The negative impacts of ocean acidification have become a severe threat to our global seafood supply and aquatic ecosystems more than ever. Increasing carbon emissions are causing our oceans to become record-breaking acidic, significantly disrupting their natural chemical balance and harming wildlife habitats.
From contaminated marine species to decreasing seafood supply and worldwide environmental hazards, more must be done to combat the consequences of ocean acidification before the damage becomes irreversible if left unaddressed.
Learn more about ocean acidification, its causes, effects, and what we can do to ensure a sustainable future in seafood production.
What is Ocean Acidification?
Ocean acidification is the process of oceans and seawater bodies reducing pH levels and becoming more acidic over time. The ocean is like a sponge; it absorbs the atmosphere’s gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2), into surface waters and releases them back into the air to regulate the planet’s atmosphere (CO2) concentrations–known as the air-sea gas exchange.
When the atmosphere’s CO2 levels increase, ocean acidification occurs as a result.
What Causes Ocean Acidification?
The causes of ocean acidification are from increasing amounts of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere due to burning fossil fuels, including coal, gas, and oil. Land change developments, such as deforestation, are also another cause.
Understanding the Negative Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Global Seafood Supply & Aquatic Ecosystems
The impacts of ocean acidification cause significant consequences to our planet and human health, including:
Significant Harm to Aquatic Ecosystems & Marine Life
Ocean acidification causes significant harm to our aquatic ecosystems and marine life, including:
Shell/Skeleton Formation Issues for Shellfish Species & Coral Reefs
Commercially valuable shellfish species, like oysters, clams, and mussels, cannot build shells/skeletons in acidic water. The calcium carbonate makes shells less abundant, and the surrounding seawater becomes increasingly corrosive, making them dissolve more easily.
When seashells become less available and thinner, shellfish species experience various life-threatening risks, including higher death rates, lower reproduction, metabolism issues, and decreased respiration.
These impacts of ocean acidification also include coral reel systems, as it disintegrates the necessary minerals they need to grow. The lack of mineral availability weakens coral reef structures and the storm-protective habitats of marine species that live in them.
Threatening Aquatic Ecosystem Disruptions
When shellfish, bottomfeeder species, and coral reef systems decline, it affects the entire food chain. Larger fish species and whales that consume them make it more difficult for them to eat as they become less available, endangered, and extinct.
Negative Physiological & Behavioral Changes in Marine Species
The stress of acidic oceanic environments causes various negative physiological and behavioral changes in marine species, including:
- Sensory Loss: Altered sensory perception that makes it harder for them to find food and avoid predators from weakened hearing and smelling abilities.
- Weakened Immune System: Increased risk of getting sick due to compromised immune systems from ocean acidification.
- Disruptive Habitat Relocations & Migratory Pattern Changes: Habitat shifts, adaptive feeding habits, and changed migration patterns to deeper or more alkaline waters to reduce related stresses–disrupting natural behaviors for survival and predator-prey food chains.
Toxic Algal Blooms
The acidification of the ocean also causes increased toxic algal blooms along the coastlines. These toxins reduce oxygen levels and can kill various marine life species, including fish, dolphins, turtles, birds, and aquatic plants.
Additionally, harmful algal blooms (HAB) can cause human health hazards, like respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses. Coastline communities affected by HAB must close down beach and fishery closures, resulting in less tourism and commercial revenue.
Decreased Global Seafood Supply From Contaminated Marine Species
One of the most critical effects of ocean acidification is the threat to our global seafood supply. In addition to over-absorbing rising CO2 levels from burning fossil fuels, our oceans absorb pollutants from these related human actions. As a result, it contaminates the marine species we consume, like lobsters, shrimp, and minerals.
If sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels aren’t implemented to combat these negative ocean acidification effects, our seafood supply will decrease worldwide.
Additionally, this limited availability of seafood will increase consumer prices due to production and harvest challenges from this contamination.
Increased Global Environmental Hazards & Related Risks
The consequences of ocean acidification harm how our aquatic ecosystems naturally operate.
These changes to the natural, chemical balance of oceans and seawater bodies pose several environmental risks for coastal communities, including:
- Small islands
- Polar oceans
- Cold-water coral reefs
- Coastal upwelling zones
- Estuaries and bays with limited water exchange
Developing nations are especially vulnerable to decreased seafood harvest and limited agricultural alternatives, potentially causing social and economic conflict. This saltwater intrusion can even affect our drinking water quality if coastal areas like wetlands and estuaries become impacted.
What the Seafood Production Industry & Government Bodies Must Do to Address the Impacts of Ocean Acidification
While ocean acidification is a complex and daunting global issue, there are solutions available to ensure a sustainable future. Here’s what government bodies and the commercial seafood industry must do to take action.
Ocean Acidification Monitoring & Water Filtration System Investments
Commercial fisheries and aquaculture farms must invest in marine monitoring and water filtration technologies to combat the effects of ocean acidification.
Continuously monitoring oceans measures their acidification levels and allows staff to modify seawater intake based on the real-time pH accurately. It also verifies when the water quality is safe enough to farm fish and aquatic species.
