Abstract
Increasing CO2 emission by human beings, which leads to anthropogenic climate change, causes ocean acidification, resulting in a global decrease of the pH levels, and it is expected that pH will decrease by 0.4 units by 2100 in shallow coastal waters. This phenomenon drastically affects marine ecosystems, especially coastal habitats, predominantly occupied by seaweeds and mainly involved in productivity and habitat creation. The acquisition of knowledge on ocean acidification’s impacts on seaweeds and herbivores has become a prime concern in predicting ecosystem changes (Ocean Acidification: Salmon and the Puget Sound, n.d.). It involves monitoring the effect of high pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) and low pH levels on the littoral brown alga Fucus vesiculosus and its interaction with the gastropod grazer Littorina littorea. The research results led to the discovery of considerable seaweed shape modification, the breakdown of chemical defence, and the alteration of herbivores’ behaviour under increasingly high pCO2 conditions. This finding could lead to cascading effects in coastal marine ecosystems.
Introduction
Ocean acidification adversely affects the ecosystem and coral reefs, which in turn has detrimental effects on the entire ecosystem. The world faces the consequences since the ocean is taking up excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, leading to a lower pH of the waters. The world must collaborate to save the oceans and the marine life. Ocean acidification, caused by the rise in carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in the atmosphere, impacts oceans around the globe. It has emerged as a global environmental issue (The Impact of Ocean Acidification on Coral Reefs, n.d.). The C02 absorbed by seawater causes carbonic acid to form, which reduces ocean pH levels, and it has been observed to change from 8.2 to 8.0. Additionally, this causes a change in the ocean’s potential hydrogen levels, known as ocean acidification.
It is unfavourable to marine organisms, especially those with shells made of calcium carbonates, such as coral reefs and shell-building organisms (The Impact of Ocean Acidification on Coral Reefs, n.d). The coral reefs that are home to different species of marine animals and play a crucial role in sustaining an ecosystem are among the ones that are the most affected by acidification. Lowered carbonate availability means the coral cannot grow, and new reefs will not be formed, bringing corals and other marine creatures close to extinction. United Nations indicates that ocean acidification and climate change are closely linked. The oceans usually absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere when the concentrations of air CO2 increase because of human activities, such as the combustion of fossil fuels. Those impacts of climate change are multiplied, and marine habitats are also put at greater risk.
The Approach of Incorporating Seaweed into the Ocean
The idea of ‘seaweeds into the ocean’ is linked to an effective way of adopting and using seaweed potential, including brown algae like Fucus vesiculosus, to reduce ocean acidification and make the ecosystem more resistant. Seaweeds are generally the primary producers in marine ecosystems, producing habitats and food for numerous marine organisms, and they play a significant role in carbon and nutrient cycling (Kinnby et al., 2021). The approach is an attempt to raise the growth and development of seaweeds, especially in places that are vulnerable to ocean acidification, where the ability of seaweeds to absorb CO2 through photosynthesis and provide habitats for marine living and ecosystem stability can be utilized. This technique utilizes seaweed’s vigorous reproductive growth by restoring and preserving habitats.
The reverse degradation of coastal habitats, like kelp forests and seagrass meadows, provides conditions for seaweed to grow and store carbon dioxide in seawater, enhancing the possibilities of their roles in CO2 absorption and ocean acidification mitigation. Conservation of existing seaweed ecosystems against human-made disruptions such as pollution and overfishing helps minimize the disturbance of natural habitats’ functions and adaptability to stress factors. Additionally, further development of seaweed farming in marine aquaculture and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) systems allow seaweed cultivation to be utilized for ecological benefits (Kinnby et al., 2021). Algae cultivation could remove CO2 from water, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to food production, livestock feed, and biofuel. The main feature of IMTA is to grow seaweeds and co-culture other aquaculture species, like finfish and shellfish, so that raw material and environmental impacts can be reduced and balance the ecosystem.
Findings From Research
Research by Kinnby et al. (2021) applied a multidisciplinary strategy by investigating the mysterious relationship between the natural world and the sea, including ocean acidification, seaweed morphology, and herbivore interactions, among the most commonly found in coastal ecosystems (Kinnby et al., 2021). The study was carried out in a controlled experimental setup where historical levels of partial pressure of carbon dioxide(pCO2) were set to match the predicted future conditions. This allowed the Fucus vesiculosus seaweed to be exposed to the effects of increased pCO2 levels. The findings reveal that effects such as high pCO2 have been linked with growth, but compromised tissue strength and reduced chemical defences are observed in seaweeds under such conditions. Seaweed species are significantly altered, which may disrupt the coastal food.
