Ocean acidification is a continually and rapidly unfolding process in the ocean’s chemistry with an uncertain future. The primary driving force behind this anomalous process is an excess of anthropogenic CO2 in the atmosphere. Hence, the term “the other CO2 problem” used by some scientists refer to ocean acidification (Doney 2009). In both climate change and ocean acidification – the common bio-chemical change is an increase in Co2 fueled in part by animal agriculture. In this setting, oceans act as a carbon sink and absorb close to 30% of the atmospheric CO2. This increase in ocean CO2 leads to changes in sea chemistry in the form of excess hydrogen ions. The result is a decrease in ocean pH relative to the baseline pH number, a process called acidification (Doney 2009).
Sidhartha K., 2018. Industrial agriculture, biodiversity, and planetary boundaries. In: Hawkins I. W. (Eds.), Promoting biodiversity in food systems, pp 29-49. Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton. Chapter (restricted access).
