Phytoplankton, the food of tiny krill, a key element in the food web of the southern oceans, will be equally
affected by acidification.
«The obvious solution to the potential threats
posed by acidification,» the authors say, «is to make rapid and substantial cuts to anthropogenic CO2 emissions.»
But overall, the fatty acid composition in the body of the crustacean is affected
negatively by acidification and rising water temperatures.
Rapid advances since then could help scientists peer more deeply into the atomic structure of the water as policymakers search for local and global solutions to the overwhelming problems
caused by acidification.
Langdon & Atkinson's compiled data is a clear indication that coral will be severely
impacted by acidification; this is a serious cause for concern.
«You could perhaps use it to identify regions that, based on the satellite data, might be places that are seasonally
threatened by acidification,» Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution chemist Scott Doney, who was not involved with the research, said.