22/01/2023
What is Ocean Acification and why does it matter?
Since Industrialisation, we have witnessed that the ocean surface water pH has decreased from 8.2 to 8.1, this on average is an increase in acidity of ∼26% this is caused by the absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere into the ocean. Many life processes involve chemical reactions which are extremely sensitive to small changes in pH.
There are 2 key impacts of ocean acidification. Firstly, the drop in pH levels leads to acidification that can deteriorate the shells of organisms, dissolution. Secondly, these changes in the biochemistry of the ocean leads to less carbonate ions, these ions are essential to marine creatures and their ability to produce new shells called calcification.
