Scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Tested Marine Organisms

question 113

Multiple Choice

Scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute tested marine organisms under different levels of atmospheric CO₂, which dissolves in the ocean to form carbonic acid.They tested organisms at today's level (400 ppm) and several higher CO₂ levels.At very high levels, the shells of clams, oysters, and some snails and urchins partially dissolved.However, crustaceans, including lobsters, crabs, and prawns, appeared to build more resilient skeletons.Which of the following do these results suggest about future marine ecosystems under higher CO₂ levels (more acidic oceans) ?

• A) They will likely have large and approximately equal populations of all organisms with shells or skeletons.
• B) They may be dominated by species such as clams, oysters, and snails but have few lobsters and crabs.
• C) They may be dominated by species such as lobsters and crabs but have few clams, oysters, and snails.
• D) They will likely have almost no organisms with shells or skeletons; these organisms will go extinct.
• E) They will likely change in unpredictable ways, based on harvesting and other factors rather than on CO₂ levels.

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