Peer Review

[Abraham3]

I do believe that oyster larva are not carbonate fixers until they attach to a substrate.

It is good to hear that you have no disagreement with projections that CO2 levels in the atmosphere and the ocean will rise to "monstrous" levels.

 

[orogenicman]

Yes I do.. Experimental evidence says they calcify fine at high levels.

Every Marine aquarist, including yours truly knows this is not true at all.

You deny repeatable experimental evidence? Interesting.

As someone who was a marine aquarist for 19 years, I can tell you with no uncertainty that many marine organisms do not do well with abnormal increases (or decreases) in CO^2 concentrations. If they did, there would be no reason to ever be concerned about the concentrations of buffers in the system. Even fresh water organisms readily demonstrate vulnerability to changes in CO2 levels.

 

[orogenicman]

Update to NOAA study designed to kill PacWest oysters with MONSTROUS CO2 levels....

Progress Reports: Ocean acidification and emerging diseases in the Pacific Northwest | Roberts Lab

Oyster Larvae Growth and Calcification at Three Different pCO2- Experimental conditions were maintained using a flow-through seawater system in Friday Harbor, Washington, USA. Three experimental treatments were chosen to correspond with dissolved CO2 levels of 400, 700 or 1000 ppm in the atmosphere. These levels correspond to near current ambient oceanic conditions, projections for mid-century pCO2, and end-of-century, respectively (IPCC 2007).

Larval size (shell height and hinge length) was similar across experimental treatments after 24 hours, however by day 3 larvae grew significantly larger (height and length) in the Ambient and MidCO2 compared to the HighCO2 treatment. Between days 1 and 3 larvae increased in size under Ambient conditions (shell height, P < 1e-7) and MidCO2 conditions (shell height, P < 1e-7; Figure 4). Developmental rate did not vary across treatments.

Now, repeat that experiment for the tens of thousands of other species that reside in the oceans and get back to us on your results.

 

[flacaltenn]

Every Marine aquarist, including yours truly knows this is not true at all.

You deny repeatable experimental evidence? Interesting.

As someone who was a marine aquarist for 19 years, I can tell you with no uncertainty that many marine organisms do not do well with abnormal increases (or decreases) in CO^2 concentrations. If they did, there would be no reason to ever be concerned about the concentrations of buffers in the system. Even fresh water organisms readily demonstrate vulnerability to changes in CO2 levels.

Key word is "abnormal".. Most of the lifeforms being discussed as "early victims" of OA are estuary, bay, and reef populations.. Fresh water runoff in those system is at pH7 and many of those species have adapted a spawing strategy where "triggers" for mass spawning probably do depend partly on pH. But if the MEAN shifts in those systems slightly, their lives are not threatened, but COULD affect the seasonal times and frequencies of that spawning.

For deeper ocean, OA is primarily a surface phenomenom and COULD affect species that spend appreciable time in those top layers. Reviewed a paper with Abe last year about squid that SLEEP in deep acidic waters and hunt in the shallower layers. Even there, we only just learning what the metabolic and life cycle impact could even be.

The only good thing about OA science is that it has a motivated a landslide of studies on issues that have not been clearly understood.

 

[Abraham3]

however by day 3 larvae grew significantly larger (height and length) in the Ambient and MidCO2 compared to the HighCO2 treatment. Between days 1 and 3 larvae increased in size under Ambient conditions (shell height, P < 1e-7) and MidCO2 conditions (shell height, P < 1e-7

[/QUOTE]

Are you not seeing this text in your article quote?

Did you SEE THE LEVELS for the MidCO2 and HighCO2???? NOAA made them increase them to ridiculous amounts --- because the FIRST year --- they were killing anything.. When do you suppose we'll hit 1000 ppm atmos CO2??

These levels are realistic however compared to earlier hack science that used pH levels ASTRONOMICALLY higher than reflected in atmos CO2. And besides, if you go back and read the series of reports, they actually had better metrics with the year 2100 CO2 for some of the measurements.. Funny as hell, when they STARTED -- they used 250ppm to reflect the PRE-industrial CO2 levels and found TERRIBLE stunting of development... NOAA dropped that level out of their study..