4 billion ton alka seltzer tablet vs. the 1lb lobster – potential impacts of ocean acidification on shellfish

The oceans have managed to moderate the impacts of climate change by absorbing a significant portion of the carbon dioxide emissions from human activities. This amounts to approximately one-third of the total emissions from fossil fuels, cement production, and land-use change over the last 200 years. However, this has caused substantial changes to ocean chemistry leading to a decrease in the pH of the water, about 0.1 pH unit since the beginning of the industrial age and other changes that encompass ocean acidification. This change in water chemistry will impact calcifying organisms that use calcium carbonate in their shells and skeletons, such as corals, commercially important mollusks such as oysters, clams and mussels and many planktonic species. This presentation will discuss the impacts of ocean acidification on the physiology of commercially important shellfish species such as lobsters, oysters and clams, and the consequences for those industries that rely on these animals whether through wild harvest or commercial cultivation.