L14 : TROUBLE IN PARADISE: Can recycling shells help buffer the effects of Ocean Acidification?


Students Isabella O'Brien
School HWCD - St. Augustine - Dundas
Level Junior 7/8 - Grade 7
Group Group 1 - Earth and Environmental
Abstract The purpose was to explore whether the environmental impact of ocean acidification [caused by CO2 emissions] could be reduced through the recycling of shell waste to the ocean in powdered form. The experiment investigated if calcium carbonate in shell powder could act as a buffer against the effects of ocean acidification by stabilizing pH levels and slowing the deterioration of the shells of calcifying organisms.