New Research

The ever-changing oceans have a rise of acidification occurring, which may propose a threat to many of the earth’s animals. The question many scientists are now asking is “Will the earths animals, especially oceanic, be able to survive these increases in ocean acidification?” While a tough topic to give a definitive answer, the problem occurring is proposing a threat to all animals, not just the ones in the ocean. While a definite threat, evolution tells us that it is possible to overcome such situations but it’s a matter of how fast they can adapt. At the University of California Santa Barbara, they have begun research on sea urchins to try and see fi they can adapt and survive in waters with higher acidity levels. They did specific research on the larvae of the sea urchins as well as fully-grown to compare the different tolerances and adaptations of them. As the urchin larvae’s grew in the higher acid water, researchers found that they developed smaller body sizes, which they can relate to the acid. This showed that something in the genetic makeup of the urchins, there is a tolerance for higher acidity. While this showed promise for certain species, they are not certain if it will apply for a majority of the oceans creatures. They believe that most can adapt but that most creatures will adapt too slow which can cause mass extinction of that animal. While it is interesting to view these tests, only time will tell which creatures will survive this difficult evolutionary segment.

http://www.popsci.com/article/science/can-marine-life-survive-more-acid-oceans-0