A U.S. study shows that while acid rainfall plays a minor role in ocean acidity, the impact is much greater in the shallower waters of the coastal ocean.
Ocean acidification occurs when chemical compounds such as carbon dioxide, sulfur or nitrogen are produced by power plants and agricultural activities mix with seawater — a process that lowers water pH values and thereby reduces carbon storage.
“Acid rain isn’t just a problem of the land. It’s also affecting the ocean,” said Scott Doney, lead author of the study and a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. “That effect is most pronounced near the coasts, which are already some of the most heavily affected and vulnerable parts of the ocean due to pollution, over-fishing and climate change.”
The Money Times, 11 September 2007. Article.
