Oceans have absorbed approximately 30% of anthropogenic CO2 emissions, causing a phenomenon known as ‘ocean acidification’. With surface ocean pH changing at a rapid pace, continued uptake of CO2 is expected to decrease ocean pH by 0.3 pH units as early as 2081, accompanied by a decrease in the saturation of calcium carbonate minerals needed to produce skeletons and shells (RCP 8.5 scenario, IPCC 2019).
Foo S. A. & Byrne M., in press. Forecasting impacts of ocean acidification on marine communities: utilising volcanic CO2 vents as natural laboratories. Global Change Biology. Article.
