Lab 11 – SHELL SHOCKED: THE EFFECTS OF ACIDIFICATION ON MARINE LIFE
Oyster larvae and acidification by Oregon State University is published as CC BY-SA 2.0 on flickr.
The image above shows one-day old oyster larvae raised in a shellfish hatchery in Washington. Though these two larvae share the same parents, they look quite different. Why? The smaller, more “ragged” oyster larvae on the right was raised in lower pH, or more acidic waters. Recent declines in ocean pH have the same ultimate drivers as climate change: a rapid increase in atmospheric CO2 a. And these changes can have wide-ranging impacts on marine life. This lab chapter will walk you through the connection between CO2 and pH and help you to understand the biological and physical processes that influence ocean chemistry.
Watch this video and answer the quick check questions that follow.
Learning Outcomes
- LO1. Identify long-term trends in atmospheric CO2 and their relationship to ocean CO2 through ocean-atmosphere gas exchange
- LO2. Link patterns in ocean CO2 to ocean pH and carbonate chemistry
- LO3. Identify the relationships between biological processes and ocean chemistry
- LO4. Describe how physical processes and biological processes are influenced by coastal upwelling and the implications for surface CO2
- LO5. Analyze real oceanographic data visualized in a variety of formats, including time series data, correlation data, vertical profile data, and spatial data
Background Information
Review concepts:
Key terms: dissolved oxygen, hypoxia, anoxia
Data collection:
Activities in this Lab
- Lab 11.1 – From Fossil Fuels to the Ocean
- Lab 11.2 – pH Peacekeepers: How Carbonate (CO₃²⁻) Saves the Seas
- Lab 11.3 – How do physical processes shape CO2?
- Lab 11.4 – How do biological processes shape CO2?
- Lab 11.5 – Upwelling: Nutrients from the Deep
- Lab 11.6 – Uncovering the Drivers of CO₂ Seasonality
