Effects Of Ocean Acidification

Oceans, lakes and rivers absorb 30 to 40% of the carbon dioxide produced by the human population. Ocean acidification has been a rising issue for the last three decades, and oceanographers have been studying the carbon dioxide effects on the ocean throughout that time. It is becoming increasingly problematic because the levels of carbon dioxide being emitted into the environment are greater. In the last 200 years, the ocean has become 30% more acidic because as more carbon dioxide is dissolved into the water, the more acidic the water gets. This is destroying the marine life that has had a stable pH level of ocean water for thousands of years. The oysters have been highly affected by the ocean acidification. Ocean acidification has the ability
to vigorously threaten the world’s oceans and mankind in the future. Legislation in regards to ocean acidification has been pretty scarce but there are some mandates in place. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, The Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring (FOARAM) Act of 2009 mandates that NOAA has an active monitoring and research program to determine potential impacts of decreased ocean pH and carbonate saturation states, which are happening in direct response to rising atmospheric CO2. (CITE) Even though this topic has been studies for decades, the word “ocean acidification” was only created 12 years ago.