Ocean Acidification by Marjorie Nieves

Introduction

Before we discuss the meaning of Ocean Acidification let us define first the meaning of "acid".Acid means is traditionally considered any chemical compound that, when dissolved in water, gives a solution with a hydrogen ion activity greater than in pure water which has a pH level of less than 7.0 meaning it tastes sour like lemon etc..Now we know what is the definition of acid we can easily understand this article entitled "Ocean Acidification". What comes first into your mind when you hear these words "Ocean Acidification" ? The water in the Ocean is sour? You'll find it out on the next paragraph.

Cause

Ocean acidification is the name given to the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans, caused by their uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It is caused by excessive carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (which also causes global warming) is a more “serious concern". Carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted to the atmosphere by human activities is being absorbed by the oceans, making them more acidic (lowering the pH the measure of acidity).
Evidence indicates that emissions of carbon dioxide from human activities over the past 200 years have already led to a reduction in the average pH of surface seawater of 0.1 units and could fall by 0.5 units by the year 2100. This pH is probably lower than has been experienced for hundreds of millennia and, critically, at a rate of change probably 100 times greater than at any time over this period.

Effect
When the ocean becomes acidic, it makes the marine organisms to grow and to maintain their shells.The researchers studied a common coral species called porites, growing along the northern end of the Great Barrier Reef off Queensland. The species grows into massive reefs and is a key species for reef eco-systems around the world. The scientists found that calcification - the process by which corals extract calcium carbonate from seawater to build their protective shells - had slowed by 21% over the past 16 years.
So if all the oceans around the world has acid, in the next generation only few sea shells will be left. While fishes will not survive because they have nothing to eat because planktons didn't survive also, as well as the corals where fishes live. To summarize it, Many organisms ranging from plankton to shellfish and corals might be unable to build their shells. Many others which have already grown might start dissolving.