New experimental results refute a decade of research suggesting that increased ocean acidification—the process by which increasingly available atmospheric carbon dioxide is absorbed by the ocean, lowering its pH—alters the behavior of coral reef fish, researchers reported today in Nature.
The researchers saw no significant difference in the animals’ behavior in several different laboratory-based tests in water with varying pH.
Many studies published over the last 10 years reported that when the pH of seawater in the lab goes down to levels that match future predictions, coral reef fish behave differently.
Specifically, rather than avoid areas where chemical signals indicate a predator’s presence, the fish would gravitate toward these areas.
Acidification also changes their activity levels and their preference for turning right or left to avoid an obstacle in their path.
“The initial results being published in this field were incredible from a biological perspective. The magnitude of the effect of ocean acidification (elevated CO2) on fish behavior was huge,” Timothy Clark, a biologist at Deakin University and the lead author of the latest study, tells The Scientist in an email. “Yet there had been no attempt by independent research groups to replicate these profound findings.
So the team set out to replicate the findings and possibly investigate their physiological bases using more than 900 individual fish from six species over three years.
The fish, which came from the northern portion of the Great Barrier Reef or an Australian aquarium, were acclimated to different levels of acidification for four days or more and then exposed to a behavioral cue—such as an obstacle to swim around or chemicals that signal that a predator is near.
The scientists didn’t record any substantial differences in the ways the fish responded to their environments based on altered pH and concluded that ocean acidification has negligible effects on the behavior of coral reef fish.
As a part of this project, the scientists published standardized methods for studying how fish respond to chemical cues in 2017.
They say one of the main challenges of conducting the new experiments was a lack of consistent and effective methodology reported by previous groups. In an effort to emphasize transparency, the team filmed all of their behavioral observations.
Read rest at The Scientist
I believe the ocean’s “acid” level pH is around 8.2. That is NOT acidic; it is still way into the Alkaline area, which starts at anything above 7.00 Please don’t use “acidification” when trying to refute the bogus CAGW nonsense. It is a term the alarmists use, and using it will mislead readers.
Interesting what happens when scientists use the previously widely accepted scientific method they find that alarmists “studies” sint support their findings. Who is surprised!?
Just like the studies claiming 97% consensus, you can bet that the first study was rigged to come to the desired politically motivated conclusions. Also notice that the fish were not exposed to the current pH levels, but those that are predicted. Considering the accuracy of climate change predictions, you can bet the oceans pH will not reach these predicted levels.
The entire claim of acidification is perhaps the worst fraud in scientific history. The NOAA researchers picked 1988, the year that the oceans were the furthest away from being acid, as their based line. This guaranteed that any year compared to this base line would be closer to acid.
Yes Tom, the ocean is not and never will be acid. However, the term “acid” supports the alarmist’s view better than “less basic.”