How climate change alters ocean chemistry

> Chapter 02

How climate change alters

ocean chemistry

How climate change alters ocean chemistry <

> M a ssi ve e missi ons of car b on d ioxid e into t h e atmos p here have a n impac t on

the chemic al and bio logical processes in the ocean. The warming of ocean water could lead to a

destabilization of solid methane deposits on the sea floor. Because of the excess CO

, the oceans are

becomin g more a cidic. Scie n t ist s a r e making e x tensive m e a sureme n t s t o d eter mine how much of the

humanmade CO

is being absorbed by the oceans. Important clues are provided by looking at oxygen.

How climate change alters

ocean chemistry

> Chapter 02

The mutability of carbon

Carbon is the element of life. The human body structure

is based on it, and other animal and plant biomass such

as leaves and wood consist predominantly of carbon (C).

Plants on land and algae in the ocean assimilate it in the

form of carbon dioxide (CO

) from the atmosphere or

water, and transform it through photosynthesis into

energy-rich molecules such as sugars and starches. Car-

bon constantly changes its state through the metabolism

of organisms and by natural chemical processes. Carbon

can be stored in and exchanges between particulate and

dissolved inorganic and organic forms and exchanged

with the the atmosphere as CO

. The oceans store much

more carbon than the atmosphere and the terrestrial

biosphere (plants and animals). Even more carbon, how-

ever, is stored in the lithosphere, i.e. the rocks on the

planet, including limestones (calcium carbonate, CaCO

The three most important repositories within the

context of anthropogenic climate change – atmosphere,

terrestrial biosphere and ocean – are constantly exchang-

ing carbon. This process can occur over time spans of up

to centuries, which at first glance appears quite slow. But

considering that carbon remains bound up in the rocks of

the Earth’s crust for millions of years, then the exchange

between the atmosphere, terrestrial biosphere and ocean

carbon reservoirs could actually be described as relatively

rapid. Today scientists can estimate fairly accurately how

much carbon is stored in the individual reservoirs. The

ocean, with around 38,000 gigatons (Gt) of carbon

(1 gigaton = 1 billion tons), contains 16 times as much

carbon as the terrestrial biosphere, that is all plant and

the underlying soils on our planet, and around 60 times

as much as the pre-industrial atmosphere, i.e., at a time

before people began to drastically alter the atmospheric

content by the increased burning of coal, oil and gas.

At that time the carbon content of the atmosphere was

only around 600 gigatons of carbon. The ocean is there-

fore the greatest of the carbon reservoirs, and essentially

determines the atmospheric CO

content. The carbon,

how ever, requires centuries to penetrate into the deep

ocean, because the mixing of the oceans is a rather slow

(Chapter 1). Consequently, changes in atmospheric car-

bon content that are induced by the oceans also occur

over a time frame of centuries. In geological time that is

quite fast, but from a human perspective it is too slow to

extensively buffer climate change.

With respect to climate change, the greenhouse gas

is of primary interest in the global carbon cycle.

Today, we know that the CO

concentration in the atmos-

phere changed only slightly during the 12,000 years be-

tween the last ice age and the onset of the industrial

revolution at the beginning of the 19th century. This rela-

tively stable CO

concentration suggests that the pre-

industrial carbon cycle was largely in equilibrium with

the atmosphere. It is assumed that, in this pre-industrial

equilibrium state, the ocean released around 0.6 gigatons

of carbon per year to the atmosphere. This is a result of

the input of carbon from land plants carried by rivers to

the ocean and, after decomposition by bacteria, released

into the atmosphere as CO

, as well as from inorganic

carbon from the weathering of continental rocks such as

limestones. This transport presumably still occurs today

at rates essentially unchanged. Since the beginning of

The oceans – the largest CO

-reservoir

> The oceans absorb substantia l am ou nts of carbon dioxide, and ther eb y

consume a l arge porti on of this gree nh ouse gas, which is released by huma n activity. This does not

mean, however, that the problem c an be i gn ored, because t his process t akes cent ur ies and can no t

prevent the consequences of climate change. Furthermore, it cannot be predicted how the marine

biosphere will react to the uptake of additional CO

How climate change alters ocean chemistry <

the industrial age, increasing amounts of additional car-

bon have entered the atmosphere annually in the form of

carbon dioxide. The causes for this, in addition to the

burning of fossil fuels (about 6.4 Gt C per year in the

1990s and more than 8 Gt C since 2006), include changes

in land-use practices such as intensive slash and burn

agriculture in the tropical rainforests (1.6 Gt C annually).

From the early 19th to the end of the 20th century,

humankind released around 400 Gt C in the form of car-

bon dioxide. This has created a serious imbalance in

today’s carbon cycle. The additional input of carbon

produces offsets between the carbon reservoirs, which

lead to differences in the flux between reservoirs when

compared to pre-industrial times. In addition to the

atmosphere, the oceans and presumably also land plants

permanently absorb a portion of this anthropogenic CO

(produced by human activity).

The ocean as a sink for anthropogenic CO

As soon as CO

migrates from the atmosphere into the

water, it can react chemically with water molecules to

form carbonic acid, which causes a shift in the concen-

trations of the hydrogen carbonate (HCO

–

) and carbo-

nate (CO

2–

) ions, which are derived from the carbonic

acid. Because carbon dioxide is thus immediately pro-

cessed in the sea, the CO

capacity of the oceans is ten

times higher than that of freshwater, and they therefore

can absorb large quantities of it. Scientists refer to this

kind of assimilation of CO

as a sink. The ocean absorbs

2.1 > The carbon cycle in the 1990s with the sizes of the various

reservoirs (in gigatons of carbon, Gt C), as well as the annual

fluxes between these. Pre-industrial natural fluxes are shown

in black, anthropogenic changes in red. The loss of 140 Gt C

in the terrestrial biosphere reflects the cumulative CO

emis-

sions from land-use change (primarily slash and burn agricul-

ture in the tropical rainforests), and is added to the 244 Gt C

emitted by the burning of fossil fuels. The terrestrial sink for

anthropogenic CO

of 101 Gt C is not directly verifiable, but

is derived from the difference between cumulative emissions

(244 + 140 = 384 Gt C) and the combination of atmospheric

increase (165 Gt C) and oceanic sinks (100 + 18 = 118 Gt C).

Rivers 0.8

Weathering

0.2

Weathering

0.2

Surface ocean

900 + 18

Intermediate and deep ocean

37 100 + 100

Surface sediment

150

0.2

7070.6

0.4

22.220

6.4

Marine biota

Fossil fuels

3700 – 244

Atmosphere

597 + 165

Reservoir sizes in Gt C

Fluxes and rates in Gt C per year

90.2

1.6

101

Land

sink

2.6

Land

use

change

1.6

Respiration

119.6

GPP

120

Vegetation, soil and detritus

2300 + 101 – 140

> Chapter 02

Iron is a crucial nutrient for plants and the second most abundant

chemical element on Earth, although the greatest portion by far is

locked in the Earth’s core. Many regions have sufficient iron for

plants. In large regions of the ocean, however, iron is so scarce that

the growth of single-celled algae is limited by its absence. Iron-

limitation regions include the tropical eastern Pacific and parts of

the North Pacific, as well as the entire Southern Ocean. These ocean

regions are rich in the primary nutrients (macronutrients) nitrate and

phosphate. The iron, however, which plants require only in very

small amounts (micronutrients), is missing. Scientists refer to these

marine regions as HNLC regions (high nutrient, low chlorophyll)

because algal growth here is restricted and the amount of the plant

pigment chlorophyll is reduced accordingly. Research using fertiliza-

tion experiments has shown that plant growth in all of these regions

can be stimulated by fertilizing the water with iron. Because plants

assimilate carbon, carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is thus con-

verted to biomass, at least for the short term.

Iron fertilization is a completely natural phenomenon. For exam-

ple, iron-rich dust from deserts is blown to the sea by the wind. Iron

also enters the oceans with the meltwater of icebergs or by contact

of the water with iron-rich sediments on the sea floor. It is presumed

that different wind patterns and a dryer atmosphere during the last

ice age led to a significantly higher input of iron into the Southern

Ocean. This could, at least in part, explain the considerably lower

atmospheric CO

levels during the last ice age. Accordingly, modern

modelling simulations indicate that large-scale iron fertilization of

the oceans could decrease the present atmospheric CO

levels by

around 30 ppm (parts per million). By comparison, human activities

have increased the atmospheric CO

levels from around 280 ppm to

a present-day value of 390 ppm.

