Ocean Acidification: The UnKnown Problem

Ocean Acidification Quantified

Climate Change and Ocean Acidification

Something that has really concerned me about climate change is its potential effect on the ocean. Unlike other effects that climate change has caused, ocean acidification is one that has left scientists really confused; scientists honestly have no clue as to what further ocean acidifiction will cause in terms of ecosystem harm, or environmental damage. Nevertheless, one fact surrounding ocean acidification has surfaced and it is not good: “The scientists pointed to a mysterious mass extinction from natural causes called the Paleo-Eocene Thermal Maximum, which occurred around 56 million years ago. The fossil record suggests it took around 100,000 years for calcifying organisms to recover from the acidification shock” (AFP). This fact cannot be good especially if nothing is done to prevent further carbon emission. If a mass oceanic extinction were to happen it would not only kill the economy of world, it would also lead the very foundations of world ecosystems to crumble due to the amount of oxygen producing algae found in the ocean. In summary this just makes me concerned, people need to realize that ocean acidification may not be as well studied as other climate change externalities, but that does not mean it is not the most  potentially damaging for society. An immediate solution to ocean acidification needs to be found probably before any of the other problems associated with climate change.