Ocean Acidification
Most everyone has heard of climate change and its potential impacts as we continue to put carbon dioxide into the atmosphere via burning coal, oil and gas activities. Ocean acidification results from excess carbon dioxide dissolving into the oceans as the chemical process of this causes the ocean's pH to become more acidic. Fish and all other marine animals have evolved to live in the ocean at the pH it is at currently. Any change to the ocean's chemistry has a harmful impact on marine life. Marine animals like oysters, crabs, corals build their shells by making calcium carbonate from seawater. Increasing water acidity makes it much more difficult for these animals to do this process and this will have a huge impact on the marine food web. Learn more about ocean acidification here.
Much research is currently being done as to how this process is impacting marine species and the marine food web. The Antarctic and Arctic regions are home to tonnes of krill (food for whales and many other marine species) and they are an integral part of the food chain and support many other marine species, which in turn provides food for us. These regions and populations of krill are among the first to be impacted by ocean acidification. Any such changes to them and this environment, will highly impact us as well. Polar regions are very remote, pristine areas and due to ocean currents and our planet being one ecosystem, these regions are being impacted by effects of ocean acidification at a much higher rate than other parts of the world.
Much research is currently being done as to how this process is impacting marine species and the marine food web. The Antarctic and Arctic regions are home to tonnes of krill (food for whales and many other marine species) and they are an integral part of the food chain and support many other marine species, which in turn provides food for us. These regions and populations of krill are among the first to be impacted by ocean acidification. Any such changes to them and this environment, will highly impact us as well. Polar regions are very remote, pristine areas and due to ocean currents and our planet being one ecosystem, these regions are being impacted by effects of ocean acidification at a much higher rate than other parts of the world.
Source: Alliance for Climate Education