Marine algae assimilate between a thousand and a million times

less iron than carbon. Thus even very low quantities of iron are

sufficient to stimulate the uptake of large amounts of carbon dioxide

in plants. Under favourable conditions large amounts of CO

can be

converted with relatively little iron. This raises the obvious idea of

fertilizing the oceans on a large scale and reducing the CO

concen-

trations in the atmosphere by storage in marine organisms (seques-

tration). When the algae die, however, and sink to the bottom and

are digested by animals or broken down by microorganisms, the car-

bon dioxide is released again. In order to evaluate whether the fixed

Fertilizing the ocean with iron

2.2 > Iron is a crucial nutrient for algae, and it is scarce in many ocean

regions, which inhibits algal growth. If the water is fertilized with iron

there is a rapid increase in algae. Microscopic investigations of water

samples taken by the research vessel “Polarstern” clearly show that

algae in this iron-poor region proliferate quickly after iron fertilization.

Around three weeks after fertilization the marine algal community was

dominated by elongate, hard-shelled diatoms.

How climate change alters ocean chemistry <

carbon dioxide actually remains in the ocean, the depth at which the

biomass produced by iron fertilization is broken down and carbon

dioxide is released must be known, because this determines its

spatial and temporal distance from the atmosphere. Normally, 60 to

90 per cent of the biomass gets broken down in the surface water,

which is in contact with the atmosphere. So this portion of the bio-

mass does not represent a contribution to sequestration. Even if the

breakdown occurs at great depths, the CO

will be released into the

atmosphere within a few hundred to thousand years because of the

global ocean circulation.

There are other reasons why iron fertilization is so controversial.

Some scientists are concerned that iron input will disturb the nutrient

budget in other regions. Because the macronutrients in the surface

water are consumed by increased algal growth, it is possible that

nutrient supply to other downstream ocean regions will be deficient.

Algal production in those areas would decrease, counteracting the

sequestration in the fertilized areas. Such an effect would be

expected, for example, in the tropical Pacific, but not in the South-

ern Ocean where the surface water, as a rule, only remains at the sea

surface for a relatively short time, and quickly sinks again before the

macronutrients are depleted. Because these water masses then

remain below the surface for hundreds of years, the Southern Ocean

appears to be the most suitable for CO

sequestration. Scientists are

concerned that iron fertilization could have undesirable side effects.

It is possible that iron fertilization could contribute to local ocean

acidification due to the increased decay of organic material and thus

greater carbon dioxide input into the deeper water layers. Further-

more, the decay of additional biomass created by fertilization would

consume more oxygen, which is required by fish and other animals.

The direct effects of reduced oxygen levels on organisms in the rela-

tively well-oxygenated Southern Ocean would presumably be very

minor. But the possibility that reduced oxygen levels could have

long-range effects and exacerbate the situation in the existing low-

oxygen zones in other areas of the world ocean cannot be ruled out.

The possible consequences of iron fertilization on species diversity

and the marine food chain have not yet been studied over time

frames beyond the few weeks of the iron fertilization experiments.

Before iron fertilization can be established as a possible procedure

for CO

sequestration, a clear plan for observing and recording the

possible side effects must first be formulated.

> Chapter 02

human-made atmospheric CO

, and this special property

of seawater is primarily attributable to carbonation,

which, at 10 per cent, represents a significant proportion

of the dissolved inorganic carbon in the ocean. In the

ocean, the carbon dissolved in the form of CO

, bicarbo -

nate and carbonate is referred to as inorganic carbon.

When a new carbon equilibrium between the atmos-

phere and the world ocean is re-established in the future,

then the oceanic reservoir will have assimilated around

80 per cent of the anthropogenic CO

from the atmos-

phere, primarily due to the reaction with carbonate. The

buffering effect of deep-sea calcium carbonate sediments

is also important. These ancient carbonates neutralize

large amounts of CO

by reacting with it, and dissolving

to some extent. Thanks to these processes, the oceans

could ultimately absorb around 95 per cent of the anthro-

pogenic emissions. Because of the slow mixing of the

ocean, however, it would take centuries before equilib-

rium is established. The very gradual buffering of CO

the reaction with carbonate sediments might even take

millennia. For today’s situation this means that a marked

carbon disequilibrium between the ocean and atmos-

phere will continue to exist for the decades and centuries

to come. The world ocean cannot absorb the greenhouse

gas as rapidly as it is emitted into the atmosphere by

humans. The absorptive capacity of the oceans through

chemical processes in the water is directly dependent

on the rate of mixing in the world ocean. The current

oceanic uptake of CO

thus lags significantly behind its

chemical capacity as the present-day CO

emissions occur

much faster than they can be processed by the ocean.

Measuring exc h a nge between t h e

atmosphere and ocean

For dependable climate predictions it is extremely impor-

tant to determine exactly how much CO

is absorbed by

the ocean sink. Researchers have therefore developed a

2.3 > Cement plants

like this one in

Amsterdam are,

second to the burning

of fossil fuels, among

the most significant

global sources of

anthropogenic carbon

dioxide. The potential

for reducing CO

output is accordingly

large in these

industrial areas.

How climate change alters ocean chemistry <

variety of independent methods to quantify the present

role of the ocean in the anthropogenically impacted

carbon cycle. These have greatly contributed to the

present-day understanding of the interrelationships. Two

procedures in particular have played an important role:

The first method (atmosphere-ocean flux) is based on

the measurement of CO

partial-pressure differences be-

tween the ocean surface and the atmosphere. Partial

pressure is the amount of pressure that a particular gas

such as CO

within a gas mixture (the atmosphere) con-

tributes to the total pressure. Partial pressure is thus also

one possibility for quantitatively describing the composi-

tion of the atmosphere. If more of this gas is present, its

partial pressure is higher. If two bodies, such as the at-

mosphere and the near-surface layers of the ocean, are in

contact with each other, then a gas exchange between

them can occur. In the case of a partial-pressure differ-

ence between the two media, there is a net exchange of

. The gas flows from the body with the higher partial

pressure into that of lower pressure. This net gas ex-

change can be calculated when the global distribution of

the CO

partial-pressure difference is known. Consider-

ing the size of the world ocean this requires an enormous

measurement effort. The worldwide fleet of research

vessels is not nearly large enough for this task. A signifi-

cant number of merchant vessels were therefore out-

fitted with measurement instruments that automatically

carry out CO

measurements and store the data during

their voyages or even transmit them daily via satellite.

This “Voluntary Observing Ship” project (VOS) has been

developed and expanded over the last two decades and

employs dozens of ships worldwide. It is fundamentally

very difficult to adequately record the CO

exchange in

the world ocean, because it is constantly changing

through space and time. Thanks to the existing VOS net-

work, however, it has been possible to obtain measure-

ments to provide an initial important basis. The database,

covering over three decades, is sufficient to calculate the

average annual gas exchange over the total surface of the

oceans with some confidence. It is given as average

annual CO

flux density (expressed in mol C/m

/year),

that is the net flux of CO

per square meter of ocean sur-

face per year, which can be integrated to yield the total

annual CO

uptake of the world ocean.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Moles per square metre of water column

Equator

2.4 > The world ocean

takes up anthropo-

genic CO

everywhere

across its surface.

The transport into

the interior ocean,

however, primarily

takes place in the

North Atlantic and

in a belt between

30 and 50 degrees

south latitude. The

values indicate the

total uptake from

the beginning of the

industrial revolution

until the year 1994.

> Chapter 02

Our present picture is based on around three million

measurements that were collected and calculated for the

net flux. The data were recorded between 1970 and

2007, and most of the values from the past decade were

obtained through the VOS programme. Regions that are

important for world climate such as the subpolar North

Atlantic and the subpolar Pacific have been reasonably

well covered. For other ocean regions, on the other hand,

there are still only limited numbers of measurements.

For these undersampled regions, the database is present-

ly insufficient for a precise calculation. Still, scientists

have been able to use the available data to fairly well

quantify the oceanic CO

sink. For the reference year

2000 the sink accounts for 1.4 Gt C.

