Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 29, 2026

Author Spotlight: Unveiling Plankton Response to Climate Change Through Time-Series Data and Artistic Expression
Published on: July 28, 2023
Trends of pH decrease in the Mediterranean Sea through high frequency observational data: indication of ocean
Susana Flecha1, Fiz F Pérez2, Jesús García-Lafuente3
1Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía, (CSIC), Polígono Río San Pedro, s/n, 11519, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
Abstract:
A significant fraction of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) released to the atmosphere is absorbed by the oceans, leading to a range of chemical changes and causing ocean acidification (OA). Assessing the impact of OA on marine ecosystems requires the accurate detection of the rate of seawater pH change. This work reports the results of nearly 3 years of continuous pH measurements in the Mediterranean Sea at the Strait of Gibraltar GIFT time series station. We document a remarkable decreasing annual trend of -0.0044 ± 0.00006 in the Mediterranean pH, which can be interpreted as an indicator of acidification in the basin based on high frequency records. Modeling pH data of the Mediterranean outflow allowed to discriminate between the pH values of its two main constituent water masses, the Levantine Intermediate Water (LIW) and the Western Mediterranean Deep Water (WMDW). Both water masses also exhibited a decline in pH with time, particularly the WMDW, which can be related to their different biogeochemical nature and processes occurring during transit time from formation sites to the Strait of Gibraltar.
More Related Videos
10:28Investigating the Relationship between Sea Surface Chlorophyll and Major Features of the South China Sea with Satellite Information
Published on: June 13, 2020
07:59A Strain Gauge Monitor SGM for Continuous Valve Gape Measurements in Bivalve Molluscs in Response to Laboratory Induced Diel-cycling Hypoxia and pH
Published on: August 1, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Marine Microbial Ecology
Deep Sea Microbial Ecology
Global Climate Change
Conservation of Declining Populations