Ocean Acidification And Its Effect On The Oceans

The rising carbon dioxide (CO2) from the burning of fossil fuels and other human activities continues to affect our atmosphere, resulting in global warming and climate change. This carbon dioxide is also altering the chemistry of the oceans, causing them to become more acidic. From scientists and marine resource managers, to policy and decision-makers, there is growing concern that the process called ocean acidification could have drastic consequences on marine ecosystems. Such as altering species composition, disrupting marine food webs and ecosystems and harming fishing, tourism and other human activities connected to the sea.

Ocean Acidification is a process that occurs everyday and majorly affects our planet, but most people don’t even realize it exists. Though it can technically be argued that Ocean Acidification has some benefits for the planet, most of the time the effects of this process are very poor and negatively affect the entire world around us. Human evolution has played a major role in contributing to Ocean Acidification. Whenever humans use energy we release Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere or also known as CO2. This can be in the form of burning fossil fuels from the ground or the removal of national forest by burning. CO2 is a greenhouse gas, which means whenever we can emit it in large quantities or unnatural amounts it can have negative effects on the atmosphere. These high levels of CO2 in the atmosphere result in climate change and more specifically Ocean Acidification. Ocean Acidification occurs when excess Carbon Dioxide is absorbed into the ocean. When this process takes place it can completely disturb the chemical balances of the water. For example, it can reduce pH levels, Biodiversity, and the abundance of calcifying species.

About half of that man-made CO2 has been absorbed by the oceans, increasing the concentration of carbonic acid, which has caused the oceans to become more acidic. Over the past 300 million years, ocean pH has averaged about 8.2. Today, it is around 8.1, a 25% increase in acidity over the past two centuries. That increase is projected to reach 150% by the end of this century, a rate of change not seen in 65 million years. A more acidic ocean inhibits shell growth in marine animals such as corals, crustaceans and mollusks, and disrupts entire food chains all the

This tragedy is called ocean acidification. Ocean Acidification is the rapid decrease in the pH, (pH is the measure of ocean acidity,) of the Earth's ocean, caused by its intake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This rapid increase of carbon dioxide is directly coming from the large consumption of fossil fuel that humans constantly release into the air for our own selfish reasons. As we increase the level of carbon dioxide that is being released in a short amount of time, we are letting small amounts seeps into the earth's oceans through the continual water cycle. When the carbon dioxide seeps into the oceans, it begins to turn into carbonic acid. In small amounts, carbonic acid is not seriously harmful and is usually part of the ocean

Ocean acidification is known as a significant and destructive issue of a substantial amount of carbon dioxide that enters the atmosphere and settles in the ocean. Humans are not able to see or feel this happening based on the fact its process only occurs underwater. Each day the ocean consumes twenty two million tons of carbon dioxide, which originates from burning fossil fuels and destruction of park trees. Carbon dioxide fuses with water, which then generates it to become

Ocean acidification is the process in which the ocean soaks up carbon dioxide and its pH lowers. At the current point in time, the pH in the ocean has dropped 0.1 pH. ALthough this doesn’t seem like much, since pH is logarithmic, this means that the ocean is 30% more acidic than before. This jump in acidity will literally melt the shells of oysters, and sometimes even fish. What causes ocean acidification is carbon dioxide. Normally, carbon dioxide wouldn’t be that much of a problem as the ocean has a natural buffering system. The carbon dioxide would combine with the water molecules and create a bicarbonate ion then it would gain another H+ molecule and would create a carbonic acid. This acid replaces the much needed carbonate molecules which

Ocean acidification describes how the chemistry of the ocean is changing as a result of the increase in CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. The relationship between climate change and ocean acidification is as CO2 emissions end up dissolving into the ocean it makes the ocean more acidic. In addition to making the ocean more acidic it also reduces the availability of certain ions in the sea water. One of those being the carbonate ion and that’s what corals and other organisms need to build their shells are being impacted. Climate change is affecting the growth rates of a lot of organisms for example coral, microalgae, and plankton. Corals, microalgae, and plankton grow more slowly as the oceans become more acidic that there could be important

Ocean acidification has numerous causes, but there are even more effects than there are causes. The many effects have an impact on not only marine animals but humans too. Some of these effects include issues associated with coral reefs, organisms under the sea, and human businesses. This problem that seems to be a simple issue is an important source of loss of sea creatures and income. This is the main reason that we need to control ocean acidification.The effects of ocean acidification both above and below the ocean’s surface are detrimental to the environment.

