Study shows acidity levels projected by the end of the
century results in behavioral changes that could impact feeding, fisheries
A new research study combining marine physiology, neuroscience,
pharmacology, and behavioral psychology has revealed a surprising outcome from
increases of carbon dioxide uptake in the oceans: anxious fish.
A growing base of scientific evidence has shown that the
absorption of human-produced carbon dioxide into the world’s oceans is causing
surface waters to decline in pH, causing a rise in acidity. This ocean
acidification is known to disrupt the growth of shells and skeletons of certain
marine animals but other consequences such as behavioral impacts have been
largely unknown.