The Dangers of Ocean Acidification

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Carbon dioxide pollution is the primary cause of global warming, but it also is making ocean water more acidic. This phenomenon, known as ocean acidification, may soon challenge the survival of thousands of marine species. The NRDC explores the global threat of ocean acidification in ACID TEST.

You can stream ACID TEST on discovery+.

April 18, 2021

By: Discovery and NRDC

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Photo By: Howard Hall

Ocean acidification (OA) is the quiet tsunami of environmental degradation. Within a few decades, OA may devastate some marine ecosystems and threaten the productivity of our fisheries. When we burn oil, coal, or gas, scientists have recently shown, we are transforming the fundamental chemistry of the oceans, rapidly making the water more acidic.

The process of ocean acidification is surprisingly simple. Carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels accumulates in the atmosphere, where it causes global warming. But it also affects our oceans. As carbon dioxide enters the ocean, it reacts with sea water to form carbonic acid.

Since the start of the Industrial Revolution about 150 years ago, approximately one-quarter to one-third of all CO2 from fossil fuels,or 500 billion tons, has been absorbed by the seas, increasing the average acidity by 30%.

Changes in ocean acidity are undeniably linked to human activities. Carbon dioxide produced from the burning of fossil fuels can be identified and measured in ocean water and the acidification effect of the CO2 is undisputed.

If CO2 emissions rates are not curtailed dramatically, these results of stress will multiply and many forms of marine life will continue to diminish.

Think of ocean acidification as a “final warning” that we are fundamentally changing the way the planet works. We have already compromised the planet’s atmosphere by the burning of fossil fuels. Considering that oceans represent a bigger system, 500 times by weight, than our atmosphere, changes to ocean chemistry signal a massive disruption.