Ocean Acidification
As the acid levels in the ocean increases the safety of shell creatures is slowly decreasing. Higher acid levels decrases the carbonate levels. Carbonate is essential in the making of shells. Without carbonate, new shells are very difficult to produce, and also keep them hard and functionable for the animal. The acidification will have a ripple effect on the entire ocean and the food webs. If the acid levels continue to raise the pH will lower, causing shells to literally dissolve. This would be terrible for ocean life everywhere. If a species of shell creatures becomes extinct, even if they are very small, it will disrupt the entire food web. Article
Marine life is at risk. Carbon dioxide pollution is changing ocean chemistry and making water more acidic , which is the primary cause of global warming. The documentary "Acid Test: The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification" is talking about the impacts of rising acidity in ocean. Thousands of ocean species create protective shells to survive, but when ocean acidity gets too high, shells dissolve.
ReplyDeleteWatch documentary on http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/7548/
I think this is quite dangerous to our ocean. If our ocean goes, so does the majority of our food. The acid levels need to be brought down significantly if we expect to have our oceans around much longer.
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