Oceanography (Mar 2012)
BOOK REVIEW | Ocean Acidification
Abstract
This new book edited by Jean-Pierre Gattuso and Lina Hansson is a timely, interdisciplinary look at the phenomenon of ocean acidification, which refers broadly to changes in seawater chemistry caused by rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and the resulting effects on marine life and biogeochemistry. Atmospheric CO2 has increased almost 40% above pre-industrial levels, and the ocean removes roughly a quarter of current human CO2 emissions, driven mostly by the burning of fossil fuels. The topic of ocean acidification was brought to wide attention of the research community only recently with the publication of an influential Royal Society report in 2005. Since then, the scientific literature on acidification has virtually exploded, and targeted national and international research programs are blossoming. While many useful review articles, planning documents, and special volumes exist on the subject, a good example being the Oceanography special issue on "The Future of Ocean Biogeochemistry in a High CO2 World" (volume 22[4], December 2009, http://www.tos.org/oceanography/archive/22-4.html), until the publication of this book, the community lacked a single, authoritative source spanning the full disciplinary breadth of the topic.
