Scott C. Doney talks with
ScienceWatch.com and answers a few questions about
this month's New Hot Paper in the field of
Geosciences. The author has also sent along images of his
work.
Article Title: Ocean Acidification: The Other CO2
Problem
Authors: Doney, SC;Fabry, VJ;Feely, RA;Kleypas, JA
Journal: ANNU REV MAR SCI, Volume: 1, Page: :169-192, Year:
2009
* Woods Hole Oceanog Inst, Woods Hole, MA 02543 USA.
* Woods Hole Oceanog Inst, Woods Hole, MA 02543 USA.
* Calif State Univ, Dept Biol Sci, San Marcos, CA 92096
USA.
* NOAA, Pacific Marine Environm Lab, Seattle, WA 98115
USA.
* Natl Ctr Atmospher Res, Inst Study Soc & Environm,
Boulder, CO 80307 USA.
Why do you think your paper is highly
cited?
Over the past few years, ocean acidification has emerged rapidly as an
important issue touching broadly on many aspects of marine chemistry,
biology, and even geology. Our paper is a timely resource that provides one
of the few concise overviews of the current state of knowledge and the
scientific challenges involved.
Does it describe a new discovery, methodology, or
synthesis of knowledge?
The paper is a synthesis of the scientific literature, bringing together
disparate information on topics ranging from observed changes in seawater
chemistry over the past several decades to laboratory and field studies
that measure how organisms respond to elevated carbon dioxide
(CO2) levels.
Would you summarize the significance of your paper
in layman's terms?
Scott Doney collecting a water sample on the NOAA R/V
Ronald H. Brown in the South Atlantic as part of a global
survey of ocean carbon distributions.
When we burn fossil fuels for energy, CO2 gas is released into
the atmosphere. Some of this anthropogenic CO2 dissolves in the
ocean, where it changes seawater chemistry in several ways, including
increasing acidity.
Ocean acidification appears to slow calcium carbonate shell and skeleton
growth by many plants and animals; on the other hand, elevated
CO2 levels may increase the growth rates of some photosynthetic
organisms.
At present, the ability of marine life to acclimate and adapt to these
increasing levels of CO2 is unclear, as is the overall impact on
marine ecosystems.
How did you become involved in this research, and
were there any problems along the way?
My background is in ocean tracer chemistry and numerical modeling, and for
a number of years I have worked to quantify oceanic uptake of anthropogenic
CO2.
My coauthors are pioneers in assessing biological responses to ocean
acidification, in particular for coral reefs and pteropods—small
planktonic marine mollusks. Their passion for their research helped draw me
to study not just how seawater chemistry is changing but how these changes
may alter marine ecosystems.
Where do you see your research leading in the
future?
I am fascinated by several unresolved questions: how will rising
CO2 (and falling dissolved oxygen, a result of climate warming)
affect marine microbes and ocean biogeochemistry?
Could oceanic acidification alter marine food-webs, especially in polar
latitudes and coastal upwelling regions where surface waters may become
corrosive for some carbonate minerals in the near future?
What are the possible social and economic consequences of ocean
acidification for coastal and island communities and nations, and are there
practical adaptation strategies?
Do you foresee any social or political
implications for your research?
Ocean acidification has the potential to negatively impact the marine
fisheries, aquaculture, and coral reefs that many people depend upon for
food and economic well-being. Better scientific understanding is needed to
provide improved information for worldwide decision-makers.
Scott C. Doney, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist
Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Woods Hole, MA, USA Web
Why do you think your paper is highly
cited?
