ocean acidification
Marine pH decline
Ocean acidification is the ongoing decrease in the pH of Earth's oceans caused by absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
As seawater absorbs CO₂, chemical reactions produce carbonic acid, making the water more acidic.
This process threatens marine life, particularly organisms that build shells or skeletons from calcium carbonate, such as corals, oysters, and certain plankton.
Ocean acidification is sometimes called climate change's evil twin.
Marine skeletal formation
- shellfishAquatic creatures with exoskeletons
- mollusksSoft-bodied invertebrates, often shelled
- oystersEdible marine mollusks
- musselsEdible marine bivalves
clams · sea urchins · echinoderms · bivalves · gastropods · coral bleaching · reefs · calcification
Measure of solution acidity
- carbonic acidDissolved CO2 in water
- bicarbonateAcid-neutralizing salt
- hydrogen ionsPositively charged atomic nuclei
- alkalinityAcid-neutralizing capacity
dissolution · carbon dioxide · CO2 · absorption · saturation · aragonite · calcite · acidic
Combustible prehistoric organic deposits
- emissionsSubstances released into air
- combustionExothermic reaction with oxygen
- industrializationTransition to factory-based economy
- anthropogenicCaused by human activity
greenhouse gases · carbon cycle · deforestation · coal burning · oil · natural gas · carbon sink · absorption rate
Interconnected predator-prey relationships
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- fisheriesFish-harvesting operations
- habitat lossElimination of living spaces
- krillSmall marine crustaceans
phytoplankton · zooplankton · plankton · seagrass · kelp forests · dead zones · ecosystem collapse · reef ecosystems
Planetary atmospheric transformation
- global warmingRising planetary temperatures
- sea level riseIncreasing ocean surface height
- temperature riseIncrease in heat level
- IPCCUN climate science authority
Paris Agreement · mitigation · adaptation · feedback loops · tipping points · polar ice · glaciers · carbon budget
Ongoing observation of something
- sensorsDevices that detect input
- modelsScaled representations or fashion workers
- projectionsEstimates extending forward
- time seriesChronologically ordered observations
laboratory experiments · field studies · biogeochemistry · data collection
coral
Marine skeletal formation
- shellfishAquatic creatures with exoskeletons
- mollusksSoft-bodied invertebrates, often shelled
- oystersEdible marine mollusks
mussels · clams · sea urchins · echinoderms · bivalves · gastropods · coral bleaching · reefs · calcification
pH
Measure of solution acidity
- carbonic acidDissolved CO2 in water
- bicarbonateAcid-neutralizing salt
- hydrogen ionsPositively charged atomic nuclei
alkalinity · dissolution · carbon dioxide · CO2 · absorption · saturation · aragonite · calcite · acidic · corrosive
fossil fuels
Combustible prehistoric organic deposits
- emissionsSubstances released into air
- combustionExothermic reaction with oxygen
- industrializationTransition to factory-based economy
anthropogenic · greenhouse gases · carbon cycle · deforestation · coal burning · oil · natural gas · carbon sink · absorption rate · sequestration
food web
Interconnected predator-prey relationships
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- fisheriesFish-harvesting operations
- habitat lossElimination of living spaces
krill · phytoplankton · zooplankton · plankton · seagrass · kelp forests · dead zones · ecosystem collapse · reef ecosystems · fish populations
climate change
Planetary atmospheric transformation
- global warmingRising planetary temperatures
- sea level riseIncreasing ocean surface height
- temperature riseIncrease in heat level
IPCC · Paris Agreement · mitigation · adaptation · feedback loops · tipping points · polar ice · glaciers · carbon budget · sustainability
monitoring
Ongoing observation of something
- sensorsDevices that detect input
- modelsScaled representations or fashion workers
- projectionsEstimates extending forward
time series · laboratory experiments · field studies · biogeochemistry · data collection
- environmentair pollution, ecology, clean air, biosphere, air quality
- Climate Changeglobal warming, greenhouse gases, climate change, carbon dioxide, CO2
- environmental harmair pollution, water pollution, pollution, oil spills, acid rain
- environmental issuesair pollution, climate change, biodiversity loss, global warming, habitat loss
- Environmental problemsair pollution, water pollution, climate change, global warming, habitat loss
- environmental scienceecology, air quality, ecosystem, water quality, ecosystems
ocean acidificationcarbon sequestration
Removing and storing atmospheric CO2
ocean, oceans, oceanic, acidity, muriatic acid, oceanfront, acidulous, acidify, oceanography