Ocean

Acidification
By: Ashvik
Let the journey begin
 How does it work?
Ocean acidification occurs when CO2 gas dissolves in the ocean and chemically reacts with the
seawater, however scientists have specified that the CO2 reacting with the seawater will not
make the ocean into a pool of acid but will remain as an alkaline substance, so if it’s not going to
become an acid why is it called acidification. When CO2 reacts with the water it forms an
unstable molecule called carbonic acid, this becomes stable by releasing hydrogen ion and
becoming bicarbonate, it is the production of these hydrogen ions into the water that reduces the
ph of the water towards a more neutral position, closer to the acidic end of the ph scale, so
although the oceans are not becoming acidic they are getting closer to acidity than they were
before industrialization.

It is these hydrogen ions that spell trouble for marine organisms like corals and mollusks that use
a substance called calcium carbonate, to build strong sturdy structures. To make calcium
carbonate you need calcium and carbonate, a plentiful supply of both is required to grow fast and
grow strong, however carbonate binds more easily with hydrogen ions than with calcium, so
when a hydrogen ion comes along the corals, the corals miss out on much needed calcium and
this can slow their growth, so although the oceans are still safe to, swim in for us, they may not be
safe to live in for many of its permanent residents.
How is it harming the animals?
Ocean acidification has increased by 25% since the industrial revolution, the fastest
change in 2 million years. Marine animals that rely on calcium carbonate for shells and
skeletons are particularly affected, including corals, sea urchins, oysters and plankton.
Acidic waters make it challenging for these animals to form and maintain their shells.
Oysters and mussels expend more energy to repair or thicken their shells, reducing
the energy available for growth and reproduction, this energy strain can lead to smaller
sizes and declining populations of these species. Early life stages, such as larvae of
sea urchins and oysters, struggle to develop shells in acidic conditions, resulting in
high mortality rates.

Fish larvae are also at risk, losing their sense of smell and ability to avoid predators in
acidic waters. The food chain is impacted, as many marine animals depend on
calcifying organisms like plankton and shellfish for sustenance. Declines in these
species can disrupt the entire marine ecosystem, affecting larger animals like whales
and even humans. Ocean acidification alters the interactions of marine organisms
with their environment, including loss of hearing in some fish. Overall, ocean
acidification threatens marine life by hindering shell formation, growth, and survival,
disrupting ecosystems and food chains.
Economic consequences
Many human communities, especially coastal populations, depend on
marine ecosystems for food, economic activities (fisheries,
aquaculture), and tourism. As acidification impacts marine food
chains, it could lead to reduced fishery yields, threatening food
security and livelihoods. Ecosystem shifts: The ongoing acidification
of the oceans is expected to cause shifts in species composition, with
some species adapting or moving to new environments while others
decline or disappear. This could lead to a restructuring of marine
ecosystems, where certain species become dominant, and others,
especially calcifiers, become rare.
Solution
The current climate crisis is because of how much carbon we emit into
the atmosphere, the ocean absorbs ½ of that carbon and the life inside
it is affected. The corals are bleaching and the life living in the coral
communities are suffering, but here are some solutions to this rising
problem.

● Buy sustainable seafood

Even if you don't live by the ocean, you can help! These everyday
solutions help with carbon capture and reduce ocean acidification.
Citations
Doney, Scott C., et al. "Ocean Acidification: The Other CO₂ Problem." Annual Review of Marine Science, vol. 1, 2009, pp.
169–192. Wikipedia

Feely, Richard A., et al. "Impact of Anthropogenic CO₂ on the CaCO₃ System in the Oceans." Science, vol. 305, no. 5682, 2004, pp.
362–366. Wikipedia

Kleypas, Joan A., et al. "Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Coral Reefs and Other Marine Calcifiers: A Guide for Future Research."
Report of a Workshop Held 18–20 April 2005, St. Petersburg, FL, sponsored by NSF, NOAA, and the U.S. Geological Survey,
2006. Wikipedia

National Research Council. Ocean Acidification: A National Strategy to Meet the Challenges of a Changing Ocean. The National
Academies Press, 2010. National Academies Press

Gattuso, Jean-Pierre, and Lina Hansson, editors. Ocean Acidification. Oxford University Press, 2011.

Munday, Philip L., et al. "Replenishment of fish populations is threatened by ocean acidification." Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, vol. 107, no. 29, 2010, pp. 12930–12934.

Kroeker, Kristy J., et al. "Meta-analysis reveals negative yet variable effects of ocean acidification on marine
organisms." Ecology Letters, vol. 13, no. 11, 2010, pp. 1419–1434.

Fabry, Victoria J., et al. "Impacts of ocean acidification on marine fauna and ecosystem processes." ICES Journal of
Marine Science, vol. 65, no. 3, 2008, pp. 414–432.

Orr, James C., et al. "Anthropogenic ocean acidification over the twenty-first century and its impact on calcifying
organisms." Nature, vol. 437, no. 7059, 2005, pp. 681–686.

Doney, Scott C., et al. "Ocean acidification: the other CO₂ problem." Annual Review of Marine Science, vol. 1, 2009,
pp. 169–192.
Citations
Union of Concerned Scientists. "CO₂ and Ocean Acidification." Union of Concerned
Scientists, [Link]/resources/co2-and-ocean-acidification. Accessed 1 Apr.
2025.

Hauck, Judith, et al. "The Efficacy and Side Effects of Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement
in the Carbon Cycle and Earth System." Frontiers in Climate, vol. 1, 2019,
[Link]/articles/10.3389/fclim.2019.00026/full. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

National Research Council. Ocean Acidification: A National Strategy to Meet the

Gattuso, Jean-Pierre, et al. "Ocean Solutions to Address Climate Change and Its
Effects on Marine Ecosystems." Frontiers in Marine Science, vol. 5, 2018,
[Link]/articles/10.3389/fmars.2018.00337/full. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

Natural Resources Defense Council. "Ocean Acidification: What You Need to Know."
NRDC, [Link]/stories/ocean-acidification-what-you-need-know. Accessed 1
Apr. 2025.