Monaco Declaration - More Than 150 Marine Scientists From 26 Countries Sound Acidification Alarm

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Professor Andrew Dickson, a marine chemist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego and professor Victoria Fabry, a visiting research scientist at Scripps, were among the signatories to the declaration. The scientists note that ocean acidification is already detectable and is accelerating. They caution that its negative impacts can be avoided only by limiting future atmospheric CO2 levels.

“Studies presented at the Monaco meeting further highlighted the likely problems of ocean acidification to our oceans,” said Dickson. “I am glad to be a signatory to this declaration, and look forward to working with my colleagues to improve our knowledge of this important area and to communicate that knowledge to a wider audience.”

It is well established among researchers that the uptake of increased amounts of carbon dioxide will make ocean water more acidic as the gas dissolves to create carbonic acid. Ocean chemistry is changing 100 times more rapidly than in the 650,000 years that preceded the modern industrial era and since the late 1980s, researchers at Scripps Oceanography and others have recorded an overall drop in the pH of the oceans from 8.16 to 8.05.

This increased acidity can hamper the ability of a wide variety of marine organisms ranging from coral to abalone to form calcium carbonate shells and skeletonal structures. Researchers believe that at crucial stages in the larval and juvenile stages in the lives of many marine invertebrates, ocean acidification inhibits calcification, and also appears to affect reproduction and growth in some organisms.

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http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090201124553.htm

[OKIsItJustMe]

1. More info here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=184849&mesg_id=184849

[phantom power]

2. Dead oceans. Do. Not. Want.