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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]
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.
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 ...
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]
It is believed that this high stress environment will cause ocean acidification factors to have a stronger effect on these organisms. It could also cause these effects to appear in the Arctic before it appears in other parts of the ocean. There is a significant variation in the sensitivity of marine organisms to increased ocean acidification.
There are several other factors that influence the atmosphere-ocean CO 2 exchange, and thus local ocean acidification. These include ocean currents and upwelling zones, proximity to large continental rivers, sea ice coverage, and atmospheric exchange with nitrogen and sulfur from fossil fuel burning and agriculture. [35] [36] [37]
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 ...