CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON SCOTLAND’S SEAS...CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON SCOTLAND’S SEAS...
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CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON SCOTLAND’S SEAS Scotland’s Marine Atlas Sea Climate Scientists believe that there has been a 30% increase in acidity (ocean acidification) since the start of the industrial revolution around 1750. Scientists have also seen a 16% decrease in carbonate ion concentrations which could mean significant problems for some shell and skeleton-forming organisms. Marine Ecosystem Climate change, especially ocean acidification, is matter of great concern for marine ecosystems. The availability of food for marine top predators, such as sea birds, mammals and some fish, is likely to change and this will affect their population numbers. Rising sea temperatures may cause an increase in illnesses and parasites, and harmful algal and jellyfish blooms may Did you Know? Current projections show that the shallower shelf seas will rise by between 12cm and 76 cm by 2095. General Issues such as increasing sea water temperatures, rising sea levels, changes to underwater plant life populations and declining numbers of seabirds may be more clearly related to climate change than ever before. become a more frequent problem. Scientists have already reported that some fish species have moved northwards by between 50 km and 400 km over the last 30 years. By 2050 it is possible that pelagic species such as herring and anchovy may move northwards by an average of 600km, and demersal species such as haddock and cod by as much as 220 km. Bicarbonate ion – HCO 3 Bicarbonate ion – 2HCO 3 CO 2 Carbon dioxide H 2 O Water H 2 CO 3 Carbonic acid Hydrogen ion H + CO 2 Carbon dioxide H 2 O Water Carbonate ion CO 3 2– CO 2 absorbed from the atmosphere Removal of carbonate Reduction in pH Did you Know? Current projections show that the shallower shelf seas will be 1.5°C to 4.0°C warmer by the end of the 21st century. Report Card The Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (MCCIP) produces a Report Card at regular intervals based on the evidence from the leading scientists in the field, highlighting both what is already happening and forecasting what might happen in future years. Kittiwake Common seal Gannets Starfish and maerl Ocean Acidification This diagram shows the process of ocean acidification. Ocean acidification is the name given to the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth’s oceans, caused by their uptake of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the atmosphere. Jellyfish bloom Snail © Sue Scott © SMRU © Marlin © SNH
Transcript of CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON SCOTLAND’S SEAS...CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON SCOTLAND’S SEAS...
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON SCOTLAND’S SEAS
Scotland’s Marine Atlas
Sea Climate
Scientists believe that there has been a 30% increase in acidity (ocean acidification) since the start of the industrial revolution around 1750.
Scientists have also seen a 16% decrease in carbonate ion concentrations which could mean significant problems for some shell and skeleton-forming organisms.
Marine Ecosystem
Climate change, especially ocean acidification, is matter of great concern for marine ecosystems. The availability of food for marine top predators, such as sea birds, mammals and some fish, is likely to change and this will affect their population numbers.
Rising sea temperatures may cause an increase in illnesses and parasites, and harmful algal and jellyfish blooms may
Did you Know?
Current projections show that the shallower shelf seas will rise by between 12cm and 76 cm by 2095.
General
Issues such as increasing sea water temperatures, rising sea levels, changes to underwater plant life populations and declining numbers of seabirds may be more clearly related to climate change than ever before.
become a more frequent problem. Scientists have already reported that some fish species have moved northwards by between 50 km and 400 km over the last 30 years.
By 2050 it is possible that pelagic species such as herring and anchovy may move northwards by an average of 600km, and demersal species such as haddock and cod by as much as 220 km.
Bicarbonateion
–HCO3
Bicarbonateion
–2HCO3
CO2
Carbondioxide
H2OWater
H2CO3
Carbonicacid
Hydrogenion
H+
CO2
Carbondioxide
H2OWater Carbonate
ion
CO32–
CO2 absorbed from the atmosphere
Re
mo
val
of
carb
on
ate
Re
du
ctio
n i
n p
H
Did you Know?
Current projections show that the shallower shelf seas will be 1.5°C to 4.0°C warmer by the end of the 21st century.
Report Card
The Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (MCCIP) produces a Report Card at regular intervals based on the evidence from the leading scientists in the field, highlighting both what is already happening and forecasting what might happen in future years.
Kittiwake
Common seal Gannets
Starfish and maerl
Ocean Acidification
This diagram shows the process of ocean acidification. Ocean acidification is the name given to the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth’s oceans, caused by their uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.
Jellyfish bloom
Snail
© Sue Scott
© SMRU
© Marlin
© SNH
