Scientists from France and Switzerland predicted that in the XXI century will occur a stronger acidification of the Arctic ocean than predicted by the model. The reason is the intense absorption of sea water carbon dioxide from the atmosphere where it is accumulating in the combustion of fossil fuels. On the future environmental disaster reported in an article published in the journal Nature.
According to the calculations, the sea in the Arctic will absorb 20 percent more carbon dioxide, provided that the level of carbon in the atmosphere will continue to grow. As a result, the acidity of seawater will increase, especially at a depth of 200-1000 metres. This layer is populated by a large number of species, including shell clams (mussels and pteropod), components of the forage base for whales and other animals.
Increased acidity of the ocean affects the formation of carbonate shells and external skeletons of shellfish, corals, sea urchins and stars, which are soft and easily soluble. Loss of shell animals will undermine the food chain in the Arctic up to commercial fish and mammals.
