Comments:NOAA says Earth's oceans becoming more acidic
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Well, then no more hanging 10 in 2050. --TUFKAAP (talk) 01:24, 24 May 2008 (UTC)
Algae are the mechanism to convert excess CO2 to O2 to lower the pH of the ocean. The algae need phosphorous. Algae Biomass formula is C106 H152 O53 N16 P producing 106 02 in the process. Plant nutrition requires other trace minerals sulphur, calcium, potassium, magnesium, silicon, iron and manganese and nitrogen that is fixed from the air.
In the normal course of event - pre-over fishing - algae and plant matter is eaten by the fish or drop to the bottom where it decomposes releasing the minerals. The fish excretion and decomposition minerals and also return the minerals to the water.
With (over) fishing, the minerals (trace quantities) are removed. The catalytic and nutritional needs of the food plants are not met and the algae and other vegetable matter in the ocean do not do their jobs of conversion of the CO2 to O2.
Commercial fishing basically tracks with the industrial revolution. So the rise in CO2 might be a result of the disruption of the capacity of the ocean to process CO2 to O2. Reseeding the ocean or regulation of the fishing fleets are two possible scenarios to reverse the high CO2 levels and reduce the acid level in the ocean.
Frank Campi —Preceding unsigned comment added by Nypasta (talk • contribs) 13:33, 24 May 2008 (UTC)