OCEAN ACIDIFICATION

Ocean Acidification: The decrease of pH in the oceans and the increase of Carbon dioxide.

3 CAUSES OF OCEAN ACIDIFICATION

• Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere dissolves down into the water.
• The pH in the water drops.
• Carbon Dioxide reacts with the ocean to form biocarbonate ions.

3 EFFECTS OF OCEAN ACIDIFICATION

• Photosynthetic algae and sea grasses benefit from higher Carbon Dioxide levels, because they need CO2 to live and grow.
• Oysters, clams, sea urchins, shallow water corals, deep sea corals, and calcareous plankton have are effected dramatically and the CO2 kills them.
• A sea butterfly's shell withers away over time, the shell slowly dissolves after 45 days.

3 SOLUTIONS FOR THE ISSUE OF OCEAN ACIDIFICATION

• Shellfish growers are taking steps to adapt to ocean acidification
• Cities around the world have joined C40 Cities Global Leadership Program, the organization was designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Altering or stopping ocean acidification on human-relevant time-scales will depend on reducing Carbon Dioxide.