Ocean Acidification: Chemistry & Consequences

The ocean absorbs roughly 25 percent of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions each year. When CO₂ dissolves in seawater, it reacts with water to form carbonic acid, which dissociates into bicarbonate and hydrogen ions. This process lowers the pH of surface waters — a phenomenon known as ocean acidification. Since the Industrial Revolution, ocean pH has dropped from approximately 8.2 to 8.1, representing a 30 percent increase in hydrogen ion concentration. This seemingly small shift has profound consequences for marine life.