I'd appreciate it if you could help me
Carbon dioxide emissions are now an issue, and the impact often discussed in the news is global warming due to the greenhouse effect of carbon dioxide. However, carbon dioxide is also affecting the oceans. It is acidification of the oceans. About 1/3 of the carbon dioxide emitted by humans through the burning of coal and oil is absorbed by the oceans. The oceans are becoming more and more acidic as they take in this carbon dioxide.
The average pH of the ocean 200 years ago was 8.2, but it is now 8.1. (A pH of around 7 is fresh water.) If no action is taken, the pH could be as low as 7.8 by the year 2100. * This is a very important point to keep in mind.
In 1894, a Times reporter predicted that by the 1940s, the amount of horse manure piled up in the city of London would be 2.7 meters. However, the story goes that ten years later his prediction was not correct because of the invention of the car. A 0.1 change in pH may seem like a small change, but if the ocean becomes even slightly more acidic, marine life will be affected in many ways.
For example, studies have shown that young bear clams in the wild cannot smell or hear in water infused with carbon dioxide. The main component of the shells of shellfish and other marine organisms is calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is very soluble in acid, so if the water becomes acidic, the shell may become brittle or deformed. Conversely, however, some cuttlefish species are more vigorous in acidified water and their shells become tougher.
Eggshells are also made of calcium carbonate. This is an extreme example, but if eggs are soaked in vinegar and left to soak, the eggshells will dissolve, leaving behind a thin membrane that surrounds the eggs. While deforestation, rising temperatures, and rising sea levels are often discussed as environmental problems, the issue of ocean acidification is rarely addressed.
