A recent study has enlightened us with new information about the consequences of rising ocean acidity: scientists studied shark teeth by placing undamaged teeth into solutions of different pHs for eight weeks, and they found that the teeth in more acidic solutions had considerably more damage. The water's higher acidity has resulted in tooth surface change, making the teeth rougher, which weakens them.
“We observed visible surface damage such as cracks and holes, increased root corrosion, and structural degradation,” said Prof Sebastian Fraune
“We observed visible surface damage such as cracks and holes, increased root corrosion, and structural degradation,” said Prof Sebastian Fraune, who was involved in the study. This gives rise to huge problems for shark species, as their teeth are tools for cutting flesh and catching their prey, and without this ability, they are at risk of starvation.
At the moment, our oceans are at a pH of around 8.1, which is the alkaline side of the pH scale, but it is warned that it could drop to as low as 7.4 by 2300, which is significant change, and will impact shark species greatly.
This could then result in the decline or extinction of a species, and this will threaten the predator-prey relationship
This change poses the danger of damaging delicate food webs, which will result in a loss of balance. This could then result in the decline or extinction of a species, and this will threaten the predator-prey relationship, whereby when the prey declines, the predator population will, too, due to the loss of food, and vice versa.
In this particular example, shark species are at risk, and in the decline of their predatory population, prey species numbers will increase rapidly, but this will consequently result in prey populations potentially declining as well, as resources may run out due to overconsumption.
So, we must do what we can to reduce carbon emissions, as the increasing acidity of our oceans will throw our ecosystems and their delicate food chains out of balance.