Causes and consequences of acidification in the Baltic Sea: implications for monitoring and management
Abstract Increasing atmospheric CO2 drives ocean acidification globally. In coastal seas, acidification trends can however be either counteracted or enhanced by other processes. Ecosystem effects of acidification are so far small in the Baltic Sea, but changes should be anticipated unless CO2 emissi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-43596-8 |
| _version_ | 1797452882967003136 |
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| author | Erik Gustafsson Jacob Carstensen Vivi Fleming Bo G. Gustafsson Laura Hoikkala Gregor Rehder |
| author_facet | Erik Gustafsson Jacob Carstensen Vivi Fleming Bo G. Gustafsson Laura Hoikkala Gregor Rehder |
| author_sort | Erik Gustafsson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Increasing atmospheric CO2 drives ocean acidification globally. In coastal seas, acidification trends can however be either counteracted or enhanced by other processes. Ecosystem effects of acidification are so far small in the Baltic Sea, but changes should be anticipated unless CO2 emissions are curbed. Possible future acidification trends in the Baltic Sea, conditional on CO2 emissions, climate change, and changes in productivity, can be assessed by means of model simulations. There are uncertainties regarding potential consequences for marine organisms, partly because of difficulties to assign critical thresholds, but also because of knowledge gaps regarding species’ capacity to adapt. Increased temporal and spatial monitoring of inorganic carbon system parameters would allow a better understanding of current acidification trends and also improve the capacity to predict possible future changes. An additional benefit is that such measurements also provide quantitative estimates of productivity. The technology required for precise measurements of the inorganic carbon system is readily available today. Regularly updated status evaluations of acidification, and the inorganic carbon system in general, would support management when assessing climate change effects, eutrophication or characteristics of the pelagic habitats. This would, however, have to be based on a spatially and temporally sufficient monitoring program. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:15:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e0a67ced17754e88a38a99febcc2999a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:15:07Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-e0a67ced17754e88a38a99febcc2999a2023-11-26T13:09:30ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-09-0113111110.1038/s41598-023-43596-8Causes and consequences of acidification in the Baltic Sea: implications for monitoring and managementErik Gustafsson0Jacob Carstensen1Vivi Fleming2Bo G. Gustafsson3Laura Hoikkala4Gregor Rehder5Baltic Nest Institute, Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm UniversityDepartment of Ecoscience, Aarhus UniversityMarine and Freshwater Solutions, Finnish Environment InstituteBaltic Nest Institute, Baltic Sea Centre, Stockholm UniversityMarine and Freshwater Solutions, Finnish Environment InstituteLeibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW)Abstract Increasing atmospheric CO2 drives ocean acidification globally. In coastal seas, acidification trends can however be either counteracted or enhanced by other processes. Ecosystem effects of acidification are so far small in the Baltic Sea, but changes should be anticipated unless CO2 emissions are curbed. Possible future acidification trends in the Baltic Sea, conditional on CO2 emissions, climate change, and changes in productivity, can be assessed by means of model simulations. There are uncertainties regarding potential consequences for marine organisms, partly because of difficulties to assign critical thresholds, but also because of knowledge gaps regarding species’ capacity to adapt. Increased temporal and spatial monitoring of inorganic carbon system parameters would allow a better understanding of current acidification trends and also improve the capacity to predict possible future changes. An additional benefit is that such measurements also provide quantitative estimates of productivity. The technology required for precise measurements of the inorganic carbon system is readily available today. Regularly updated status evaluations of acidification, and the inorganic carbon system in general, would support management when assessing climate change effects, eutrophication or characteristics of the pelagic habitats. This would, however, have to be based on a spatially and temporally sufficient monitoring program.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-43596-8 |
| spellingShingle | Erik Gustafsson Jacob Carstensen Vivi Fleming Bo G. Gustafsson Laura Hoikkala Gregor Rehder Causes and consequences of acidification in the Baltic Sea: implications for monitoring and management Scientific Reports |
| title | Causes and consequences of acidification in the Baltic Sea: implications for monitoring and management |
| title_full | Causes and consequences of acidification in the Baltic Sea: implications for monitoring and management |
| title_fullStr | Causes and consequences of acidification in the Baltic Sea: implications for monitoring and management |
| title_full_unstemmed | Causes and consequences of acidification in the Baltic Sea: implications for monitoring and management |
| title_short | Causes and consequences of acidification in the Baltic Sea: implications for monitoring and management |
| title_sort | causes and consequences of acidification in the baltic sea implications for monitoring and management |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-43596-8 |
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