Скачать или смотреть Coral Reefs and Climate Change—The Visible Effects of Ocean Acidification

Climate change is having visible effects on our oceans. Here you see the direct effects of ocean acidification on three pieces of coral in one of Hawaii’s most popular snorkeling areas. The first coral you see is the most healthy whereas the second piece is experiencing whitening/bleaching from acidification and the third piece is in the phase of dying as it puts out a beautiful purple hue trying to protect itself from the changing amount of carbon in the oceans. Ocean acidification is the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans, caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide CO2 from the atmosphere. Seawater is slightly basic (meaning pH greater than 7), and ocean acidification involves a shift towards pH-neutral conditions rather than a transition to acidic conditions (pH less than 7). An estimated 30–40% of the carbon dioxide from human activity released into the atmosphere dissolves into oceans, rivers and lakes. Many marine organisms that produce calcium carbonate shells or skeletons are negatively impacted by increasing CO2 levels and decreasing pH in seawater. For example, increasing ocean acidification has been shown to significantly reduce the ability of reef-building corals to produce their skeletons. Follow and checkout www.earth-keepers.org to get involved. #enoughisenough #truth #demandaction #climatechange