Ocean Acidification Explained
Quick Fact
The ocean has become 26% more acidic since the Industrial Revolution — a rate of change faster than anything seen in the past 300 million years.
About This Species
The ocean absorbs approximately 30% of the carbon dioxide released by human activities. As CO₂ dissolves in seawater it forms carbonic acid, lowering the ocean's pH — a process called ocean acidification. Since the Industrial Revolution, ocean pH has dropped by 0.1 units, representing a 26% increase in acidity. This threatens organisms that build shells and skeletons from calcium carbonate — including corals, oysters, mussels, sea urchins, and many species of plankton that underpin the entire marine food web.
Why It Matters
Ocean acidification threatens the foundation of marine food webs. If pteropod plankton — a key food source for fish, whales, and seabirds — cannot form their shells, the consequences cascade through the entire ocean ecosystem.