This value represents the net balance of the natural car-

bon flux out of the ocean into the atmosphere and, con-

versely, the transport of anthropogenic carbon from the

atmosphere into the ocean. Now, as before, the annual

natural pre-industrial amount of 0.6 Gt C is flowing out of

the ocean. Conversely, around 2.0 Gt C of anthropo genic

carbon is entering the ocean every year, leading to

the observed balance uptake of 1.4 Gt C per year. Be-

cause of the still rather limited amount of data, this meth-

od has had to be restricted so far to the climato logical CO

flux, i.e., a long-term average over the entire observation

period. Only now are studies beginning to approach the

possibility of looking at interannual varia bility for this

sink in especially well-covered regions. The North

Atlantic is a first prominent example. Surprisingly, the

data shows significant variations between individual

years. Presumably, this is attributable to natural climate

cycles such as the North Atlantic Oscillation, which have

a considerable impact on the natural carbon cycle. Under-

standing such natural variability of the ocean is a pre-

requisite for reliable projections of future development

and change of the oceanic sink for CO

The second method attempts, with the application of

rather elaborate geochemical or statistical procedures, to

calculate how much of the CO

in the ocean is derived

from natural sources and how much is from anthropo-

genic sources, although from a chemical aspect the two

are basically identical, and cannot be clearly distin-

guished. Actually, several procedures are available today

that allow this difficult differentiation, and they general-

ly provide very consistent results. These methods differ,

however, in detail, depending on the assumptions and

approximations associated with a particular method. The

most profound basis for estimating anthropogenic CO

in the ocean is the global hydrographic GLODAP data-

set (Global Ocean Data Analysis Project), which was

obtained from 1990 to 1998 through large international

research projects. This dataset:

• includes quality-controlled data on a suite of carbon

and other relevant parameters;

• is based on analyses of more than 300,000 water

samples;

• containsdatathatwerecollectedonnearly100expe-

ditions and almost 10,000 hydrographic stations in the

ocean.

All of these data were corrected and subjected to multi-

level quality control measures in an elaborate process.

This provided for the greatest possible consistency and

comparability of data from a number of different laborato-

ries. Even today, the GLODAP dataset still provides the

most exact and comprehensive view of the marine carbon

cycle. For the first time, based on this dataset, reliable

estimateshave been made of how much anthropogenic

carbon dioxide has been taken up from the atmosphere

by the ocean sink. From the beginning of industrialization

to the year 1994, the oceanic uptake of anthropogenic car-

bon dioxide amounts to 118 ± 19 Gt C. The results indi-

cate that anthropogenic CO

, which is taken up every-

where across the ocean’s surface flows into the ocean’s

interior from the atmosphere primarily in two regions.

One of these is the subpolar North Atlantic, where the

submerges with deep-water formation to the ocean

depths. The other area of CO

flux into the ocean is a belt

between around 30 and 50 degrees of southern latitude.

Here the surface water sinks because of the formation of

water that spreads to intermediate depths in the ocean.

The CO

input derived from the GLODAP dataset to

some extent represents a snapshot of a long-term transi-

tion to a new equilibrium. Although the anthropogenic

carbon dioxide continuously enters the ocean from the

How climate change alters ocean chemistry <

surface, the gas has not penetrated the entire ocean by

any means. The GLODAP data show that the world ocean

has so far only absorbed around 40 per cent of the car-

bon dioxide discharged by humans into the atmosphere

between 1800 and 1995. The maximum capacity of the

world ocean of more than 80 per cent is therefore far

from being achieved.

How climate c h a nge impacts t h e

marine carbon cycle

The natural carbon cycle transports many billions of tons

of carbon annually. In a physical sense, the carbon

is spatially transported by ocean currents. Chemically,

it changes from one state to another, for example, from

inorganic to organic chemical compounds or vice versa.

The foundation for this continuous transport and conver-

sion is made up of a great number of biological, chemical

and physical processes that constitute what is also known

as carbon pumps. These processes are driven by climatic

factors, or at least strongly influenced by them. One

example is the metabolism of living organisms, which is

stimulated by rising ambient temperatures. This tempe-

rature effect, however, is presumably less significant for

the biomass producers (mostly single-celled algae) than

for the biomass consumers (primarily the bacteria),

which could cause a shift in the local organic carbon

balance in some regions. Because many climatic inter-

actions are still not well understood, it is difficult to pre-

dict how the carbon cycle and the carbon pumps will

react to climate change. The first trends indicating

change that have been detected throughout the world

ocean are those of water temperature and salinity. In

addition, a general decrease in the oxygen content of

seawater has been observed, which can be attributed to

biological and physical causes such as changes in current

flow and higher temperatures. It is also possible that

changes in the production and breakdown of biomass in

the ocean play a role here.

Changes in the carbon cycle are also becoming

apparent in another way: The increasing accumulation

of carbon dioxide in the sea leads to acidification of the

oceans or, in chemical terms, a decline in the pH value.

This could have a detrimental impact on marine organ-

isms and ecosystems. Carbonate-secreting organisms are

particularly susceptible to this because an acidifying

environment is less favorable for carbonate production.

Laboratory experiments have shown that acidification

has a negative effect on the growth of corals and other

organisms. The topic of ocean acidification is presently

being studied in large research programmes worldwide.

Conclusive results relating to the feedback effects

between climate and acidification are thus not yet avail-

able. This is also the case for the impact of ocean warm-

ing. There are many indications for significant feedback

effects here, but too little solid knowledge to draw any

robust quantitative conclusions.

We will have to carry out focussed scientific studies to

see what impact global change will have on the natural

carbon cycle in the ocean. It would be naïve to assume

that this is insignificant and irrelevant for the future

climate of our planet. To the contrary, our limited knowl-

edge of the relationships should motivate us to study the

ocean even more intensely and to develop new methods

of observation.

2.5 > In order to determine the effect of increasing atmospheric CO

concentrations on

the ocean, an international research team enriched seawater with CO

in floating tanks off

Spitsbergen, and studied the effects on organisms.

> Chapter 02

How climate change acidifies the oceans

Carbon dioxide is a determining factor for our climate

and, as a greenhouse gas, it contributes considerably to

the warming of the Earth’s atmosphere and thus also of

the ocean. The global climate has changed drastically

many times through the course of Earth history. These

changes, in part, were associated with natural fluctua-

tions in the atmospheric CO

content, for example, dur-

ing the transitions from ice ages to interglacial periods

(the warmer phases within longer glacial epochs). The

drastic increase in atmospheric CO

concentrations by

more than 30 per cent since the beginning of industriali-

zation, by contrast, is of anthropogenic origin, i.e. caused

by humans.

The largest CO

sources are the burning of fossil fuels,

including natural gas, oil, and coal, and changes in land

usage: clearing of forests, draining of swamps, and

expansion of agricultural areas. CO

concentrations in

the atmo s phere have now reached levels near 390 ppm

(parts per million). In pre-industrial times this value was

only around 280 ppm. Now climate researchers estimate

that the level will reach twice its present value by the

end of this century. This increase will not only cause

additional warming of the Earth. There is another effect

associated with it that has only recently come to the

atten tion of the public – acidification of the world ocean.

There is a permanent exchange of gas between the air

and the ocean. If the CO

levels in the atmosphere

increase, then the concentrations in the near-surface

layers of the ocean increase accordingly. The dissolved

carbon dioxide reacts to some extent to form carbonic

acid. This reaction releases protons, which leads to acidi-

fication of the seawater. The pH values drop. It has been

demonstrated that the pH value of seawater has in fact

already fallen, parallel to the carbon dioxide increase in

the atmosphere, by an average of 0.1 units. Depending

on the future trend of carbon dioxide emissions, this

value could fall by another 0.3 to 0.4 units by the end of

this century. This may appear to be negligible, but in fact

it is equivalent to an increased proton concentration of

100 to 150 per cent.

The effect of pH on the metabol i s m

of marine organisms

The currently observed increase of CO

concentrations in

the oceans is, in terms of its magnitude and rate, unparal-

leled in the evolutionary history of the past 20 million

years. It is therefore very uncertain to what extent the

marine fauna can adapt to it over extended time periods.

After all, the low pH values in seawater have an adverse

effect on the formation of carbonate minerals, which is

critical for many invertebrate marine animals with carbo-

nate skeletons, such as mussels, corals or sea urchins.

Processes similar to the dissolution of CO

in seawater

also occur within the organic tissue of the affected organ-

isms. CO

, as a gas, diffuses through cell membranes into

the blood, or in some animals into the hemolymph, which

is analogous to blood. The organism has to compensate

for this disturbance of its natural acid-base balance, and

some animals are better at this than others. Ultimately

this ability depends on the genetically determined effi-

ciency of various mechanisms of pH and ion regulation,

The consequences of ocean acidification

> C lim at e c h a nge n ot o n ly l e ad s to w a r m ing o f t h e at m o sp he r e an d wa t e r,

but also to an acidification of the oceans. It is not yet clear what the ultimate consequences of this

will be fo r m ar in e o rg a n is ms a n d c om mu nit ie s , a s onl y a fe w s pe c ie s h a v e b e e n st u die d . E x t en sive

long-term studies on a large variety of organisms and communities are needed to understand poten-

tial consequences of ocean acidification.

The pH value

The pH value is a

measure of the

strength of acids and

bases in a solution.

It indicates how acidic

or basic a liquid is.

The pH scale ranges

from 0 (very acidic)

to 14 (very basic).

The stronger an acid

is the more easily it

loses protons (H

which determines the

pH value. Practically

expressed, the higher

the proton concen-

tration is, the more

acidic a liquid is, and

the lower its pH value

is.

