ocean acidification
Sign in to saveAlso known as seawater acidification, sea water acidification
climate change-induced decline of pH levels in the ocean
Research
3,613 papers- Ocean acidification refugia in variable environments.Global change biology · 2019
- Ocean acidification promotes broad transcriptomic responses in marine metazoans: a literature survey.Frontiers in zoology · 2020
- The effects of ocean acidification on fishes - history and future outlook.Journal of fish biology · 2023
- Is Ocean Acidification Really a Threat to Marine Calcifiers? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 980+ Studies Spanning Two Decades.Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) · 2022
- Implications of ocean acidification on micronutrient elements-iron, copper and zinc, and their primary biological impacts: A review.Marine pollution bulletin · 2024
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- Ocean acidification
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Article
Ocean acidification means that the average seawater pH value is dropping over time.
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. Carbon dioxide emissions from human activities are the primary cause of ocean acidification, with atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels exceeding 422 ppm (as of 2024). CO2 from the atmosphere is absorbed by the oceans. This chemical reaction produces carbonic acid ( H2CO3) which dissociates into a bicarbonate ion (HCO−3) and a hydrogen ion (H). The presence of free hydrogen ions (H) lowers the pH of the ocean, increasing acidity (this does not mean that seawater is acidic yet; it is still alkaline, with a pH higher than 8). Marine calcifying organisms, such as mollusks and corals, are especially vulnerable because they rely on calcium carbonate to build shells and skeletons.