Emissions of CO2 driving rapid oceans 'acid trip'

By Matt McGrath
Environment correspondent, BBC News

The world's oceans are becoming acidic at an "unprecedented rate" and may be souring more rapidly than at any time in the past 300 million years.

Corals all over the world are threatened by rising rates of acidification in the oceans

In their strongest statement yet on this issue, scientists say acidification could increase by 170% by 2100.

They say that some 30% of ocean species are unlikely to survive in these conditions.

The researchers conclude that human emissions of CO2 are clearly to blame.

The study will be presented at global climate talks in Poland next week.

In 2012, over 500 of the world's leading experts on ocean acidification gathered in California. Led by the International Biosphere-Geosphere Programme, a review of the state of the science has now been published.

This Summary for Policymakers states with "very high confidence" that increasing acidification is caused by human activities which are adding 24 million tonnes of CO2 to oceans every day.

Pickled waters

The addition of so much carbon has altered the chemistry of the waters.

Since the start of the industrial revolution, the waters have become 26% more acidic.

"This is the state of the art," said Prof Jean-Pierre Gattuso, from CNRS, the French national research agency.

"My colleagues have not found in the geological record, rates of change that are faster than the ones we see today."

What worries the scientists is the potential impact on many ocean species including corals.

Studies carried out at deep sea vents where the waters are naturally acidic thanks to CO2, indicate that around 30% of the ocean's biodiversity may be lost by the end of this century.

These vents may be a "window on the future" according to the researchers.

"You don't find a mollusc at the pH level expected for 2100, this is really quite a stunning fact," said Prof Gattuso.

Pteropods like this are already feeling the corrosive impact of acidic waters in the Antarctic

"It's an imperfect window, only the ocean's acidity is increasing at these sites, they don't reflect the warming we will see this century.

"If you combine the two, it could be even more dramatic than what we see at CO2 vents."

The effect of acidity is currently being felt most profoundly felt in the Arctic and Antarctic oceans. These chilly waters hold more CO2 and increasing levels of the gas are turning them acidic more rapidly than the rest of the world.

The more acidic they become, the more damaging they are to the shells and skeletons of marine organisms.

The researchers say that by 2020, ten percent of the Arctic will be inhospitable to species that build their shells from calcium carbonate. By 2100 the entire Arctic will be a hostile environment.

These effects are already visible says Prof Gattuso.

"In the Southern Ocean, we already see corrosion of pteropods which are like sea snails, in the ocean we see corrosion of the shell.

"They are a key component in the food chain, they are eaten by fish, birds and whales, so if one element is going then there is a cascading impact on the whole food chain."

The authors warn that the economic impact of the losses from aquaculture could be huge - the global cost of the decline in molluscs could be $130bn by 2100 if emissions of CO2 continue on their current pathway.

Adding alkaline substances such as crushed limestone to the waters has been mooted as a potential way of mitigating the worst impacts of acidification. But Prof Gattuso says it would only have a limited effect.

"Maybe in bays which have a restricted exchange with open oceans it may work, it may give some local relief.

"But the latest research is showing that it is not really practical at a global scale. It is very expensive and very energy intensive."

Marine protection zones would also give some short term benefit, but the scientists say that in the long term only significant cuts in emissions will slow the progress of acidification.

From BBC Sci /Environment

Typhoon wreaks havoc on agriculture with over a million farmers affected

By Matt McGrathEnvironment correspondent, BBC News

Over one million farmers in the Philippines have been impacted by Typhoon Haiyan according to the UN.

The Typhoon destroyed many coconut plantations such as this one near Guiuan

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) says that hundreds of thousands of hectares of rice have been destroyed.

Coconut plantations which are a big earner of foreign currency were said to be "completely flattened".

Fishing communities have also be severely affected with the storm destroying boats and gear.

The FAO says they have arrived at the figure of farmers affected by looking at the pathway the storm took as it passed across the country and from an analysis of data provided by the government.

"That area is the major rice producing area for the Philippines," FAO's Jeff Tschirley told BBC News.

"They've just finished their harvest and because it is not modernised production, they are still drying it but we suspect there is a lot of rice that is vulnerable to having been impacted by the storms."

Self sufficient

The farmers are also facing into the next planting season with much of their infrastructure such as irrigation equipment affected by the typhoon.

The Philippines has been importing less rice over the past five years, but the storm will have dramatically changed that.

"It will set them back on their goal of self sufficiency but more key is that those livelihoods will be pushed way back until they get restored irrigation infrastructure. That has been severely damaged in most cases," said Mr Tschirley.

As well as rice and sugar cane, the FAO is most concerned about coconut plantations.

Coconuts account for nearly half the Philippines agricultural exports and the country is the world's biggest producer of coconut oil. A smaller typhoon last year destroyed 500,000 tonnes.

"The sugar cane fields can be recovered relatively well even if the harvest is lost," said Jeff Tschirley.

"But numerous coconut plantations have been completely flattened, and with coconuts you are looking at multiple years to recover the productivity."

The FAO is is calling for $24m for immediate interventions in fisheries and agriculture as part of the UN appeal.

From BBC Sci/ Environment

Huge huntsman spider found in UK bike warehouse

A giant spider common in Australia has been found in a UK BMX warehouse.

The seven-inch-long huntsman spider is believed to have been locked up for six weeks in a container from Taiwan.

Workers spotted the animal when unpacking boxes - and it's now been safely rehomed at a nearby zoo.

John Taylor, a BMX salesman at the warehouse, told Newsround: "We knew straight away that it wasn't a UK spider. We didn't want to kill it. We are happy that it is in a good home."

"We are talking about visiting him as a team," he said.

'Running around and jumping up'

Warehouse manager Joe Woodburn said: "It was as big as the palm of my hand. We managed to get it into a big plastic container where we kept it while we called the RSPCA.

"I thought it was plastic at first as it wasn't moving, but the minute it was in the sunlight it started to warm up and it was running around and jumping up the side of the box."

RSPCA inspector Zoe Ballard said: "I've never come across a spider like this before.

"I managed to secure the spider in the container and took it to the RSPCA's wildlife centre nearby... I was worried all the way that it would get out and escape in my van."

The spider has now been rehomed at Drusillas Zoo Park near Eastbourne.

RSPCA inspector Tony Woodley said: "Huntsman spiders can give you a nasty bite, but they aren't likely to cause too much harm unless you suffer an allergic reaction.

"They are not dangerous or aggressive, but can move extremely fast if disturbed. I am sure it would have given the guys in the warehouse a bit of a fright when they found it."

From CBBC newsround

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