The pteropoda, or "sea butterfly”, is a tiny sea creature about the size of a
small pea. Pteropoda are eaten by organisms ranging in size from tiny krill
to whales. They are a major food source for the North Pacific juvenile.
Their shells are made up of calcium carbonate. The photo provided is the
shell of a pteropoda. The shell can dissolve within a 45 day period. What
can one infer about what is causing the shell of the pteropoda to
disappear while in a marine environment? *
Carbon monoxide (CO) is being released by natural systems. Oceans are absorbing
this excess of CO and the pH within the oceans is increasing.
O
B) Methane (CH4 is being released too quickly from burning of fossil fuels. Oceans
are lowering their pH and ocean acidification occurs.
are lowering
C) Natural sources are releasing an excess of CO2 to the oceans. The marine
photosynthetic organisms are emitting too much oxygen. This is return is causing
ocean acidification.
D) The excess of CO2 emitted from anthropogenic sources is being absorbed by the
oceans from the atmosphere. This results in more hydrogen ions in the ocean, which
increases acidification.