When one thinks of global warming due to carbon emission it is safe to say he or she will most likely think about the melting of the glaciers. However, less people will think about carbon dioxide pollution contributing to the acidification of the oceans we love. The book Ocean acidification due to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide defines ocean acidification as the “absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and this is causing chemical changes by making them more acidic (that is, decreasing the pH of the oceans)” (Raven et al. 5). The oceans act as a crucial carbon dioxide processor which allows us to inhabit this earth but with increasing carbon dioxide emissions the oceans are being overwhelmed causing this acidification.
According to, Australian Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg at the University of Queensland since 1960 carbon dioxide emissions have risen by twenty percent. Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg states in the documentary The Death of the Oceans the acidification of the oceans due to carbon dioxide emissions can only end in the death of coral reefs as well. With the death of coral reefs the destruction of thousands of underwater ecosystems follows closely behind. Not only does this affect the animals but also the divers and environmentalists who enjoy these coral reefs. If the ocean becomes too acidic then the beauty of the ocean will be lost along with its resources such as seafood will also be lost. Again the only way to combat this problem is at a societal level.
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