Negative Effects
Calcifying Organisms
Calcifying organisms span the food chain from autotrophs to heterotrophs and include organisms such as corals, echinoderms, foraminifera, crustaceans and molluscs. As ocean pH decreases due to acidification, organisms made of calcium carbonate become more vulnerable to dissolution because the concentration of carbonate ions required for saturation to occur increases.[7]
Biological Impacts
Ocean Acidification poses threats to aquatic life through impacts on food resources and directly as reproductive or physiological effects. For example, many organisms suffer from hypercapnia, a C02 induced acidification of body fluids. On top of this, according to U.S. researchers David G. Browning and Peter M. Scheifele, increased ocean acidity as a result of global warming will have a negative effect on the absorption of low-frequency sounds.[9] This means that all animals that use sound for echolocation or communication will have more trouble doing so.
Indigenous Peoples
The way of life of indigenous people and the Arctic tourism economy could suffer from ocean acidification. The hunting industry and fishing for sport are large parts of Arctic tourism. The diminishing of the food web could pose a threat to this industry, and Arctic tourism as a whole.[7] On top of all this, the alteration of fish population will effect the way indigenous people eat.
Human Industry
Acidification of the ocean will mainly impact the seafood industry. Due to the fact that acidification threatens calcifying organisms (which are in the base of the arctic food web) commercial fisheries will be negatively impacted. In fact, 73% of fish caught from U.S. commercial fisheries in 2007 were derived from calcifiers and their direct predators.[7] A decrease in the growth of marine calcifiers such as the American Lobster, Ocean Quahog, and scallops means there is less shellfish meat available for sale and consumption.
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By Quinn Wintermute