An article in this week's PNAS reports ocean acidification and climate change threaten reef clownfish. Changing CO2 levels disrupt larvae's sense of smell, which is crucial to survival.
According to Dr Philip Munday, "What our study is showing is that animal behaviour is affected by the acidification of the oceans. It's opening our eyes to another issue of acidification that we need to be aware of."
More at ABC Science...
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In the movie Finding Nemo, the eponymous clownfish grows up in the security of his home reef and must find his way back after being fry-napped by an overenthusiastic diver. In reality, the larvae of clownfish spend their early lives adrift in the open ocean and only after weeks, or possibly months…
There's always room for one more post about oceanic acidification. Even Sheril Kirshenbaum understates the threat that it poses to the planet's ecosystems and civilization when she describes it a "huge deal." First, let's get one thing straight:
Falling pH levels in the seas do not constitute…
Following on the heels of Malaria, Bedbugs, Sea Lice and Sunsets and Southern Fried Science, I am posting this fantastic letter about ocean acidification by Randy Repass and Sally-Christine Rogers of West Marine (originally posted at The Intersection). Ocean acidification is, for me, the real crux…
Real Climate has a good post on geo-engineering and why it is only fitting as a final act of desperation, not a policy platform. It expresses very well all my own misgivings (it's a terribly dangerous one-chance-to-get-it-right experiment on the entire planet, it commits the human race to…
What can we do to fix it?
We can start with better emissions policies, boosting alternative energy spending, and a more informed public.
I would put more informed public at number one. Obama or anyone else can eventually do nothing if the public is not interested.
Glad you picked this one up, Sheril -- hot on the heels of the Monaco Declaration it's looking more and more like people are making the connection between acidification and the implications for our emissions targets...
I for one think this is great news. Our herring will come pre-pickled!
*Sigh* In the unedited theatrical release of Soylent Green, we find out the reason that the food of the title is made of ground-up bodies rather than krill is that the ocean ecosystem has gone to pieces. Harry Harrison knew his shit.
In my opinion the largest threat for California are cataclysms and ecological catastrophes. Not important is how many money we have because one tragedy can us take all.