This Tuesday my group went out to Quincy. We took a long walk to the beach and when we got there we ended up testing the water quality. I already knew a little about what to expect in "healthy" ocean water (a pH of about 8.1, 8.2) so I was not very surprised by any of the results but looking at the pH level made me curious. I know that when there is a decrease in pH (and the oceans become more acidic) it can cause ocean acidification. And I know that ocean acidification leads to the shells of animals to become weak, brittle, and then break. I got to thinking about if the pH level of the water in Quincy has changed significantly or not, and if it has are people starting to notice any changes in the mollusks along the shore.
(The pH level I found was a little difficult to read because it was based off of color and the color changed the longer the testing stick was out but I think the pH was about 8 - 8.2, which is still within the normal range).
I ended up looking online a lot this week trying to find information. Unfortunately, none of the data I found was very clear or helpful. Most of what I found was related to how sewage might affect water quality but nothing specific to pH. I'm sure, however, if I had more people than just myself searching through all the information I would be able tot find the things I want. Even though my searching was in vain, I still found it very fun to read all the data that popped up and I definitely enjoyed testing the water on Tuesday. The pH of the water in Quincy most likely has changed due to climate change but I wish there was a clearer way to find out by how much.
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