The research further reveals the effect on herbivore response to such modifications and improved condition patterns but reduced consumption rates (Kinnby et al., 2021). Although no significant change regarding the feeding preferences occurs, the behaviour of herbivores due to the marine life under ocean acidification suggests a complicated structure in the aquatic ecosystem under the ocean acidification scenario. Such an approach not only details the effects on organisms that serve as the ecosystem base, like F. vesiculosus but also highlights the broader significance of functional integrity for the resilience of coastal ecosystems related to human activities. Ongoing genetic modification of seaweeds as primary producers and habitat-forming organisms may result in morphological changes and physical integrity depreciation (Kinnby et al., 2021). This implies more significant consequences or impacts on habitat availability and food sources for herbivores. Therefore, it is necessary to incorporate such knowledge into ecosystem management strategies to protect coastal ecosystem function in the rapidly changing environment.
Future impacts and mitigation strategies
Considering the current findings, projected ocean acidification scenarios demonstrate an ongoing decline in the water’s pH. The initial estimate predicts a drop of about 0.4 units by the end of this century, particularly in the coastal areas and the shallow waters. This trajectory raises enormous problems for marine ecosystems, especially in the coastal regions, where seaweeds like Fucus vesiculatus perform vital functions (Falkenberg, 2020). The study results show that ocean acidification significantly affects seaweed performance in morphology, defence responses, and interactions with herbivores. The balance between the habitat-forming and primary could be altered. Also, the variations in herbivore behaviour dynamics, which range from better post-calorific balance indices to decreased feeding rates, reflect the complex reshaping nature of coastal food webs. These changes could trigger outlying waves of effects through the food chain, leading to less suitable habitats and less food for marine animals.
Summary
The mitigation process, therefore, needs to address not just the cutting down on carbon emissions but also the building up ecosystem resilience. The primary and most critical aspect of fixing the reason behind ocean acidification involves global and collaborative action to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases (Travel + Leisure, 2019). The transition from traditional energy sources to renewable energy, through energy efficiency promotion and the establishment of carbon price mechanisms, are essential steps towards climate change mitigation and the engagement of marine ecosystems. Besides, local interventions that are intervention-based can help the coastal habitats become more resilient. Likewise, rehabilitating and preserving the coastal green vegetated habitats like seagrass beds and mangroves can help cushion the ocean from further acidification. Establishing marine protected areas and a sustainable fishery management approach will help conserve the most vital species and ecosystems, ensuring stability even in the face of environmental stress.
Incorporating education and outreach as elements can help create mitigation strategies, broaden people’s understanding of the impact of ocean acidification, and provide them with the ability to take action. Through citizen science projects, people can be involved in testing and reducing the intensity of production-impacting factors, gathering information that is very useful to the scientific community and managers. Multidisciplinary collaborations that confront oceans’ acidification problem by integrating ecological, physiological, and socio-economic perspectives are critical in developing adaptive management mechanisms suitable for ocean acidification. Through interdisciplinary collaborations and responsive governance principles, society can reach the possibility of a more sustainable and cleaner marine environment under the changing conditions of the future climate.
References
Falkenberg, L. J. (2020). Ocean Acidification and Human Health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(12), 4563. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124563
Kinnby, A., White, J. C. B., Toth, G. B., & Pavia, H. (2021). Ocean acidification decreases grazing pressure but alters morphological structure in a dominant coastal seaweed. PLOS ONE, 16(1), e0245017. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0245017
Ocean Acidification: Salmon and the Puget Sound. (n.d.). Www.youtube.com. Retrieved March 22, 2024, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpSFTaJ-BH0
The Impact of Ocean Acidification on Coral Reefs. (n.d.). Www.youtube.com. Retrieved June 6, 2021, from https://youtu.be/77B4Tkj4jf0
Travel + Leisure. (2019). How Scientists Are Restoring. The Great Barrier Reef | Travel + Leisure [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hknaJQRh8s
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