It is no doubt that ocean acidification is a direct result of increased CO2 emission. It is set to change the Earth’s marine ecosystems forever and may have a direct impact on our economy, resulting in substantial revenue declines and job losses. Experts believe that intensive fossil-fuel burning and deforestation over the last two centuries have increased atmospheric CO2 levels by almost 40 percent, which has in turn fundamentally altered ocean chemistry by acidifying surface waters.
Research paper ‘Anticipating ocean acidification’s economic consequences on commercial fisheries’ suggests a series of measures to manage the impact that declining fishing harvests and revenue loss will have on a wide range of businesses from commercial fishing to wholesale, retail and restaurants. It is said that ocean acidification could directly damage corals and mollusks which all depend on sufficient carbonate levels to form shells successfully.
The researchers from Massachusetts points out that the global political, ethical, social and economic ramifications of ocean acidification, plus its capacity to switch ecosystems to a different state following relatively small perturbations, make it a policy-relevant “tipping element” of the earth system.
