The inexorable rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide impacts not only global warming but also the acidity of the ocean. Increasing ocean acidity causes a decline in carbonate (as it is protonated), which in turn will negatively impact the ability of calcifying marine organisms to build their calcium carbonate shells. A simple set of equilibrium…

Students often experience difficulty in connecting knowledge from different college courses to solve complex problems such as ocean acidification, a pressing concern within the ongoing climate crisis. Here, we introduce a multidisciplinary activity in which students use their chemistry knowledge of change and stability in chemical systems through…

Ocean acidification refers to the process by which seawater absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, producing aqueous carbonic acid. Acidic conditions increase the solubility of calcium carbonate, threatening corals and other calcareous organisms that depend on it for protective structures. The global nature of ocean acidification and the…

The increase in ocean acidity since preindustrial times may have deleterious consequences for marine organisms, particularly those with calcareous structures. We present a laboratory experiment to investigate this impact with general, introductory, environmental, and nonmajors chemistry students. For simplicity and homogeneity, calcite was…

The amount of dissolved oxygen in the oceans in the mid-Proterozoic period has evolutionary implications since essential trace metals are redox sensitive. The findings suggest that there is global lack of oxygen in seawater.

Discusses the structure of oceanology, and the role of chemical analysis and chemists in oceanographic research and marine pollution studies. (MLH)

The chemical information instruction and environmental science which is incorporated into a first-year organic chemistry laboratory is presented. The students are charged with devised search strategies, conducting online searches and limiting the project scope to ocean systems. The laboratory serves to provide for search strategy development…

School buses present great exposure to vehicle self-pollution. Fixed nitrogen loss in oceans is attributed to anammox. Oriented attachment allows nanowire design.

Describes a chemistry laboratory activity for determining the best procedure for analyzing iodide in seaweed. (SL)

Discusses an undergraduate course which includes lectures, laboratory, and field trips and is designed for the interim winter semester. The course is interdisciplinary, involving a study of the biochemistry, pharmacology, and physiological significance of compounds from marine flora and fauna. (MLH)

Considers a few aspects of the composition and physical chemistry of seawater and of the processes affecting oxygen in the ocean. (TS)

Discusses the chemistry of marine ecosystems, particularly with regard to the Hawaiian islands. Contains 31 references. (WRM)