How climate change alters ocean chemistry <

which depends on the animal group and lifestyle. In spite

of enhanced regulatory efforts by the organism to regu-

late them, acid-base parameters undergo permanent

adjustment within tissues and body fluids. This, in turn,

can have an adverse effect on the growth rate or repro-

ductive capacity and, in the worst case, can even threat-

en the survival of a species in its habitat.

The pH value of body fluids affects biochemical reac-

tions within an organism. All living organisms therefore

strive to maintain pH fluctuations within a tolerable

range. In order to compensate for an increase in acidity

due to CO

, an organism has two possibilities: It must

either increase its expulsion of excessive protons or take

up additional buffering substances, such as bicarbonate

ions, which bind protons. For the necessary ion regula-

tion processes, most marine animals employ specially

developed epithelia that line body cavities, blood vessels,

or the gills and intestine.

The ion transport systems used to regulate acid-base

balance are not equally effective in all marine animal

groups. Marine organisms are apparently highly tolerant

of CO

when they can accumulate large amounts of bi-

carbonate ions, which stabilize the pH value. These orga-

nisms are usually also able to very effectively excrete

protons. Mobile and active species such as fish, certain

crustaceans, and cephalopods – cuttlefish, for instance –

are therefore especially CO

-tolerant. The metabolic

rates of these animals can strongly fluctuate and reach

2.6 > By studying ice

cores scientists want

to discover which

organisms live in the

ice. Air bubbles in

Antarctic ice cores

also provide clues to

the presence of trace

gases in the former

atmosphere, and to

past climate. The ice

cores are drilled using

powerful tools. For

more detailed study

they are analysed in

the laboratory.

When ice crystals

are observed under

a special polarized

light, their fine

structure reveals

shimmering colours.

> Chapter 02

The atmospheric gas carbon dioxide (CO

) dissolves very easily in

water. This is well known in mineral water, which often has carbon

dioxide added. In the dissolution process, carbon dioxide reacts with

the water molecules according to the equation below. When carbon

dioxide mixes with the water it is partially converted into carbonic

acid, hydrogen ions (H

), bicarbonate (HCO

–

), and carbonate ions

(CO

2–

). Seawater can assimilate much more CO

than fresh water.

The reason for this is that bicarbonate and carbonate ions have been

perpetually discharged into the sea over aeons. The carbonate reacts

with CO

to form bicarbonate, which leads to a further uptake of

and a decline of the CO

2–

concentration in the ocean. All of

the CO

-derived chemical species in the water together, i.e. carbon

dioxide, carbonic acid, bicarbonate and carbonate ions, are referred

to as dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). This carbonic acid-carbonate

equilibrium determines the amount of free protons in the seawater

and thus the pH value.

+ H



+ HCO

–



2 H

+ CO

2–

In summary, the reaction of carbon dioxide in seawater proceeds

as follows: First the carbon dioxide reacts with water to form car-

bonic acid. This then reacts with carbonate ions and forms bicarbo-

nate. Over the long term, ocean acidification leads to a decrease in

the concentration of carbonate ions in seawater. A 50 per cent decline

When carbonate formation loses equilibrium

2.7 > Studies of the coral Oculina patagonia show that organisms with

carbonate shells react sensitively to acidification of the water. Picture

a shows a coral colony in its normal state. The animals live retracted

within their carbonate exoskeleton (yellowish). In acidic water (b) the

carbonate skeleton degenerates. The animals take on an elongated polyp

form. Their small tentacles, which they use to grab nutrient particles

in the water, are clearly visible. Only when the animals are transferred

to water with natural pH values do they start to build their protective

skeletons again (c).

a b

How climate change alters ocean chemistry <

of the levels is predicted, for example, if there is a drop in pH levels

of 0.4 units. This would be fatal. Because carbonate ions together

with calcium ions (als CaCO

) form the basic building blocks of car-

bonate skeletons and shells, this decline would have a direct effect

on the ability of many marine organisms to produce biogenic carbo-

nate. In extreme cases this can even lead to the dissolution of exist-

ing carbonate shells, skeletons and other structures.

Many marine organisms have already been studied to find out

how acidification affects carbonate formation. The best-known exam-

ples are the warm-water corals, whose skeletons are particularly

threatened by the drop in pH values. Scientific studies suggest that

carbon dioxide levels could be reached by the middle of this century

at which a net growth (i.e. the organisms form more carbonate than

is dissolved in the water), and thus the successful formation of reefs,

will hardly be possible. In other invertebrates species, such as mus-

sels, sea urchins and starfish, a decrease in calcification rates due to

has also been observed. For many of these invertebrates not

only carbonate production, but also the growth rate of the animal

was affected. In contrast, for more active animal groups such as fish,

salmon, and the cephalopod mollusc Sepia officinalis, no evidence

could be found as to know that the carbon dioxide content in the

seawater had an impact on growth rates. In order to draw accurate

conclusions about how the carbon dioxide increase in the water

affects marine organisms, further studies are therefore necessary.

Duration of experiment in days

Body weig ht in grams

Amount of c al cium c ar bo nate in c ut tlebone in gra ms

0 10 20 30 40

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

2.8 > Active and rapidly moving animals like the cephalopod mollusc

(cuttlefish) Sepia officinalis are apparently less affected by acidification

of the water. The total weight of young animals increased over a period

of 40 days in acidic seawater (red line) just as robustly as in water

with a normal pH and CO

content (black line). The growth rate of the

calcareous shield, the cuttlebone, also proceeded at very high rates (see

the red and black bars in the diagram). The amount of calcium carbon-

ate (CaCO

) incorporated in the cuttlebone is used as a measure here.

The schematic illustration of the cephalopod shows the position of the

cuttlebone on the animal.

Cuttlebone

> Chapter 02

very high levels during exercise (hunting & escape beha-

viour). The oxygen-consumption rate (a measure of meta-

bolic rate) of these active animal groups can reach levels

that are orders of magnitude above those of sea urchins,

starfish or mussels. Because large amounts of CO

and

protons accumulate during excessive muscle activity, ac-

tive animals often possess an efficient system for proton

excretion and acid-base regulation. Consequently, these

animals can better compensate for disruptions in their

acid-base budgets caused by acidification of the water.

Benthic invertebrates (bottom-dwelling animals with-

out a vertebral column) with limited ability to move great

distances, such as mussels, starfish or sea urchins, often

cannot accumulate large amounts of bicarbonate in their

body fluids to compensate for acidification and the excess

protons. Long-term experiments show that some of these

species grow more slowly under acidic conditions. One

reason for the reduced growth could be a natural protec-

tive mechanism of invertebrate animal species: In stress

situations such as falling dry during low tide, these

organisms reduce their metabolic rates. Under normal

conditions this is a very effective protection strategy

that insures survival during short-term stress situations.

But when they are exposed to long-term CO

stress,

this protective mechanism could become a disadvantage

for the sessile animals. With the long-term increase in

carbon dioxide levels in seawater, the energy-saving

behaviour and the suppression of metabolism inevitably

leads to limited growth, lower levels of activity, and thus

a reduced ability to compete within the ecosystem.

However, the sensitivity of a species’ reaction to CO

stressor and acidification cannot be defined alone by the

simple formula: good acid-base regulation = high CO

tolerance. There are scientific studies that suggest this is

not the case. For example, one study investigated the

ability of a species of brittlestar (echinodermata), an

invertebrate that mainly lives in the sediment, to regen-

erate severed arms. Surprisingly, animals from more

acidic seawater not only re-grew longer arms, but their

calcareous skeletons also contained a greater amount of

calcium carbonate. The price for this, however, was

reduced muscle growth. So in spite of the apparent posi-

tive indications at first glance, this species is obviously

adversely affected by ocean acidification because they

2.9 > Diatoms like

this Arachnoidiscus

are an important

nutrient basis for

higher organisms.

It is still uncertain

how severely they

will be affected by

acidification of the

oceans.

How climate change alters ocean chemistry <

2.10 > These electron micrographs clearly illustrate that increased CO

concentrations in

the water can disturb and lead to malformation in calcareous marine organisms, such as

the coccolithophorid Emiliana huxleyi shown here. The upper pictures reflect CO

concen-

trations in the water of 300 ppm, which is slightly above the pre-industrial average CO

level for seawater. The bottom photographs reflect a CO

content of 780 to 850 ppm. For

size comparison, the bars represent a length of one micrometre.

can only efficiently feed and supply their burrows in the

sediment with oxygenated seawater if they have fully

functioning arms.

Even fish can be impaired. Many adult animals are

relatively CO

tolerant. Early developmental stages, how-

ever, obviously react very sensitively to the CO

stressor.

