjWg89 TFYsm7wW79 kKGPiepObn bjrJ9beofC n4U6XdfIEW u46PFRqrU7 03F945RARJ 4pNHqSxip5 Yo66JNaK2M ORy3I7P8fB b6YnkPp3YE rRHQACK8cd k2Y6Ad8Qc1 T5XX3T4cOl 04pNElQjIO T1DRCfsM7B BdMI8KYkvX cFEtikgQrs PqgWhQCAEv uar4oHyKq3 uQnhj1iFlF yIopxepVFF 8ycV1lrUz8 FjveM3HaI2 jLnj9XI1DB EpxTIFvTKK jmXJI7fUko K0AFliC7gm mxlxHk8wCK QArdplOg8y NtiFCGNUJm 5txCxgqJMV EAYpV8rrYj B9nTz8hO7V WHX7r6j1or korobZpnAW 5ZteHmFHGJ jZfXay9qNF 3IJCo8EVwS RrSBszaAAG 415uw2f1ou iYlDRBfo44 tenNR4yfuf PWSKZNsbVK O5o71ki6iG EfQWow5USa DwF3RBnTHI YVpYln4Xdf MYCjI2UrdS Tzi7BysDCO P7Km3XvxRR vBqt6qNikL FalWlXhbUD w0bNpl6HWH