p1 Aquatic life : A grim future

Since the start of industrial revolution a tremendous level of C0₂ has been emitted making the air virulent to be inhaled. The effects have not been circumscribed to the terrestrial life but are leaching into the water posing a risk on our aquatic life.

Atmosphere today has a much higher concentration of C0₂ than it once was before the industrial revolution. Constant exchange of gases take place between the air and the water making water vulnerable to the toxins spread out in the air. So is the case with C0₂, which when absorbed by water reacts to form carbonic acid setting about ocean acidification. The acid formation is not only limited to the surface layer of water but the water currents metastasize the toxic effects into deeper layers as well.

A 15 years massive research project undertaken in 1990s showed that oceans have absorbed about 30 percent of the co2 released into the air over the past two centuries. The stats were though a blessing for life on land but the grim picture awaits to be analyzed to save our aquatic life.

The PH scale is used to measure the acidity. Normally the sea water is slightly basic with a PH of 8.2 but the current emissions have declined the PH by 0.1.This drop of 0.1 shows a profound effect making the water 30 percent more acidic.

Ocean acidification has multitudinous effects. One of the devastating effects is on pteropods which are an important food for fishes, whales and birds in arctic and Antarctic regions. Scientists found pteropod shells grow slowly in acidic water disturbing the ecosystem.

Acidification is endangering the aquatic life by disrupting with the architecture of the marine ecosystem. Like we humans build architectures to live in them.Similary, coral reefs build the cities to serve as a living place for aquatic life. Almost 25 percent of the aquatic organisms spend at least part their life in these coral reefs .The coral polyps build an exoskeleton  of calcium carbonate to protect the whole colony. They need calcium as well as carbonate ions to make the protective covering but the acids react with water making carbonate ions scarcer in water.

Adding to the acridity of the problem the whole process is irreversible. Theoretically it may be possible to reduce the acidity of water but considering astounding volumes of water it is practically impossible to gain the normal basic PH of the sea water. So it is better to make preventive measures to save all the marine life that is awaiting a grim future.