The world’s leading scientists in ocean acidification have released an open communiqué stating the issue is an urgent scientific and policy challenge.

The communiqué featured the deliberations of world experts at the ‘Ocean Acidification: Australian Impacts in the Global Context’ workshop sponsored by the Australian Department of Climate Change, held in June in Hobart by the Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre (ACE CRC).

Dr Will Howard from the ACE CRC and CSIRO's Dr Bronte Tilbrook released the communiqué on 5 August 2008, on behalf of the top-callibre participants of the workshop.

Key points in the communiqué are that:

• the uptake of carbon dioxide emissions by the ocean is occurring at a rate exceeding the natural buffering capacity of the ocean.
• the current trajectory of carbon emissions will cause a change in ocean acidity, during this century, that is greater in extent than anything likely to have occurred for millions of years.
• Acidification due to ocean uptake of carbon dioxide is likely to have serious consequences for marine ecosystems and biodiversity in our region over this century.

“Ocean acidification is unique among human impacts on the marine environment in its pervasiveness and persistence" the document says, “requiring heightened awareness and dialogue among scientists, policymakers, and the public.”

The communiqué follows the release of the ACE CRC’s detailed Position Analysis on ocean acidification, released during the workshop.

The communiqué and the position analysis are available online.