In an attempt to brighten up an otherwise gloomy blog i have found 2 articles which suggest that some marine species are able to thrive in acidic oceans. The first article:
has found that lobsters, shrimp and crabs are much larger if they grow in acidic waters. Good news for fish restaurants!
The second article:
has found a species of mussel which has survived for 40 years along the sides of a submarine volcano, in exceptionally acidic conditions. They survived in a pH as low as 5.3 (considered to be too acidic for calcifying organisms). These mussels are able to survive with shells that are half as thick as mussels which live in less acidic waters, proving that adaptations are possible. These mussels are now thriving as they can survive where many of their predators and competitors cant.
I thought that these two articles were quite interesting and show that there are species which can adapt and thrive, even in acidic waters. Maybe the future of our oceans isnt as bad as first feared....
Hi Alice,
ReplyDeleteIt seems that it's good news for us indeed, thanks for sharing!However, if only these few species of mussels and lobsters etc can survive under acidic water but not their predators and competitors, I guess the marine ecosystems won't be very healthy still?
Chloe
Hi Chloe,
ReplyDeleteVery true! i think more work needs to be done to see if any other species can survive in these conditions. if it is only these species, the oceans wont be very diverse however, some species are better than nothing! Their survival also depends on their prey, if they go extinct it is unlikley that the mussles and lobsters will be able to survive.
At least it proves that species (even calcifying ones) can cope in acidic waters and might suggests that people have been overly pessimistic in the past.