Ocean Acidification

Ocean acidification is the lowering of pH in our oceans. It is a pressing matter for our environment because a variety of marine organisms rely on the slightly basic pH of the surrounding ocean to properly function. For example, corals, shellfish, pteropods, and many other foundational organisms of the marine ecosystem are shown to be evidently harmed in environments of lower pH. Ocean acidification is substantially altering the ecosystem, and its aftermath is devastating on the people and animals who rely on the ocean.

First off, how does ocean acidification start? It begins with atmospheric carbon dioxide. The ocean absorbs around a quarter of the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Normally, this would be sufficient, as underwater ecosystems still need carbon dioxide to operate. However, as human production of carbon dioxide has increased greatly over the past few centuries, so has oceanic levels of this gas. The abundant carbon dioxide reacts with seawater to ultimately produce hydrogen ions, lowering the pH.

The consequences of this issue can be significant. The shells of many marine life are unable to properly grow and can inflict deleterious changes in the population of these species. The behavior of many marine organisms can be altered as well, an example being the pollocks in their larval stage, which are unable to find their correct habitat under acidic pHs. It is estimated that toward the end of this century the amount of seafood we harvest will decrease dramatically, ranging up to 50 percent for oysters, and even 55 percent for scallops.

Then, how do we solve this problem? First and foremost, we can act to reduce our carbon emissions. We can work toward getting environmentally friendly legislation passed. By doing this, we can prevent the ocean from absorbing too much carbon dioxide and lowering its pH. We can also act to help communities impacted and harmed by ocean acidification. If we hope to maintain our beautiful coral reefs for us and future generations, we must take action to solve this devastating environmental problem of ocean acidification.