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Ocean acidification is now on a path to reach lower pH levels than at any other point in the last 300 million years. [83] [73] The rate of ocean acidification (i.e. the rate of change in pH value) is also estimated to be unprecedented over that same time scale. [84] [14] These expected changes are considered unprecedented in the geological record.
Human activities affect marine life and marine habitats through overfishing, habitat loss, the introduction of invasive species, ocean pollution, ocean acidification and ocean warming. These impact marine ecosystems and food webs and may result in consequences as yet unrecognised for the biodiversity and continuation of marine life forms. [3]
Initially, many scientists focused on the benefits of the ocean removing this greenhouse gas from the atmosphere. However, decades of ocean observations now show that there is also a downside — the CO 2 absorbed by the ocean is changing the chemistry of the seawater, a process called ocean acidification. This change in the ocean’s chemistry ...
Ocean acidification is the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's ocean. Between 1950 and 2020, the average pH of the ocean surface fell from approximately 8.15 to 8.05. [ 63 ] Carbon dioxide emissions from human activities are the primary cause of ocean acidification, with atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) levels exceeding 422 ppm (as of ...
In addition, climate change impacts oceanic currents and sea levels, further altering fish distributions and habitats. Furthermore, ocean acidification, resulting from increased CO2 levels, compromises the ability of shellfish and corals to form shells and skeletons, further endangering marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. [7]
Bamboo coral is an early harbinger of ocean acidification. Ocean acidification results from increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide. Oceans absorb around one–third of the increase. [6] The dissolved gas reacts with the water to form carbonic acid, and thus acidifies the ocean. This decreasing pH is another issue for coral reefs. [6]
Ocean acidification makes it harder for organisms to reproduce affecting the ecosystem in the Great Barrier Reef. Species of fish can be affected immensely from ocean acidification which disrupts the overall ecosystem. There is a possible solution that can reverse the affects of ocean acidification called alkalization injection.
The Permian–Triassic extinction event, a mass extinction of species from the world's oceans, may have resulted from widespread anoxic conditions combined with ocean acidification driven by a massive release of carbon dioxide into Earth's atmosphere. [4]