A strong impairment of the sense of smell in seawater

with low pH values was observed in the larval clown-

fish. These animals are normally able to orientate them-

selves by a specific odour signal and, after their larval

phase, which they spend free-swimming in the water

column, to find their final permanent habitat on coral

reefs. In the experiment, fish larvae that were raised in

seawater with a pH value lowered by about 0.3 units,

reacted significantly less to the otherwise very stimulat-

ing odour of sea anemones with which they live in sym-

biosis on reefs. If behavioural changes caused by CO

occur during a critical phase of the life cycle, they can, of

course, have a strong impact on the reproductive success

of a species.

It is not yet known to what extent other marine orga-

nisms are impacted by these kinds of effects of ocean

acidification. Other studies on embryonic and juvenile

stages of various species have shown, however, that the

early developmental stages of an organism generally

respond more sensitively to CO

stress than the adult

animals do.

Threat to the n utrition bas e in the ocean s –

phytoplankton and acidification

The the entire food chain in the ocean is represented by

the microscopic organisms of the marine phytoplankton.

These include diatoms (siliceous algae), coccolithophores

(calcareous algae), and the cyanobacteria (formerly called

blue algae), which, because of their photosynthetic

activity, are responsible for around half of the global

primary productivity.

Because phytoplankton requires light for these pro-

cesses, it lives exclusively in surface ocean waters. It is

therefore directly affected by ocean acidification. In the

future, however, due to global warming, other influenc-

ing variables such as temperature, light or nutrient avail-

ability will also change due to global warming. These

changes will also determine the productivity of auto-

trophic organisms, primarily bacteria or algae, which

produce biomass purely by photosynthesis or the incor-

poration of chemical compounds. It is therefore very dif-

ficult to predict which groups of organisms will profit

from the changing environmental conditions and which

will turn out to be the losers.

Ocean acidification is of course not the only conse-

quence of increased CO

. This gas is, above all, the elixir

of life for plants, which take up CO

from the air or

seawater and produce biomass. Except for the acidifica-

tion problem, increasing CO

levels in seawater should

> Chapter 02

2.11 > The clownfish (Amphiprion

percula) normally does not react

sensitively to increased CO

concen-

trations in the water. But in the

larvae the sense of smell is impaired.

How climate change alters ocean chemistry <

therefore favour the growth of those species whose

photosynthetic processes were formerly limited by car-

bon dioxide. For example, a strong increase in photo-

synthesis rates was reported for cyanobacteria under

higher CO

concentrations. This is also true for certain

coccolithophores such as Emiliania huxleyi. But even for

Emiliania the initially beneficial rising CO

levels could

become fatal. Emiliania species possess a calcareous

shell comprised of numerous individual plates. There is

now evidence that the formation of these plates is

impaired by lower pH values. In contrast, shell formation

by diatoms, as well as their photosynthetic activity,

seems to be hardly affected by carbon dioxide. For

diatoms also, however, shifts in species composition

have been reported under conditions of increased CO

concentration.

Challenge for the future:

Understanding acidification

In order to develop a comprehensive understanding of

the impacts of ocean acidification on life in the sea, we

have to learn how and why CO

affects various physio-

logical processes in marine organisms. The ultimate

critical challenge is how the combination of individual

processes determines the overall CO

tolerance of the

organisms. So far, investigations have mostly been limit-

ed to short-term studies. To find out how and whether an

organism can grow, remain active and reproduce success-

fully in a more acidified ocean, long term (months) and

multiple-generation studies are neccessary.

The final, and most difficult step, thus is to integrate

the knowledge gained from species or groups at the eco-

system level. Because of the diverse interactions among

species within ecosystems, it is infinitely more difficult

to predict the behaviour of such a complex system under

ocean acidification.

In addition, investigations are increasingly being

focused on marine habitats that are naturally charac-

terized by higher CO

concentrations in the seawater.

Close to the Italian coast around the island of Ischia, for

instance, CO

is released from the sea floor due to vol-

canic activity, leading to acidification of the water. This

means that there are coastal areas directly adjacent to

one another with normal (8.1 to 8.2) and significantly

lowered pH values (minimum 7.4). If we compare the

animal and plant communities of these respective areas,

clear differences can be observed: In the acidic areas

rock corals are completely absent, the number of speci-

mens of various sea urchin and snail species is low, as is

the number of calcareous red algae. These acidic areas of

the sea are mainly dominated by seagrass meadows and

various non-calcareous algal species.

The further development of such ecosystem-based

studies is a great challenge for the future. Such investi-

gations are prerequisite to a broader understanding of

future trends in the ocean. In addition, deep-sea eco-

systems, which could be directly affected by the possible

impacts of future CO

disposal under the sea floor, also

have to be considered.

In addition, answers have to be found to the question

of how climate change affects reproduction in various

organisms in the marine environment. Up to now there

have been only a few exemplary studies carried out and

current science is still far from a complete understanding.

Whether and how different species react to chemical

changes in the ocean, whether they suffer from stress

or not is, for the most part, still unknown. There is an

enormous need for further research in this area.

2.12 > Low pH values in the waters around Ischia cause corrosion of the shells of calcare-

ous animals such as the snail Osilinus turbinata. The left picture shows an intact spotted

shell at normal pH values of 8.2. The shell on the right, exposed to pH values of 7.3, shows

clear signs of corrosion. The scale bars are equal to one centimetre.

> Chapter 02

Oxygen – product and elixir of life

Carbon dioxide, which occurs in relatively small amounts

in the atmosphere, is both a crucial substance for plants,

and a climate-threatening gas. Oxygen, on the other

hand, is not only a major component of the atmosphere,

it is also the most abundant chemical element on Earth.

The emergence of oxygen in the atmosphere is the result

of a biological success model, photosynthesis, which

helps plants and bacteria to convert inorganic materials

such as carbon dioxide and water to biomass. Oxygen

was, and continues to be generated by this process. The

biomass produced is, for its part, the nutritional founda-

tion for consumers, either bacteria, animals or humans.

These consumers cannot draw their required energy

from sunlight as the plants do, rather they have to obtain

it by burning biomass, a process that consumes oxygen.

Atmospheric oxygen on our planet is thus a product, as

well as the elixir of life.

Oxygen budget for the world ocean

Just like on the land, there are also photosynthetically

active plants and bacteria in the ocean, the primary pro-

ducers. Annually, they generate about the same amount

of oxygen and fix as much carbon as all the land plants

together. This is quite amazing. After all, the total living

biomass in the ocean is only about one two-hundredth of

that in the land plants. This means that primary pro-

ducers in the ocean are around two hundred times more

productive than land plants with respect to their mass.

This reflects the high productivity of single-celled algae,

which contain very little inactive biomass such as, for

example, the heartwood in tree trunks. Photosynthetic

production of oxygen is limited, however, to the upper-

most, sunlit layer of the ocean. This only extends to a

depth of around 100 metres and, because of the stable

density layering of the ocean, it is largely separated from

the enormous underlying volume of the deeper ocean.

Moreover, most of the oxygen generated by the primary

producers escapes into the atmosphere within a short

time, and thus does not contribute to oxygen enrichment

in the deep water column. This is because the near-sur-

face water, which extends down to around 100 metres,

is typically saturated with oxygen by the supply from the

atmosphere, and thus cannot store additional oxygen

from biological production. In the inner ocean, on the

Oxygen in the ocean

> Scientis t s have been routi n e ly measur i n g oxygen concentrati o n s in th e

ocean for more than a hundred years. With growing concerns about climate change, however, this

parameter has suddenly become a hot topic. Dissolved oxy g e n in the ocea n provides a s e n sitive

early warning system for the tren d s t h a t c l imate change is causing. A massiv e de p l oyment of oxygen

sensors is projected for the coming years, which will represent a renaissance of this parameter.

2.13 > Marine animals react in different ways to oxygen

deficiency. Many species of snails, for instance, can tolerate

lower O

levels than fish or crabs. The diagram shows the con-

centration at which half of the animals die under experimental

conditions. The average value is shown as a red line for each

animal group. The bars show the full spectrum: some crusta-

ceans can tolerate much lower O

concentrations than others.

0 50 100 150 200 250

Snails

Mussels

Fishes

Crustaceans

Average lethal

oxygen concentration

in micromoles per litre

How climate change alters ocean chemistry <

other hand, there is no source of oxygen. Oxygen enters

the ocean in the surface water through contact with the

atmosphere. From there the oxygen is then brought to

greater depths through the sinking and circulation of

water masses. These, in turn, are dynamic processes that

are strongly affected by climatic conditions. Three factors

ultimately determine how high the concentration of dis-

solved oxygen is at any given point within the ocean:

1. The initial oxygen concentration that this water pos-

sessed at its last contact with the atmosphere.

