Study shows North Atlantic Ocean CO2 storage doubled over last decade

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-02/uomr-ssn020216.php

Public Release: 2-Feb-2016
Study shows North Atlantic Ocean CO2 storage doubled over last decade
Findings by Rosenstiel School researchers have important implications for ocean life
University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science

A University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science-led study shows that the North Atlantic absorbed 100 percent more man-made carbon dioxide over the last decade, compared to the previous decade. The findings show the impact that the burning of fossil fuels have had on the world's oceans in just 10 years.

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"This study shows the large impact all of us are having on the environment and that our use of fossil fuels isn't only causing the climate to change, but also affects the oceans by decreasing the pH," said Ryan Woosley, a researcher in the UM Rosenstiel School, Department of Ocean Sciences.

The oceans help to slow the growth of human produced CO2 in the atmosphere by absorbing and storing about a quarter of the total carbon dioxide emissions. The North Atlantic is an area of high uptake and storage due to large-scale ocean circulations.

The uptake of CO2 has many impacts on ocean-dwelling organisms by decreasing the pH. The findings have important implications for marine organisms, such as corals and mollusks, which require a certain pH level in the surrounding water to build their calcium carbonate-based shells and exoskeletons.

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