Citation
(2009), "£11 million study to protects British seas from climate change", International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, Vol. 1 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijccsm.2009.41401dab.001
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2009, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
£11 million study to protects British seas from climate change
Article Type: News From: International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, Volume 1, Issue 4
The UK-agency Defra and the Natural Environment Research Council have announced funding for a five-year, £11 million study into the effects of climate change on Britain's seas, as scientists increasingly highlight the risks of more acidic seas to the food chain. Ocean acidity, caused by increased amounts of carbon dioxide (Co2) in the sea, has risen 30 per cent in the last 200 years, faster than any time in the last 65 million years, with serious implications for sea life and climate change. The sea absorbs Co2 in the atmosphere but over time as emissions have increased it has become more acidic, which means not only will it absorb less Co2 in the future but also that corals, plankton, shellfish and other vital links in the food chain will be under threat. This new programme will focus on the North East Atlantic, Antarctic and Arctic oceans and study the effects of acidification on biodiversity, habitats, species and wider socio-economic implications.