2. The amount of time that has passed since the last

contact with the atmosphere. This can, in fact, be

decades or centuries.

3. Biological oxygen consumption that results during this

time due to the respiration of all the consumers. These

range from miniscule bacteria to the zooplankton, and

up to the higher organisms such as fish.

The present-day distribution of oxygen in the internal

deep ocean is thus determined by a complicated and not

fully understood interplay of water circulation and bio-

logical productivity, which leads to oxygen consumption

in the ocean’s interior. Extensive measurements have

shown that the highest oxygen concentrations are found

at high latitudes, where the ocean is cold, especially

well-mixed and ventilated. The mid-latitudes, by con-

trast, especially on the western coasts of the continents,

are characterized by marked oxygen-deficient zones. The

oxygen supply here is very weak due to the sluggish

water circulation, and this is further compounded by

elevated oxygen consumption due to high biological pro-

ductivity. This leads to a situation where the oxygen is

almost completely depleted in the depth range between

100 and 1000 metres. This situation is also observed in

the northern Indian Ocean in the area of the Arabian Sea

and the Bay of Bengal.

Different groups of marine organisms react to the

oxygen deficiency in completely different ways, because

of the wide range of tolerance levels of different marine

Sur face layer

pyncnocline

at ca. 100 m

Sea floor

Sea level

Atmosphere

ca. 4000 m

ca. 1000 m

Inter me diate waterDee p water

Antarctic Equator Arctic

Oxygen decrease due to biological processes

Oxygen decrease

due to biological processes

2.14 > Oxygen from the atmosphere enters the near-surface

waters of the ocean. This upper layer is well mixed, and is thus

in chemical equilibrium with the atmosphere and rich in O

It ends abruptly at the pyncnocline, which acts like a barrier.

The oxygen-rich water in the surface zone does not mix readily

with deeper water layers. Oxygen essentially only enters the

deeper ocean by the motion of water currents, especially with

the formation of deep and intermediate waters in the polar

regions. In the inner ocean, marine organisms consume oxygen.

This creates a very sensitive equilibrium.

> Chapter 02

expected decrease in oxygen transport from the atmos-

phere into the ocean that is driven by global current and

mixing processes, as well as possible changes in the

marine biotic communities. In recent years, this knowl-

edge has led to a renaissance of oxygen in the field of

global marine research.

In oceanography, dissolved oxygen has been an impor-

tant measurement parameter for over a hundred years. A

method for determining dissolved oxygen was developed

as early as the end of the 19th century, and it is still

applied in an only slightly modified form today as a

precise method. This allowed for the development of an

early fundamental understanding of the oxygen distribu-

tion in the world ocean, with the help of the famous Ger-

man Atlantic Expedition of the “Meteor” in the 1920s.

Research efforts in recent years have recorded decreas-

ing oxygen concentrations for almost all the ocean basins.

These trends are, in part, fairly weak and mainly limited

to water masses in the upper 2000 metres of the ocean.

animals to oxygen-poor conditions. For instance, crusta-

ceans and fish generally require higher oxygen concen-

trations than mussels or snails. The largest oceanic oxy-

gen minimum zones, however, because of their ex tremely

low concentrations, should be viewed primarily as natu-

ral dead zones for the higher organisms, and by no means

as caused by humans.

Oxygen – the renaissance of a

hydrographic parameter

Oxygen distribution in the ocean depends on both bio-

logical processes, like the respiration of organisms, and

on physical processes such as current flow. Changes in

either of these processes should therefore lead to changes

in the oxygen distribution. In fact, dissolved oxygen can

be viewed as a kind of sensitive early warning system for

global (climate) change in the ocean. Scientific studies

show that this early warning system can detect the

100

Equator

0°

125

150

200

150

Oxygen conce ntr ation at the ox yge n m inimum

in m icromo les p er lit re

100

200

150

2.15 > Marine regions with oxygen deficiencies are completely

natural. These zones are mainly located in the mid-latitudes

on the west sides of the continents. There is very little mixing

here of the warm surface waters with the cold deep waters,

so not much oxygen penetrates to greater depths. In addition,

high bioproductivity and the resulting large amounts of sin-

king biomass here lead to strong oxygen consumption at depth,

especially between 100 and 1000 metres.

How climate change alters ocean chemistry <

Therefore, no fully consistent picture can yet be drawn

from the individual studies. Most of the studies do, how-

ever, show a trend of decreasing oxygen concentrations.

This trend agrees well with an already verified expan-

sion and intensification of the natural oxygen minimum

zones, those areas that are deadly for higher organisms.

If the oxygen falls below certain (low) thres hold values,

the water becomes unsuitable for higher organisms. Ses-

sile, attached organisms die. Furthermore, the oxygen

deficiency leads to major changes in biogeochemical

reactions and elemental cycles in the ocean – for instance,

of the plant nutrients nitrate and phosphate.

Oxygen levels affect geochemical processes in the

sediment but also, above all, bacterial metabolism pro-

cesses, which, under altered oxygen conditions, can be

changed dramatically. It is not fully possible today to pre-

dict what consequences these changes will ultimately

have. In some cases it is not even possible to say with

certainty whether climate change will cause continued

warming, or perhaps even local cooling. But it is prob-

able that the resulting noticeable effects will continue

over a long time period of hundreds or thousands of

years.

Even today, however, climate change is starting to

cause alterations in the oxygen content of the ocean that

can have negative effects. For the first time in recent

years, an extreme low-oxygen situation developed off the

coast of Oregon in the United States that led to mass mor-

tality in crabs and fish. This new death zone off Oregon

originated in the open ocean and presumably can be

attributed to changes in climate. The prevailing winds off

the west coast of the USA apparently changed direction

and intensity and, as a result, probably altered the ocean

currents. Researchers believe that the change caused

oxygen-poor water from greater depths to flow to surface

waters above the shelf.

The death zone off Oregon is therefore different than

the more than 400 near-coastal death zones known

worldwide, which are mainly attributed to eutrophica-

tion, the excessive input of plant nutrients. Eutrophi-

cation normally occurs in coastal waters near densely

populated regions with intensive agricultural activity.

Oxygen – challenge to marine research

The fact that model calculations examining the effects of

climate change almost all predict an oxygen decline in

major parts of the ocean, which agrees with the available

observations of decreasing oxygen, gives the subject

additional weight. Even though the final verdict is not yet

in, there are already indications that the gradual loss of

oxygen in the world ocean is an issue of great relevance

which possibly also has socio-economic repercussions,

and which ocean research must urgently address.

Intensified research can provide more robust conclu-

sions about the magnitude of the oxygen decrease. In

addition it will contribute significantly to a better under-

standing of the effects of global climate change on the

ocean. In recent years marine research has addressed

this topic with increased vigour, and has already estab-

lished appropriate research programmes and projects. It

is difficult, however, to completely measure the tempo-

rally and spatially highly variable oceans in their totality.

In order to draw reliable conclusions, therefore, the clas-

sic instruments of marine research like ships and taking

water samples will not suffice. Researchers must begin

to apply new observational concepts.

“Deep drifters” are an especially promising tool: these

are submersible measuring robots that drift completely

autonomously in the ocean for 3 to 4 years, and typically

measure the upper 2000 metres of the water column

every 10 days. After surfacing, the data are transferred to

a data centre by satellite. There are presently around

3200 of these measuring robots deployed for the interna-

tional research programme ARGO, named after a ship

from Greek mytho logy. Together they form a world-

wide autonomous ob ser vatory that is operated by almost

30 countries.

So far this observatory is only used on a small scale for

oxygen measurements. But there has been developed a

new sensor technology for oxygen measurements in the

recent past that can be deployed on these drifters. This

new technology would give fresh impetus to the collec-

tion of data on the variability of the oceanic oxygen

distribu tion.

The Atlantic

Expedition

For the first time,

during the German

Atlantic Expedition

(1925 to 1927)

with the research

vessel “Meteor”,

an entire ocean

was systematically

sampled, both in the

atmosphere and in

the water column.

Using an echosounder

system that was

highly modern for

its time, depth profiles

were taken across

13 transits of the

entire ocean basin.

> Chapter 02

How methane ends up in the ocean

People have been burning coal, oil and natural gas for

more than a hundred years. Methane hydrates, on the

other hand, have only recently come under controversial

discussion as a potential future energy source from the

ocean. They represent a new and completely untapped

reservoir of fossil fuel, because they contain, as their

name suggests, immense amounts of methane, which is

the main component of natural gas. Methane hydrates

belong to a group of substances called clathrates – sub-

stances in which one molecule type forms a crystal-like

cage structure and encloses another type of molecule. If

the cage-forming molecule is water, it is called a hydrate.

