¥Currently ~1/3 of CO2 released by burning
fossil fuels ends up in the ocean.
¥Absorbed
CO2 forms carbonic acid in seawater,
lowering the slightly alkaline pH
level, changing the balance of carbonate &
bicarbonate ions.
¥Shift toward acidity & ensuing
changes in ocean chemistry, make it more difficult for
creatures to build hard parts out of calcium carbonate.
¥Decline
in pH thus threatens a variety of organisms, including corals, which
provide one of the richest habitats
on earth.
¥Within a century, Southern Ocean surface
will be corrosive to shells of tiny snails key in the
marine food chain within this highly productive zone.