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Ocean acidification ten times faster than predicted by climate models

By February 21, 2009March 1st, 2013Oceans

Not in the Great Southern Ocean, but from an eight year study off the coast of Washington State. The seas around Antarctica are proceeding 60 years ahead of schedule. The implication so ocean acidification are grave. Primary productivity is one of really important things on this planet. The oceans are really big and primary productivity plays a really big part in the oceans.  We can keep ocean acidity from significantly affecting primary productivity if we start spending a lot more money than Obama has laid out so far.  Otherwise, all bets are off. (see Dec. 11 report)

Wootton, et. al., Dynamic patterns and ecological impacts of declining ocean pH in a high-resolution multi-year dataset, Proceedings of the National Academies of Science, October 2008.