If the molecule trapped in the water cage is a gas, it is a

gas hydrate, in this case methane hydrate.

Methane hydrates can only form under very specific

physical, chemical and geological conditions. High water

pressures and low temperatures provide the best condi-

tions for methane hydrate formation. If the water is

warm, however, the water pressure must be very high

in order to press the water molecule into a clathrate cage.

In this case, the hydrate only forms at great depths. If the

water is very cold, the methane hydrates could conceiv-

ably form in shallower water depths, or even at atmos-

pheric pressure. In the open ocean, where the average

bottom-water temperatures are around 2 to 4 degrees

Celsius, methane hydrates occur starting at depths of

around 500 metres.

Surprisingly, there is no methane hydrate in the

deepest ocean regions, the areas with the highest pres-

sures, because there is very little methane available here.

The reason for this is because methane in the ocean is

produced by microbes within the sea floor that break

down organic matter that sinks down from the sunlit

zone near the surface.

Organic matter is co mposed, for example, of the re -

mains of dead algae and animals, as well as their excre-

ments. In the deepest areas of the ocean, below around

2000 to 3000 metres, only a very small amount of

organic remains reach the bottom because most of them

are broken down by other organisms on their way down

through the water column. As a rule of thumb, it can be

said that only around 1 per cent of the organic material

produced at the surface actually ends up in the deep sea.

The deeper the sea floor is, the less organic matter settles

on the bottom. Methane hydrates therefore primarily

occur on the continental slopes, those areas where the

Climate change impacts on methane hydrates

> Huge amounts of me t h ane are stored a r ound the world i n the sea floor i n

the form of solid methane hydrates. These hydrates represent a large energy reserve for humanity.

Climate warming, however, could cause the hydrates to destabilize. The methane, a potent green-

house gas, would escape unused into the atmosphere and could even accelerate climate change.

2.16 > Methane

hydrate looks like a

piece of ice when it is

brought up from the

sea floor. This lump

was retrieved during

an expedition to the

“hydrate ridge” off

the coast of Oregon

in the US.

How climate change alters ocean chemistry <

continental plates meet the deep-sea regions. Here there

is sufficient organic matter accumulating on the bottom

and the combination of temperature and pressure is

favourable. In very cold regions like the Arctic, methane

hydrates even occur on the shallow continental shelf

(less than 200 metres of water depth) or on the land in

permafrost, the deep-frozen Arctic soil that does not

even thaw in the summer.

It is estimated that there could be more potential fossil

fuel contained in the methane hydrates than in the

classic coal, oil and natural gas reserves. Depending on

the mathematical model employed, present calculations

of their abundance range between 100 and 530,000 giga-

tons of carbon. Values between 1000 and 5000 gigatons

are most likely. That is around 100 to 500 times as much

carbon as is released into the atmosphere annually by

the burning of coal, oil and gas. Their possible future

excavation would presumably only produce a portion of

this as actual usable fuel, because many deposits are

inaccessible, or the production would be too expensive

or require too much effort. Even so, India, Japan, Korea

and other countries are presently engaged in the devel-

opment of mining techniques in order to be able to use

methane hydrates as a source of energy in the future

(Chapter 7).

Methane hydrates and global warming

Considering that methane hydrates only form under very

specific conditions, it is conceivable that global warming,

which as a matter of fact includes warming of the oceans,

could affect the stability of gas hydrates.

There are indications in the history of the Earth sug-

gesting that climatic changes in the past could have led

to the destabilization of methane hydrates and thus to

the release of methane. These indications – including

measurements of the methane content in ice cores, for

instance – are still controversial. Yet be this as it may, the

issue is highly topical and is of particular interest to

scientists concerned with predicting the possible impacts

2.17 > Methane

hydrate occurs in

all of the oceans as

well as on land. The

green dots show

occurrences in the

northern permafrost

regions. Occurrences

identified by geo-

physical methods are

indicated by red. The

occurrences shown

by blue dots were

verified by direct

sampling.

2.18 > In hydrates,

the gas (large ball)

is enclosed in a cage

formed by water

molecules. Scientists

call this kind of

molecular arrange-

ment a clathrate.

> Chapter 02

of a temperature increase on the present deposits of

methane hydrate.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, around 20 times

more effective per molecule than carbon dioxide. An

increased release from the ocean into the atmosphere

could further intensify the greenhouse effect. Investiga-

tions of methane hydrates stability in dependance of tem-

perature fluctuations, as well as of methane behaviour

after it is released, are therefore urgently needed.

Various methods are employed to predict the future

development. These include, in particular, mathematic

modelling. Computer models first calculate the hypo-

thetical amount of methane hydrates in the sea floor

using background data (organic content, pressure, tem-

perature). Then the computer simulates the warming of

the seawater, for instance, by 3 or 5 degrees Celsius per

100 years. In this way it is possible to determine how the

methane hydrate will behave in different regions. Calcu-

lations of methane hydrate deposits can than be coupled

with complex mathematical climate and ocean models.

With these computer models we get a broad idea of how

strongly the methane hydrates would break down under

the various scenarios of temperature increase. Today it is

assumed that in the worst case, with a steady warming

of the ocean of 3 degrees Celsius, around 85 per cent of

the methane trapped in the sea floor could be released

into the water column.

Other, more sensitive models predict that methane

hydrates at great water depths are not threatened by

warming. According to these models, only the methane

hydrates that are located directly at the boundaries of the

stability zones would be primarily affected. At these

locations, a temperature increase of only 1 degree Celsius

would be sufficient to release large amounts of methane

from the hydrates. The methane hydrates in the open

ocean at around 500 metres of water depth, and deposits

in the shallow regions of the Arctic would mainly be

affected.

In the course of the Earth’s warming, it is also expected

that sea level will rise due to melting of the polar ice caps

and glacial ice. This inevitably results in greater pressure

at the sea floor. The increase in pressure, however, would

not be sufficient to counteract the effect of increasing

temperature to dissolve the methane hydrates. Accor-

ding to the latest calculations, a sea-level rise of ten

metres could slow down the methane-hydrate dissoluti-

on caused by a warming of one degree Celsius only by a

few decades.

A wide variety of mathematical models are used to

predict the consequences of global warming. The results

of the simulations are likewise very variable. It is there-

fore difficult to precisely evaluate the consequences of

global warming for the gas hydrate deposits, not least of

all because of the large differences in the calculations of

the size of the present-day gas hydrate deposits. One

major goal of the current gas hydrate research is to

optimize these models by using ever more precise input

parameters. In order to achieve this, further measure-

ments, expeditions, drilling and analyses are essential.

Drill hole in

400 m

water depths

100 m 1000 m

Zone of

ga s hydrate

s t ab ility

Zone of

ga s hydrate

s t ab ility

100 m

400 m

770 m

1000 m

1600 m

Temperature in degrees Celsius

–5 5 10 15 20 250

Dept h

in metre s

500

1000

1500

2000

Gas hydrates = unstable

Gas hydrates = stable

2.19 > Gas hydrates occur when sufficient methane is produced by organic matter degrada-

tion in the sea floor under low temperature and high pressure conditions. These conditions

occur predominantly on the continental margins. The warmer the water, the larger the water

depths must be to form the hydrate. Deep inside he sea floor, however, the temperature is

too high for the formation of methane hydrates because of the Earth’s internal heat.

Oxidation

Many bacteria use

methane to provide

energy for their meta-

bolism. They take up

methane and trans-

form it chemically.

In this process the

methane releases

electrons and is thus

oxidized. Some bacte-

ria break the methane

down with the help of

oxygen. This is called

aerobic oxidation.

Other bacteria do not

need oxygen. This

kind of oxidation is

called anaerobic.

How climate change alters ocean chemistry <

What happens when methane hydrate melts?

Not all the methane that is released from unstable

methane hydrates ends up in the atmosphere. The great-

est portion is likely to be broken down during its rise

through the sediments and in the water column. This

decomposition is mediated by two biological processes:

• anaerobic oxidation of methane by bacteria and

archaea (formerly called archaebacteria) within the

sea floor;

• aerobicoxidationofmethanebybacteriainthewater

column.

During anaerobic oxidation of methane in the sediment

the microbes use sulphate (SO

2–

), the salt of sulphuric

acid that is present in large quantities in sea water, for

the methane decomposition. In this process methane is

converted to bicarbonate (HCO

–

). If the bicarbonate

reacts further with calcium ions (Ca

) in the seawater,

calcium carbonate (CaCO

) precipitates, which remains

stored in the sea floor over long periods of time. That

would be the ideal situation, because it would make the

potent greenhouse gas methane (CH

) harmless. At the

same time, hydrogen sulphide (H

S) is produced from

the sulphate, which provides energy to chemosynthetic

communities, including symbiotic clams and tube-

worms. During aerobic oxidation in the water column,

however, bacteria break down methane with the help of

oxygen (O

). In this process, carbon dioxide is produced,

which dissolves in the water. Carbon dioxide contributes

to ocean acidification. Furthermore, aerobic oxidation of

methane consumes oxygen. The depletion of oxygen in

the water column could create or expand oxygen mini-

mum zones in the ocean, which are a threat for fishes

and other sensitive organisms. Rough estimates suggest

that anaerobic and aerobic oxidation of methane together

currently convert around 90 per cent of the methane pro-

duced in the sea floor before it can reach the atmosphere.

