The government has announced it’s going to spend millions of pounds on new studies into the world’s oceans.
They are worried about sea water becoming more acidic due to rising levels of a gas called carbon dioxide caused by planes, cars and factories.
Experts think the acidity levels of the oceans could lead to lots of wildlife becoming extinct unless action’s taken.
They will focus the research on the Atlantic, Antarctic and Arctic oceans and study how they’ve been affected.
Quiz: Sea and oceans
The oceans are brilliant at absorbing lots of carbon dioxide because it dissolves in water.
But because there are such high levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it’s making the oceans more acidic, which is really bad news for sea life.
Rising acidity levels are very harmful to marine creatures such as plankton, coral and shellfish.
BBC, 28 April 2009. Article.
