Shelled organisms in Gulf of Maine threatened by ocean acidification

By Kelsey Abbott and Justin Ries
8/8/10 07:42 pm  The Gulf of Maine is and always has been an essential part of the coastal New England economy. Throughout history, the bounty of the Gulf of Maine has fluctuated due to fishing pressures, technology and species’ popularity. As these changes have affected some parts of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem more than others, New England fishermen and lobstermen have adapted by shifting their efforts to different parts of the ecosystem. But what would happen if the entire Gulf of Maine ecosystem changed at once? We may soon find out. Excess carbon dioxide, or CO2, in our atmosphere is causing ocean acidification. The ocean absorbs atmospheric CO2, and when CO2 mixes with seawater, carbonic acid develops. Increasing CO2 in the atmosphere has subsequently increased the acidity of seawater, lowering its pH. And the oceans are expected to become even more acidic over the next 200 years, as CO2 levels in the atmosphere continue to rise. In fact, atmospheric CO2 levels are predicted to nearly double over that time. Research by Justin Ries at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his colleagues Anne Cohen and Daniel McCorkle at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has shown that shelled organisms exhibit different responses to increasingly acidic marine environments. Mollusks such as bay scallops, whelks, periwinkles, oysters, conchs, quahogs and softshell clams build their shells more slowly as the amount of atmospheric CO2 increases. And in some cases, the shells of these organisms actually begin to dissolve away, rendering them virtually defenseless to the crushing claws and jaws of their predators. Furthermore, Ries showed that some of the organisms lose more than just their shell strength as seawater becomes more acidic. Under high CO2 conditions, quahog shells had fewer ridges, conch shells had smaller knobs and the spines of pencil urchins became truncated. These organisms are thought to have evolved their ridges, knobs and spines for burrowing, stability and motility, respectively. Without them, these animals would be even more vulnerable to predators. Meanwhile, Ries’ research also showed that the American lobster, the blue crab and the gulf shrimp actually increased the rate at which they build their shells as seawater becomes more acidic. …

Gulf of Maine changing via Ocean Acidification