Ocean Acidification: The Other CO 2 Problem

• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbonic acid; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.175.1889; http://www.nrdc.org/oceans/acidification/files/NRDC-OceanAcidFSWeb.pdf

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. What Is Ocean Acidification? 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