The more slowly methane migrates through the sea floor

or through the water column, the more effective the

microbes are in converting it.

A prerequisite for this kind of degradation is that the

methane molecules are dissolved in water. Methane can

only be degraded by the bacteria in this form. If the

methane is released rapidly from the hydrates, it could

rise in the form of gas bubbles that are not accessible by

microorganisms. The microbial methane filter would

thus fail, at least in part, if the methane hydrates break

down very rapidly and large quantities of methane are

released at once.

There is also a problem at shallow water depths, where

the methane bubbles cannot completely dissolve in the

water over the short distance from the sea floor to the

atmosphere. In order to better understand such processes

and to be able to make predictions about the functions of

the microbial filters, researchers are currently investi-

gating natural methane sources on the sea floor, so-called

Bacteria convert methane

Methane (CH

) in the ocean is to a large extend consumed by microorgan-

isms. During anaerobic decay within the sea floor, microbes convert methane

with the help of sulphate (SO

2–

). This process produces hydrogen sulphide

anions (HS

–

) and hydrogen sulphide (H

S), which are closely related chemi-

cally and occur naturally together, as well as bicarbonate (CaCO

). Bicarbo-

nate can react with calcium ions (Ca

) to precipitate as calcium carbonate

(CaCO

). During aerobic decay (in the water column) oxygen (O

) from the

water is consumed. Carbon dioxide (CO

) and water (H

O) are produced. If

large amounts of methane are released in the future from the gas hydrates

in the sea floor, aerobic decay could result in the creation of oxygen mini-

mum zones. The carbon dioxide produced could also contribute to ocean

acidification.

Atmosphere

Water column

Sea floor

Anaerobic methane oxidation

HCO

–

+ HS

–

+ H

OCH

+ SO

–

Aerobic methane oxidation

+ 2H

OCH

+ 2O

CaCO

> Chapter 02

cold seeps, which constantly release larger quantities of

methane. These include near-surface gas hydrate depo-

sits, mud volcanoes, and natural-gas seeps in shallow

marine regions. These seeps are a kind of natural model

where the behaviour of methane in the ocean can be

studied. If we understand how nature reacts to these

methane seeps at the sea floor, it will help us to estimate

the consequences of larger methane releases from gas

hydrates. The data obtained at the methane seeps should

also help to improve the precision of mathematical

methane hydrate simulations.

The disappearance of methane hydrates could have

fatal consequences. Gas hydrates act like a cement that

fills the pores between the fine sediment particles and

stabilizes the sea floor. If the methane hydrates decom-

pose, the stability of the sea floor is reduced due to the

missing cement and the possible generation of excess

pore pressure. In the worst case, large parts of continen-

tal margins fail. The resulting submarine landslides might

cause severe tsunamis.

Massive mass movements occurred during the last ice

age and the following deglaciation. The trigger was prob-

ably not always warming of the atmosphere, but also the

opposite. Because large quantities of water were stored

in the ice during the last ice age, sea level was around

120 metres lower than it is today. Especially in the shal-

low ocean regions, the water pressure was so low that

massive amounts of methane hydrate could have been

destabilized. Direct evidences for such slope failures

caused by decomposing gas hydrates have not yet been

found. There are, however, some indications suggesting

a process in the past. Signs of seeping fluids are almost

2.20 > Large quantities of methane hydrate are stored not only

in the sea floor, but also on land, especially in the perpetually

frozen permafrost ground of the Russian tundra, such as here

in the Russian republic of Komi. Scientists are concerned that

the permafrost soils could melt due to global warming and

thus release the methane hydrates.

How climate change alters ocean chemistry <

Conclusion

Material fluxes – getting the full picture

The chemical and geochemical processes in the

ocean are complex. Explaining them in their entire-

ty will be a challenge for decades. There is clear

evidence of global changes, such as the decrease in

oxygen levels and acidification in the oceans. So far,

however, our knowledge is not sufficient to say

with certainty or in detail what impact climate

change will have and how it will affect various

parameters in the future.

It is certain that disturbances caused by climate

change can have very serious consequences,

because the chemical and geochemical material

fluxes amount to many billions of tons. The amount

of methane hydrate bound up in the sea floor alone

is gigantic. If it is released and the methane rises

into the atmosphere, it will have a significant impact

on the development of future climate. Investiga tions

of the chemical and geochemical processes are

therefore of enormous importance if we want to

learn what to expect and how humanity can respond

to it.

Analyses of the CO

cycle reveal how the CO

reservoirs of the atmosphere, land biomass and

ocean interact. The oceans are buffering increas-

ing concentrations of atmospheric trace gases. But

these processes and reaching a new CO

equilibri-

um will take millennia. Natural processes therefore

cannot keep up with the speed at which humans

continue to discharge CO

and other climate-rele-

vant trace gases into the air. The only solution is to

save energy and significantly reduce greenhouse

gas emissions.

always found in the vicinity of slope failures. These

slopes were possibly destabilized by gases released by

decomposing gas hydrates and liquids. Researchers also,

however, definitely see the possibility of a reverse rela-

tionship: it is conceivable that slope failures and the

resulting reduction in pressure on underlying sediments

caused the dissociation of methane hydrates at the conti-

nental margins, thereby releasing large amounts of free

gas. The slumps would have been the cause rather than

the result of gas escape. These uncertainties highlight

the need for further research. It is, however, fairly cer-

tain that the disappearance of methane hydrates could

lead to serious problems.

Methane emissions from the Arctic – a prime

focus of future gas hydrate research

In the field of methane emission research today, the

Arctic is one of the most important regions worldwide. It

is believed that methane occurs there both in the form of

gas hydrate in the sea and as free gas trapped in the

deep-frozen permafrost. Methane deposits in permafrost

and hydrates are considered to be very sensitive in the

expansive shallow-shelf regions, because with the rela-

tively low pressures it would only take a small tempera-

ture change to release large amounts of methane. In addi-

tion, new methane is continuously being produced

because the Arctic regions are rich in organic material

that is decomposed by microbes in the sediment. The

activity of these microbes and thus the biological release

rates of methane are also stimulated by increases in tem-

perature. Hence methane emissions in the Arctic have

multiple sources. International scientific consortia are

now being established involving researchers from vari-

ous disciplines – chemists, biologists, geologists, geophy-

sicists, meteorologists – which are intensively addres-

sing this problem. No one can yet say with certainty how

the methane release in the Arctic will develop with glo-

bal warming, either in the ocean or on the land. This

research is still in its in fancy.

pp. 26–27: Steve Gschmeissner/Science Photo Library/Agentur Focus,

Fig. 2.1: after IPCC (2007), Fig. 2.2: dpa Picture-Alliance/DB Philipp Assmy/

Awi, Fig. 2.3: Stephan Köhler/Zoonar, Fig. 2.4: after Sabine et al. (2004),

Fig. 2.5: Nicolai, IFM-GEOMAR, Fig. 2.6: top: Martin Hartley/eyevine/

interTOPICS; left: mauritius images; mid: Carmen Jaspersen/picture- alliance/

dpa; right: Cliff Leight/Aurora Photos, Fig. 2.7: Fine und Tchernov (2007); Foto:

Avinoam Briestien, Fig. 2.8: after Gutowska et al. (2008), Fig. 2.9: Steve

Gschmeissner/Science Photo Library/Agentur Focus, Fig. 2.10: Reprinted by

permission from Macmillan Publishers Ltd: Nature Publishing Group,

U. Riebesell et al., Nature 407, 2000, Fig. 2.11: Mike Watson Images Limited/

Getty Images, Fig. 2.12: Hall-Spencer et al. (2008), Fig. 2.13: after Vaquer-Sunyer

und Duarte (2008), Fig. 2.14: maribus, Fig. 2.15: after Keeling et al. (2010),

Fig. 2.16: dpa Picture-Alliance/MARUM, Fig. 2.17: after Kvenvolden und

Lorenson (1993), Fig. 2.18: maribus, Fig. 2.19: after IFM-GEOMAR, Fig. p. 51:

after Treude, IFM-GEOMAR, Fig. 2.20: imago/ITAR-TASS

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