Water filtration systems help land-based seafood production facilities reduce the carbon levels in their water tanks to ensure ethical animal welfare and food safety standards. These technological investments are crucial to improving the implementation and management of sustainable commercial seafood practices.
Public-Private Partnerships with Ocean Acidification-Focused Environmental Regulations
Government bodies must partner with private seafood production companies to ensure they practice sustainable production methods at regional, state, and local levels. This can be done by creating laws for them to remove CO2 and mitigate ocean acidification.
Developing production requirements, such as kelp or algae farming and commercial ocean afforestation (large-scale seaweed cultivation), help oceans naturally absorb CO2 from the surface waters while maintaining industry operations.
Additionally, government agencies must modernize existing aquaculture legislation to eliminate loopholes and prevent contributing to ocean acidification.
For example, the integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) industry regulations currently don’t include ecosystems beyond licensed sites. It only regulates the nutrients and waste used within them–resulting in a lack of compliance and harmful farming risks if not done properly when discharging treated water back into the environment.
Government Support for Environmental Protection Organizations & Non-Profits
Government bodies must also partner with environmental protection organizations, marine scientists/researchers, and non-profits to develop effective ocean acidification adaption and mitigation strategies. Providing financial support helps their efforts in promoting public education, funding, and community outreach by funding grants in critical research projects.
Nearshore Aquaculture Farm Relocations to Land-Based & Offshore Sites
Relocating nearshore aquaculture farms offshore or to land-based operations reduces ocean acidification pressures. Because nearshore and coastline areas have minimal water flow and lower seafloor depth, aquaculture by-products like fish waste, uneaten fish feed, and water treatment chemicals can easily accumulate and release CO2. It can also trigger toxic algal blooms, which are among the effects of ocean acidification.
While it’s not easy or cheap to move nearshore aquaculture farms, especially large-scale facilities, they can save on costs by relocating to existing land-based infrastructures. Additionally, aquaculture farms can apply for government-funded grants and low-interest loans for financial assistance.
Government-Backed Aquaculture Incentives to Better Mitigate Ocean Acidification
While government funding opportunities financially support aquaculture industry investments to mitigate ocean acidification, additional incentives must be created for them to adopt more sustainable operations.
Government bodies should also offer nutrient trading for aquaculture farms. Providing them with nutrient credits allows them to afford to replace chemical-based water treatment operations while reducing harmful CO2 and mineral levels in seawater.
BAP Certification Assistance for Aquaculture Farms to Develop Sustainable Production
Revamping aquaculture farms into sustainably-focused solutions isn’t always a simple process. However, they can apply for BAP (Best Aquutulre Practice) certification for assistance. BAP is a globally recognized international non-profit trade association that helps aquaculture companies improve responsible farming standards.
BAP is a viable resource to help address ocean acidification because they’re the only end-to-end aquaculture certification program. It verifies that each step of the aquaculture farm’s process has complete ethical and sustainable production, including hatcheries, feed mill sources, and processing plants.
Ocean Acidification FAQs:
How Much More Acidic Is the Ocean Now?
The ocean has increased by approximately 30% in acidity over the last 200 years, with projections for the pH to reach 7.8 by the end of this century–which hasn’t reached that low since 14 to 17 million years ago when the Earth was several degrees warmer and major extinction was occurring.
What Are Some Examples of Ocean Acidification?
Some examples of ocean acidification are global high-risk hotspots, including:
- Pacific Northwest
- Long Island Sound
- Narragansett Bay
- Chesapeake Bay
- Gulf of Mexico
- Areas off of Maine and Massachusetts
How Does Ocean Acidification Impact Marine Life?
The ocean acidification effects on marine life include higher risks of endangering shellfish species, coral reef systems, toxic algae blooms, and natural aquatic ecosystems.
What is the Ocean Acidification Effect on Humans?
The ocean acidification effects on humans include decreased seafood supply, increased seafood contamination risks, rising seafood consumer prices, and more coastal tourism closures.
How Can We Prevent Ocean Acidification?
You can help prevent ocean acidification by supporting environmental protection agencies and non-profit organizations that lobby for commercial seafood industry improvements. You can support them with donations and share their information on social media to spread public awareness and increase political pressure to take action.
Take Action Against Ocean Acidification & Support Sustainable Seafood Production with SIAA
The commercial seafood industry can have both profit and ocean acidification solutions—but we need your support to make them possible.
At SIAA, we’re a non-profit organization that educates our members, partners, policymakers, and the public about environmental, cultural, and policy issues related to the aquaculture industry and sturgeon conservation.
Our partners include the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP) and other leaders in the U.S. industry to help achieve environmentally-aligned commercial seafood production practices.
Joining our community as a member not only supports our efforts, but you’ll also be involved in shaping impactful approaches to safeguard aquatic ecosystems while promoting sustainability within the seafood industry.
If you can’t commit to membership, your generous donation directly aids our legislation and conservation initiatives.
Learn more about our causes, make a one-time donation, or become a SIAA member today.
