Ocean acidification could destroy Antarctic life

By Luke Walsh

Increasing levels of acidification could wipe out sea life in the Antarctic by destroying the reproduction of krill. 

Research by an Australian team has shown that krill, a tiny prawn-like creature, are more vulnerable to climate change than previously thought.

Ocean acidification is caused by man-made carbon dioxide from the atmosphere being absorbed by the ocean.

The work, published yesterday (October 13) found increased levels of carbon dioxide can kill the embryos of Krill.

The Australian Antarctic Division discovered that exposing krill embryos to higher levels of carbon dioxide stopped their development and none of them hatched successfully.

Krill feed off plankton and, as they exist near the bottom of the food chain, become food for whales, seals, penguins, squid and fish.

So, if the population of krill was hit by climate change it would have a devastating knock-on for species further up the food chain including humans.

Lead researcher and biologist, Dr So Kawaguchi, said: "We used the Antarctic Division's krill aquarium to set up three sea water tanks bubbled with the current (380 parts per million (ppm)), medium (1000ppm) and high (2000ppm) levels of carbon dioxide.

"There was no change detected in the development of the krill embryos in the tanks with the current and medium levels, but in the tank with higher levels, none of the embryos survived to hatch."

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