But they now know that the fundamental chemistry of the oceans has
changed, and the possible effects seem to grow more nightmarish as
research accelerates.
"It seems like it is a one-way street, and that is alarming," said
Steven Emerson, a professor of oceanography at the University of
Washington. "The pH of the oceans could be lowered permanently."
Emerson was the lead scientist on the team that built the buoy at Ocean
Station Papa, where weather measurements have been taken since the
1940s. The 10-foot-diameter buoy is equipped with an array of sensors
that, among other things, measure the amount of carbon dioxide that's
being absorbed by the North Pacific and the pH, or acid levels, of the
ocean. Anchored in water 5,000 feet deep, the buoy relays its
information to onshore scientists via satellite.
The increasing acidity can eat away at the shells of crabs, oysters,
clams and nearly microscopic organisms known as krill and pteropods. It
also inhibits calcification, the process in which these animals rebuild
their shells. Without shells, most of the animals probably would die.
Krill and pteropods are a major food source for juvenile salmon,
herring, pollock, cod, mackerel and other fish.
"When you start messing with the lower end of the food chain, it can
dramatically affect the higher end of the food chain," Feely said.