Ocean Acidification at a Glance

For those looking for a summary of the issue of ocean acidification, below are two graphs that make the point with shocking clarity. The presence of unprecedented levels of CO2 in our atmosphere have brought about a precipitous drop in the pH of our oceans over a tiny sliver of geological time, and this plunge will accelerate as these atmospheric conditions get worse.

The foreseeable result: extinction of most forms of sea animals. We’re already experiencing sharp declines in phytoplankton, the microscopic sea plants that form the bottom of the food chain for the entire ocean ecosystem.