Ocean Acidification Research Paper

Ocean Acidification is the process where Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is absorbed by the ocean, causing water to lower in pH making the water it more acidic. The result of CO2 being released into the atmosphere in such large quantities, as a result of anthropogenic global warming, is causing the ocean to slowly become more acidic over time.The world’s oceans absorb about ¼ of all the world’s carbon emission yearly as a result of anthropogenic climate change. Since the Industrial Era, the oceans have been reducing in pH by 0.1 every year. It is estimated that by the end of the 21st century, if carbon emissions were to continue as they are now, the ocean’s coral reefs will disappear as a result of Ocean Acidification. Ocean Acidification has been become a serious problem to our environment, as well as to our economy and food sources. Over 1/7 of our world population relies on maritime fishing to supply people with food, jobs, and produce to sell. The process of ocean acidification is mainly affecting the ability of shellfish to create their shells to protect them from their natural predators. Studies have shown that the compound 2HCO-3 or bicarbonate ion, which is created by CO2 mixing with ocean water, has caused many coral reefs to slowly erode as well as damages the calcification process that a shellfish needs to

Anthropogenic global warming is man-caused global warming. It essentially states that humans are responsible to the release of an abnormal amount of carbon emissions that are having a big impact on the planet’s climate and, in turn, hurting the environment. Our rapid technological advancement over the years since the Industrial Revolution and our inability to adapt to cleaner technology, has lead us to pollute the Earth in ways we never thought possible. We are currently on a path that will lead to advance levels of environmental destruction that will become irreversible as time goes