Ocean Acidification
When carbon dioxide combines with seawater, it sets off a chemical reaction that makes seawater more acidified.
We call this process ocean acidification or "OA".
As we continue to release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere through human activities such as burning fossil fuels, the ocean is forced to absorb more and more carbon.
The chemical reaction that occurs lowers the pH , a measure of how acidic or alkaline the seawater is. This reaction also decreases the availability of calcium carbonate, a building block that many species like shellfish, finfish, coral and pteropods need to grow, reproduce, and thrive. OA can also affect the "energy budget" of some marine life, impacting their ability to perform other necessary tasks.
You can learn more about the chemical reaction that produces OA on the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON) website.
