Marine animals are losing their shells

Acidic oceans are dissolving the shells of marine organisms, making these creatures unable to resist predators.

This state will get worse when the acidity levels in the oceans are projected to triple. This phenomenon may be a potential disaster for food chains.

Shells of marine organisms are being dissolved by global warming - causing these organisms to lose their defenses against enemies, according to a new study.

The waters around Antarctica are becoming increasingly acidic due to the increased concentration of carbon dioxide and seawater that are eroding the protective outer layer of sea snails.

The situation is worst in the polar region because it dissolves in cold water.

One risk is that acidic water will corrode the outer protective layer of the winged animals, also known as sea butterflies.

What's worse will happen when the average acidity of oceans across our planet is expected to triple the first time in 20 million years.

Scientists scanned shells collected from the mollusks on the surface of the Southern Ocean (Southern Ocean) under a microscope and found organisms from acidic areas most have been dissolved on their entire length.

They blamed the phenomenon on deep-water mixing, which is rich in carbon dioxide with surface water being affected by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Dr. Geraint Tarling, of the British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, said: "The impact of ocean acidification has occurred in ocean populations for a long time ." As a result of the lack of shells, winged animals will not be able to resist predators, scientists say this could have serious consequences for the food chain.

The regional decline of the arterial fauna populations may occur earlier than the current forecast in the Southern Ocean.

Marine geology professor Justin Ries, University of North Carolina reviewed the results published in Nature Geoscience.

He said: Despite its small size, the arthropods are an important source of food for predators at many levels of the food chain, including zooplankton, herring, salmon and seabirds. and even whales.

Without shells, winged animals will lose their defenses against predators, which could cause their populations to collapse and predators.

The acidification of the oceans will also reduce the ability of other shelled molluscs to create protective shells, including conch.

Scientists also argue that this phenomenon may also affect corals and cause disastrous consequences. The decline in the mass of the winged animals is also thought to be capable of breaking the global carbon cycle. .

Tests show that shellfish such as mussels, conch and snail will also be at high risk.

Ries said field and laboratory experiments show that ocean acidification will reduce the ability of corals, shellfish, urchins and calcium-containing algae to build shells.

He said that the corrosiveness of the South Ocean's cephalopods in this study has not "triggered" a "butterfly effect" - the small idea changes in the initial conditions of the system, such as the flapping of butterflies, can trigger a large-scale change in that system.

But he added: "However, research shows that the dual effects of ocean acidification and global warming make the phenomenon more and more ominous."