An international report by the Norwegian Institute of Water Research has found that the Arctic Ocean is absorbing carbon dioxide more rapidly than thought before and is turning the Arctic waters acidic. The surface or top 100 m. is now 35 per cent more acidic than in the late 18th century. A variety of factors related to a warming planet have made the Arctic Ocean more vulnerable to acidification - the shrinking of the Arctic sea ice, which exposes a greater surface area of sea to absorb CO2, the increasing flow of freshwater from rivers and melting ice into the sea as freshwater is not as effective in neutralising the impact of CO2, as well as the temperature of the Arctic Ocean - cold water tends to absorb CO2 more than warmer water. The changing conditions threaten a variety of species; herrings, cod, plankton, crabs and sea urchins, which in turn could threaten larger marine mammals and birds that feed on them as well as the livelihoods of indigenous people, possibly disrupting the entire Northern food web, particularly the Canadian archipelago, waters north of Alaska and the Barents Sea.
Source: Sanctuary Asia.
