Part of that CO2 Science piece I just posted is missing. Here’s the end of it:
“Hendriks et al. additionally state that the models upon which the ocean acidification threat is based focus on bulk water chemistry and fall short of addressing conditions actually experienced by [marine] organisms,” which are “separated from the bulk water phase by a diffusive boundary layer,” adding that “photosynthetic activity” — such as that of the zooxanthellae that are hosted by corals — “depletes pCO2 and raises pH (Kuhl et al., 1995) so that the pH actually experienced by organisms may differ greatly from that in the bulk water phase (Sand-Jensen et al., 1985).”
Last of all, the insightful scientists note that “calcification is an active process where biota can regulate intracellular calcium concentrations,” so that “marine organisms, like calcifying coccolithophores (Brownlee and Taylor, 2004), actively expel Ca2+ through the ATPase pump to maintain low intracellular calcium concentrations (Corstjens et al., 2001; Yates and Robbins, 1999).” And they say that “as one Ca2+ is pumped out of the cell in exchange for 2H+ pumped into the cell, the resulting pH and Ca2+ concentrations increase the CaCO3 saturation state near extracellular membranes and appear to enhance calcification (Pomar and Hallock, 2008),” so much so, in fact, that they indicate “there is evidence that calcification could even increase in acidified seawater, contradicting the traditional belief that calcification is a critical process impacted by ocean acidification (Findlay et al., 2009).”
In summation, Hendriks et al. write that the world’s marine biota are “more resistant to ocean acidification than suggested by pessimistic predictions identifying ocean acidification as a major threat to marine biodiversity,” noting that this phenomenon “may not be the widespread problem conjured into the 21st century” by the world’s climate alarmists. We agree, having reached much the same conclusion back at the turn of the last millennium (Idso et al., 2000). Hence, we are happy to endorse Hendriks et al.’s conclusion that “biological processes can provide homeostasis against changes in pH in bulk waters of the range predicted during the 21st century.”
Sherwood, Keith and Craig Idso
PING to #42 in case you haven’t seen it.
The Idsos are awesome!
You’ll like this.
SPPI Acidification papers to date:
A New Propaganda Film by Natl. Resources Defense Council Fails the Acid Test of Real World Data
http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/originals/acid_test.html
Effects of Ocean Acidification on Marine Ecosystems
CO2, Global Warming and Coral Reefs: Prospects for the Future
http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/originals/co2_coral_warming.html
Acid Seas, Back to Basic
http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/originals/acid_seas.html
Earth’s Incredible Dissolving Corals
http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/commentaries_essays/earth_s_incredible_dissolving_corals.html
Humans are Destroying Earth’s Coral Reefs… http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/commentaries_essays/coral_reefs.html