Ocean acidification is the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans, caused by the increase of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This leads to higher acidity, mainly near the surface, which has been proven to inhibit shell growth in marine animals, such as oysters, clams, sea urchins, shallow water corals, deep sea corals, and calcareous plankton. It is also suspected as a cause of reproductive disorders in some fish. Changes in ocean chemistry can affect the behavior of non-calcifying organisms as well. The ability of certain fish, like pollock, to detect predators is decreased in more acidic waters. Decreased pH levels also affect the ability of larval clownfish to locate suitable habit. Ocean acidification is damaging the ocean's habitats and wildlife, and since humans created this problem by emitting increased amounts of Carbon Dioxide, it is up to humans to fix it.

I agree with the fact that humans need to fix this and also think this is important for many reasons. Not only is this bad for the fish, but it is bad for us. The absence of fish can and will affect the fish industry greatly causing even more economic issues around the world. Until this economic issue gets worse, we will just be eating more and more fish that contain higher amounts of CO2 and we will be breathing more CO2 into the atmosphere all because of ocean acidification.

I agree ocean acidification needs to be balanced for living organisms to continue to survive and produce. It affects many marine organisms that produce calcium carbonate shells or skeletons are negatively impacted by increasing CO2 levels and decreasing pH in seawater. For example, increasing ocean acidification has been shown to significantly reduce the ability of reef-building corals to produce their skeletons. It is important to know about acidification because it is known to be the direct result of the increasing amount of greenhouse gas emissions. As billions of molecules combine and go through this process, the overall pH of the oceans decreases.

Gail, I totally agree with you. I think that the ocean needs to be helped, and I think that this should be one of our top priorities. I think this because, as you said, when the balance of the pH in the ocean is thrown off, certain species of fish cannot survive. This would not only affect the overall food chain in the ocean, it would also affect costal towns who rely on the ocean as a source of income. Certain species of marine wildlife that used to reside in a certain are may be moving either more north or more south, and that would interrupt the fisheries in costal towns. I think that they should be fishing more sustainably, so that when/if the wildlife migrates somewhere else, they have backups and they haven't destroyed the environment as it is.

Gail, I agree with you 100%. Ocean acidification is a problem that needs to be fixed, it decreases the ph levels of the earths oceans making it more acidic. Though the water is still basic, it's continuously dropping. Ocean acidification needs stability to keep the abundant marine life, with it affecting some of the fishes reproductive systems. Ocean acidification effects the aquatic life's production of calcium negatively impacting their shells and skeletons. We all need to decrease our carbon footprint, to help lower the ph levels in our earth's oceans. It is our duty to help our earth, because who else will do it!