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Nov 03

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Ocean Acidity

 

Carbon dioxide is absorbed by seawater and increases the acidity
of ocean water – harming corals, mollusks, and more.

Image credit: USFWS/Jerry Reid

Transcript of the Audio Podcast:

How carbon dioxide hurts the ocean… on this CurrentCast.

Carbon dioxide emissions do not just stay in the air, contributing to climate change – they also get absorbed by seawater, causing a dramatic increase in ocean acidity.

In some areas, these more acidic surface waters are pulled to greater depths, as if on a conveyor belt. There, the low ph destroys the minerals many sea creatures use to build their skeletons and shells -threatening corals, mollusks, and other marine life.

On the west coast, the phenomenon is decimating oyster hatcheries… since corrosive, acidic seawater prevents their protective shells from forming, the oyster larvae cannot survive.

It’s one more reason to rein in carbon dioxide emissions.

Support for CurrentCast comes from the Mitsubishi Corporation Foundation for the Americas. Learn more online at http://www.currentcast.org.

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Permanent link to this article: http://www.currentcast.org/uncategorized/ocean-acidity/