Ocean Acidification

The Ocean. Making up 96.5 percent of Earth, the ocean and its many ecosystems are important. For 200 years since the industrial revolution, the CO2 concentration of water has increased due to human interference. During this time, the pH of the ocean surface has decreased by 0.1 units. While this does not seem like much, the ocean must remain at a very specific pH in order to support the many different species that live in its depths. Just like our drinking water that has to be at or near a neutral pH of 7 for it to be safe to drink, the same applies for the oceans. Ocean Acidification is throwing off the natural balance of the many ecosystems beneath the waves and is a direct result of climate change.

If you have ever been to Hawaii, chances are you have been snorkeling. When you did, you probably saw lots of brightly colored fish and other animals, but more importantly, you probably saw coral. Coral are marine invertebrates that form in compact colonies. They are important players in the construction of reefs, which inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton. (This is what Nemo lives in with his dad in the movie, Finding Nemo). These ecosystems create protected areas of the ocean where smaller, more vulnerable species of fish form symbiotic relationships with the coral, meaning they live in harmony. This protects them from outside predators and gives them a home, while benefitting the coral in many ways as well.

Unfortunately, ocean acidification causes coral to die in a process known as bleaching. Coral bleaching occurs when water temperature increases or when pH changes. When this happens, corals expel the algae living in their tissues (which give them their color), resulting in the coral becoming completely white. This ultimately results in the coral being uninhabitable, disrupting the balance of the ecosystem and displacing many organisms, making them vulnerable and less likely to survive.

Ocean acidification is a major problem. Even the slightest change can have drastic effects on the water and the many ecosystems that thrive below the surface. There is no one else to blame for this issue, one that has already seen the death of 50% of the world's coral and threatens to kill 40% of remaining coral by 2030. It is the effects of climate change that we cannot see that are often the most sinister, and this is exactly the case here. We need to make rapid, long-term changes because we are impacting not just our ability to survive, but the ability of other animals to survive. Living here in Mission Viejo means that these problems don't present themselves as strongly, but it falls on us, the ones who have the resources to act, to make changes and take it upon ourselves to create a brighter, more sustainable future for ourselves and the life that surrounds us.