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Impact of Fossil Fuel Combustion on the Carbon Cycle and Marine Ecosystems

The combustion of fossil fuels has disrupted the natural balance of the carbon cycle, leading to a rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. This increase in CO2 is causing ocean acidification, sea level rise, severe storms, and changing agricultural patterns. Marine organisms, such as diatoms, are being affected, with unknown consequences on their ability to fix carbon and implications for climate change.

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Impact of Fossil Fuel Combustion on the Carbon Cycle and Marine Ecosystems

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  1. Oceans Fossil Fuel Combustion Terrestrial Plants Fires Algae /Aquatic Plants Millions of years of heat and pressure Fossil Fuels Decomposition/Respiration

  2. Photosynthetic plants and algae remove carbon dioxide from the air and combine it with water to build sugar molecules and oxygen molecules. concentration remains fairly stable. When organisms decompose, the reaction is reversed. Carbon dioxide is re-emitted into the air. the atmospheric carbon dioxide In a natural system, growth and decomposition balance one another and CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 C6 H12O6 H2O H2O H2O O2 O2 O2O2 H2O H2O O2 O2 CO2 CO2 H2O H2O H2O H2O CO2 CO2 H2O Terrestrial Plants H2O CO2 H2O CO2 Algae /Aquatic Plants Decomposition/Respiration

  3. In a natural system, growth and decomposition balance one another and the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration remains fairly stable. CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 C6 H12O6 H2O H2O H2O O2 O2 O2O2 H2O H2O O2 O2 CO2 CO2 H2O H2O H2O H2O CO2 CO2 H2O Terrestrial Plants H2O CO2 H2O CO2 Algae /Aquatic Plants Decaying Organic Matter Decomposition/Respiration

  4. CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2CO2CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 280 ppm 400 ppm Fossil Fuel Combustion Pre-Industrial Modern Terrestrial Plants Algae /Aquatic Plants However, modern power stations, cars, and airplanes are releasing carbon that has been stored for millions of years in fossil fuel reserves. This disrupts the natural balance of the carbon cycle. Since the Industrial Revolution, the concentration of carbon dioxide has increased from 280 ppm (parts per million) to about 400 ppm. Decomposition/Respiration

  5. Oceans Fossil Fuel Combustion Terrestrial Plants Fires Algae /Aquatic Plants Fossil Fuels Decomposition/Respiration

  6. • Ocean Acidification • Sea Level Rise • Increasingly Severe Storms and Droughts • Changing Agricultural Patterns • Migration of Tropical Diseases Poleward • Changing Ocean Circulation Patterns

  7. Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2 ) levels are rising because of fossil fuel combustion. • The oceans uptake much of this CO2 • When the CO2 dissolves, carbonic acid is formed • This acidification brings consequences for marine organisms and the system of which they are a part • Some organisms will be harmed; others may benefit

  8. • Single-celled algae • Base of the marine food web • Fix 20% of carbon globally • A portion of diatom remains sink and, over millions of years, oil is formed from them • How will increased dissolved carbon dioxide affect diatoms’ ability to fix carbon? What does this mean for climate change? Thalassiosira pseudonana

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