User:WRICE00/Ocean acidification in the Arctic Ocean

Possible Stuff to Add

 * Discuss ' Carbon Cycle ' under 'Causes ' section
 * How does ocean acidification work - process
 * Ways to reduce acidification/minimize acidification
 * Talk about ocean acidification affects on economy and communities

Lead
There is often more ocean acidification occurring in the oceans in polar regions, such as the Arctic Ocean, than oceans closer to the equator. This is because colder water can hold more gases, therefore allowing for more carbon dioxide to be dissolved into the Arctic Ocean and acidifying the water. There has also been a general trend seen in the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide showing Arctic regions to hold more CO2 than other regions in the world. Methods to reduce ocean acidifcation in the Arctic Ocean include reducing global dependency on fossil fuels, employing enhanced chemical weathering as a geoengineering strategy, and possibly fertilizing oceanic waters with iron. This issue in the Arctic Ocean negatively affects economies and communities whom rely on the ocean to sustain their way of life.

Article body
The rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere in recent years has had a severe impact on ocean acidification, particularly in the Arctic Ocean. The levels of atmospheric CO2 tend to be higher in arctic regions compared to the global average due to more landmass and a higher rate of human activity in the northern hemisphere. Additionally, the colder climate throughout the course of a year significantly reduces the amount of CO2 taken up by land plants during photosynthesis, thereby increasing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere even further. In this positive feedback loop, drastic reduction in sea-ice causes a drop in ocean pH due to greater uptake of CO2 and freshwater inputs as a result of sea-ice meltwater. As a result, this leads to a higher sink of CO2 that is able to be dissolved into the Arctic Ocean waters and cause acidification. It has been estimated that about one-third of the current increase in atmospheric CO2 has been absorbed into the oceans.

Since the carbon cycle is tightly connected to the issue of ocean acidification, the most effective method for minimizing the effects of ocean acidification is to slow climate change. Anthropogenic inputs of CO2 can be reduced through methods such as limiting the use of fossil fuels and employing renewable energies. This will ultimately lower the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere and reduce the amount dissolved into the oceans. More intrusive methods to mitigate acidification involve a technique called enhanced weathering where powdered minerals like silicate are applied to the land or ocean surface. The powdered minerals enable accelerated dissolution, releasing cations, converting CO2 to bicarbonate and increasing the pH of the oceans. Other mitigation methods, like ocean iron fertilization, still need more experimentation and evaluation in order to be deemed effective. Ocean iron fertilization in particular has been shown to increase acidification in the deep ocean while only slightly reducing acidification at the surface.

Ocean acidification not only has impacts on aquatic life, but also on human communities and the overall livelihood of people living near these waters. For example, as a result of crustaceans being unable to produce their shells and skeletons due to reduced amounts of carbonate ions, populations such as crabs have significantly decreased in some areas in the Northern hemisphere. This has resulted in numerous fisheries in these areas to close down as a result of multi-million dollar losses. In addition, an uptick in ocean acidification has caused a swift increase in toxic algal bloom, which are known to produce a neurotoxin called domoic acid that can accumulate inside the bodies of certain shellfish. If ingested by humans this toxin can cause severe health issues, which has forced many additional fisheries to close down.