Wait a minute--are we supposed to be concerned about slightly *warmer* oceans or slightly *cooler* oceans?

EarthNews » Archive » Fisheries are ‘at the point of the sword’ of ocean acidification

That kind of rapid change could rearrange the priorities of shellfish, corals and plankton by lowering their reproduction and growth levels.

In extreme cases, it could dissolve the shells off their backs.
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In Alaska, part of the problem is also logistics. The state’s geography is working against it.

The worldwide swirl of ocean currents dumps waters naturally rich in carbon dioxide off the coast of Alaska at much shallower depths than in the more temperate seas off the continental United States.

In the Gulf of Alaska, for example, water that is corrosive to marine organisms’ chalky shells can be found just 100 meters, or about 300 feet, below the ocean surface, and it’s creeping upward at rate of 1 meter per year.

Eventually, those acidic waters will reach the ocean surface, a situation that could happen in Alaska within the next 50 to 100 years, Sabine said. “When that happens, the organisms will have to actively keep building their shells, because their shells will be dissolving.”

Temperature also comes into play, since cold waters like those off Alaska can absorb more CO2 than warmer waters.

July '08: Jennifer Marohasy: Ocean Acidification: Photographs from Bob Halstead and a Note from Floor Anthoni

The shallows near Dobu Island off Papua and New Guinea have active underwater fumaroles pumping out virtually pure CO2. The sea grass is extraordinarily lush and healthy and there is very healthy coral reef a few metres away.