The deep sea inhabitants

Rising acidity of ocean waters will wipe out the world’s coral reefs and could devastate crab, scallops and other creatures that build shells from calcium compounds in ocean waters. Available figures showed that the pH balance of ocean waters has tilted toward acid in the past 20 years. That’s nearly as much as it did in the previous 200 years. Research showed changes in mollusks, crustaceans and even fish, including decreasing shell-building and creature size. Available proof about the impacts of global climate change and acidification show that coral reefs will actually melt in this century if current rates of acidification continue. Ocean acidification is caused by atmospheric carbon dissolving in the oceans. Ocean acidity has been rising since the beginning of the industrial revolution, as factories, cars and even cows have pumped out increasing amounts of carbon dioxide. About 30% of carbon released into the atmosphere ends up in the oceans. Reduced carbon output is the only solution to ocean acidification (as well as rising sea levels). At present it cannot adequately be predicted how marine ecosystems as a whole will respond to ocean acidification but the impact will be quite eminent.