“Planetary Emergency” – Critical Threshold for Oceans Exceeded
Greenhouse gas emissions have made the oceans increasingly acidic. Now, according to a new report, ocean acidification has exceeded the limit considered safe for marine life for the first time.
‘The consequences could be really serious,’ says Albert Norström, associate professor at the Stockholm Resilience Centre.
Text: Amanda Saveland
Every year, the oceans absorb almost a third of human carbon dioxide emissions. This ability has mitigated global warming, but at the same time changed the chemistry of the oceans and made them more acidic. Now, in a report from the German Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, scientists estimate that ocean acidification has reached a level that is considered critical. The direct effects mainly affect calcareous organisms such as corals, shellfish and plankton.
“Many of these animals are small and not very charismatic, but they are often an important base in the marine food chains. So if they disappear or lose their vitality, we will see a loss of other economically important species such as fish and marine mammals,” says Albert Norström, one of the researchers behind the report.
A serious warning signal
Ocean acidification is one of nine so-called planetary boundaries that scientists use to assess the health of the planet. It can be compared to a health check, where test results that deviate from the norm are a clear signal that something is wrong.
‘Right now, seven of these boundaries have been exceeded, according to which we have a planetary emergency and that the trends are unfortunately negative,’ says Albert Norström.
According to the report, the fact that ocean acidification has now become the seventh boundary to be exceeded is ominous. It shows that the oceans are not doing well, and that the risk of serious damage to marine ecosystems increases the further away from the boundary the acidity level moves.
So is this the end? According to Albert Norström, the answer is no. Hear him tell more in the video clip.
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