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pH change in the Ocean

The increasing acidity of the world's oceans -- and that acidity's growing threat to marine species -- are definitive proof that the atmospheric carbon dioxide that is causing climate change is also negatively affecting the marine environment, says Antarctic marine biologist Jim McClintock, Ph.D., professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Biology.

"The oceans are a sink for the carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere," says McClintock, who has spent more than two decades researching the marine species off the coast of Antarctica. Carbon dioxide is absorbed by oceans, and through a chemical process hydrogen ions are released to make seawater more acidic.  "Existing data points to consistently increasing oceanic acidity, and that is a direct result of increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere; it is incontrovertible," McClintock says. "The ramifications for many of the organisms that call the water home are profound."

A substance's level of acidity is measured by its pH value; the lower the pH value, the more acidic is the substance. McClintock says data collected since the pre-industrial age indicates the mean surface pH of the oceans has declined from 8.2 to 8.1 units with another 0.4 unit decline possible by century's end. A single whole pH unit drop would make ocean waters 10 times more acidic, which could rob many marine organisms of their ability to produce protective shells -- and tip the balance of marine food chains.  (ScienceDaily (Feb. 5, 2010))

A Preliminary Climate Change Investigation

A Candle in the Wind: A Preliminary Climate Change Investigation

We will be burning a small candle in a closed container and initially measuring CO₂.  Your task (should you choose to accept it-though for a grade greater than zero we hope you do) is to do prior research on what is wax and what chemical reaction takes place when it is burned.  The question to be investigated is, “does the burning of the candle change the carbon dioxide amount of the air.”  From this question formulate a hypothesis prior to doing the investigation.

Procedure: 

1.            Connect a CO₂ sensor to channel 1 of a labpro or CBL2. 

2.            Open easydata on your TI-84+, you will be using the default time-            graph setting of 600 s. 

3.            Put a small amount of peanut butter on a glass slide to hold the             birthday candle and put it on top of a 400 ml beaker on the floor or fireproof lab station. 

4.            Tape a Vernier CO₂ sensor to the inside of the bucket pointing  toward the bottom of the bucket. 

5.            Start the data collection and wait 30 s before lighting the candle.  Once the candle is lit very carefully put the bucket over the  candle/beaker setup.

6.            When data collection  is complete, remove the bucket from the  candle and make a note if the candle is still burning or not.

7.              Transfer your data to your computer and import it into the graphing program of your choice.

Extension:  Choose one other parameter to measure.  Formulate a new hypothesis based on this parameter.  Follow the above procedure except with a different sensor (if it is needed)

Lab Report:  See Lab Report handout and explanation

Dead Zone Activity

Hypoxia: An Inquiry into its Causes

I.  Preliminary Procedures

            A.            Clean the aquarium with only water

B.            Make sure the aquarium does not leak

C.            From the pond or the channel put exactly 15 liters of water in the aquarium (or fill it about ¼ full).

D.            Measure and record the Dissolved Oxygen level: Record in notebook

II.            Problem Statement:  Drive the dissolved oxygen level as low as possible using the following procedures.

            A.            The last day and last measurement of this inquiry is 11/30/10

            B.            You can add only 5 grams of material each day (approved by instructor), but you don’t have to add anything.  If you don’t add any material for a day it can carry over until another day with accumulation of up to 25 grams allowed, no more than this.            Anything you add must be researched and justified. 

            C.            Weekends and Holidays do not count for material being added

            D.            Everything you do must be recorded in your journal

            E.            Before you start adding any materials to the water, the planning stage from III. C below.  This needs to be clearly stated before you begin your project.

F.            Must keep aquarium covered if students use lamps to shine on the water to prevent evaporation.  This lamp must be on a timer to simulate the sun.

III.            Procedure and basis for paper and presentation

            A.            Introduction (Background information on oxygen depletion in freshwater)

            B.            Problem Statement

            C.            Planning

Hypothesis, Experimental Design and setup, write up a method for data collection

            D.            Carrying out the above Plan

            E.            Organizing the Data

            F.            Communicating the Results

                        1.            Paper Due on 12/2

                        2.              Presentations start on 12/3

                       

Climate Prediction for Michigan and the Great Lakes Grant

Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources & Environment

The proposed project consists of three interrelated
projects on climate change and the Great Lakes
Basin. The first two projects use global and regional
climate models to assess changes in mean climate
and weather extremes. The third project involves an
observational and modeling analysis of the
relationship between large-scale atmospheric
circulation patterns and Great Lakes water levels.
The results will provide the Michigan Department of
Natural Resources and Environment with tools to
assess the impact of climate change on Great Lakes
and Michigan water quality and habitats.

$328,047.00

Possible Contact
Office of the Great Lakes to see if they know. Try Emily Finnell at 517-241-7927.