Dangerous to some fish: The Arctic Ocean may become more acidic in summer

Dangerous to some fish
The Arctic Ocean may become more acidic in summer

10/06/2022 08:49 AM

In fact, acidification in the Arctic Ocean is greater in winter than in summer. But that may change due to climate change, the researchers discovered. The evolution may be harmful to some arctic organisms such as the arctic cod.

Due to climate change, the Arctic Ocean in the future may be more acidic in summer than in winter. The authors came to this conclusion in a specialized journal “nature tempered” Published study. Naturally, acidification in the Arctic Ocean is at its peak in winter. But as global warming increases, it could intensify in the summer in the future.

Co-author Hans-Otto Pörtner, of the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research in Bremerhaven, said.

The seas have changed over the past 200 years According to the AWI . Declaration It absorbs more than a quarter of man-made carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. Because of this, it has become 30 percent more acidic since the start of the Industrial Revolution. However, the acidity of the water varies with the season and region.

Many factors and a glimmer of hope

According to the AWI, Arctic air temperatures will rise more sharply in summer than before, more sea ice will melt and waters will warm more quickly than before, also due to increased solar radiation. According to the researchers, there are complex reasons why the Arctic Ocean may be more acidic in the summer in the future. Acidification is affected not only by one factor, but also by the sensitive interaction of physical, chemical and biological processes. In the end, it can no longer be compensated – for example by algae that perform photosynthesis and thus absorb carbon dioxide.

In their study, the researchers analyzed simulations of several models and developed future climate scenarios. Changes in acidification were larger for medium and high greenhouse gas emissions – and much smaller for low emissions. “For the researchers, it is a glimmer of hope that key elements of the Arctic Ocean ecosystem can be preserved if average global warming can be kept below 2 degrees Celsius,” the statement said.