Sealife at risk from rapid acidification

Scientists conducting a major survey of the North American Pacific coast have found significant increases in acidity that could have a profound effect on sealife.

Rising ocean acidity has been predicted by scientists as a consequence of increased CO2 emissions, but the new research suggests that in some parts of the ocean these increases are happening much faster than predicted. The change seen in the surveys was not expected until 2050.
Experts predict that the changes could have a catastrophic effect on marine life. More acidic seawater means that species such as shellfish, plankton and coral will have much more difficulty making their shells and hard skeletons. That will seriously reduce the productivity of the entire food chain, changing ocean ecology and leading potentially to drastic reductions in fish stocks.

“It’s very worrying,” said Dr Carol Turley, at Plymouth Marine Laboratory. “The marine food web is extremely complex so [the effects are] very hard to predict. Whether it will support the kind of food web we are used to seeing and depending on in future is anyone’s guess really.”

Guardian