High levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was not only to global warming, but also cause the crabs grow to be bigger, faster, and more powerful. The effects of global warming on the growth of crab was discovered by researchers Aquarium Research Center at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, USA.
When oceans absorb the greenhouse gases in large enough quantities, seawater becomes more acidic and rich in carbon. High levels of greenhouse gases that causes the emergence of superstores sized crabs. The emergence of the oversized crab is bad news for mussels fans. The mussels are a favorite food for crabs, and crab-hungry large collection of mussels can be wiped out in no time.
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| He's bigger, tougher and hungrier: Crabs like this Chesapeake blue crab are growing larger due to increased carbon levels. (Picture from: http://www.livescience.com/) |
"High levels of carbon in the oceans led to the oysters grow slower, but on the contrary, they are predators, such as blue crabs, grow more quickly," said Justin Baker Ries, a marine geologist at UNC, told the Washington Post.
Unfortunately again despite having a large size, fast growing crabs that have little meat. Scientists have long known that when the sea more acidic, shells of marine animals, from plankton to clams and oysters, will be thinner.
Now a change in the chemical composition of seawater is becoming worse than in the coastal zone in the northeastern United States. In a report published in the journal Geology in 2009, UNC researchers found that the Chesapeake blue crabs grow nearly four times faster in a tank containing water with high carbon content than low carbon crabs in the tank.
Rapidly growing crab also has a high appetite. In experiments in 2011, UNC researchers include mud crabs and oysters to the high-carbon tank. In a short time, it's with an aggressive crab oyster shells tore it open and devour its contents. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | LIVESCIENCE | KORAN TEMPO 4195]
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