Ocean acidification means an ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth’s oceans, caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Around 30-40% of the CO2 released by humans into the atmosphere dissolves into oceans, rivers and lakes.

Our Oceans are a vital bloodline carrying humans, water, and different types of animals and plants. Now more than ever our oceans are in peril due to the disastrous effects of Ocean Acidification. According to, NOAA Director Dr. Jane Lubchenco (2016), “Ocean Acidification is often referred to as global warming’s equally evil twin” (The Osprey pg.1). Ocean Acidification is an issue that the general public knows very little about yet is just as dangerous. Our Oceans are like a gigantic beaker with a mix of different solutions but because of ocean acidification this might disturb the balance for the planet. According to, Ludwig of The Science Teacher (2015), “OA is a harmful consequence of excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and poses a threat to marine life” (p.42). The high amount of carbon dioxide creates a toxic environment for sea life. As a society, it is our duty to help restore our oceans and prevent the dangerous possibility of massive sea loss, economic downfall, and coral bleaching.

Ocean acidification can be defined as the continuous decrease of the pH of Earth’s oceans. This process occurs as a result of the rise in carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere. Due to the rapid industrialization of various countries on Earth, humans have become more accessible to energy by utilizing non-renewable resources that are derived from carbon in the ground.

Ocean acidification has recently become a big problem. Coral reefs and fish are dying, causing local economies to lose up to $375 billion every year from lack of tourism and fishing profits (Worland). Ocean acidification is caused mainly by carbon dioxide being pumped into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels. The carbon dioxide “reacts with water molecules to form carbonic acid,” thus increasing the acidity (Stone). “The ocean currently absorbs about a third of human-created CO2 emissions, roughly 22 million tons a day,” according to National Geographic. We’ve already “disposed” of 530 tons billion tons of carbon dioxide into the ocean. Because of this scientists are now studying the ocean and have thought of two possible ways to reduce acidity - geoengineering and cutting carbon emissions.

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, when humans began burning fossil fuel in large quantities, the world’s ocean water has gradually become more acidic even though this problem have only been noticed in the last decade. “Enough fossil fuels have been burned to emit more than 500 billion tons of Carbon Dioxide.” (National Geographic 2014) Of those 500 billion tons, 30% of the carbon dioxide dissolved into the oceans based on a research project that collected more than 77,000 seawater samples around the world. While this process might be beneficial for slowing down climate change, it can lead to ocean acidification, which is another global issue that’s threatening our world.

Ocean acidification is caused when the CO₂ from the air enters into the ocean and bonds with sea water creating a toxic acid called carbonic acid. Carbonic acid reduces the natural pH levels of the water which as a result has been increasing the ocean acidity by 30%. This reduces the calcium concentration in the water, making it hard for crustaceans like crabs and prawns to build their shell. This means that they are more vulnerable to predators, and we can all figure out what happens when an entire species is vulnerable to predators. Air pollution is not the only factor that causes the water to become polluted. In fact, there are many more including fertilizer that gets washed into the oceans and also oils spills. According to the Water Project, 783 million people worldwide do not have access to clean and safe water, and according to the Worldwatch Institute, approximately 450 million kilograms of pesticides U.S. farmers use every year have now contaminated almost all of the United States' streams and rivers, and the fish living in them.

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that we exhale in our daily lives. Plants use carbon dioxide to create oxygen that all mammals use. However, carbon dioxide can also change the chemistry of the ocean, this is often referred to as ocean acidification. The excess carbon dissolves into oxygen in the water, producing a chemical called carbonic acid. This acid causes the ocean to become more acidic. In the eighteenth century, the pH was 8.07 which was slightly basic. Currently, the pH is around 8.01 this is about a twenty-five percent increase in acidity. (National geographic) While this slight change may not seem outrageous, it is causing multiple marine life struggles. The acid melts the shells of pteropods causing a low supply of food that would support larger fish.