Ocean Acidification June 3rd | Page 3

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How does it effect Marine Wildlife?

As previously mentioned on page 1, ocean acidification causes decreases in the availability of carbonate ions. Carbonate ions commonly bond with calcium to form calcium carbonate, a compound vital to life. Bones, as well as exoskeletons, are formed using this compound. Certain marine organisms such as zooplankton, coral and shellfish use the calcium carbonate available in ocean water to form their hard structures through a process called calcification (Walsh, 2014). As calcium carbonate levels continue to drop life will become much more difficult for these animals. One example is shellfish; they use calcium carbonate to form their exoskeleton-like shells. Depleted levels of calcium carbonate in seawater means that their shells won’t calcify as strong as they should. This makes them more vulnerable to predators and therefore less likely to survive in the wild.

In addition to lack of calcium carbonate damaging calcification, lower pH levels create more difficult living conditions. Water that is more acidic than an animal is adapted for puts a stress on their body as it tries to maintain normal body chemistry. This uses more energy and makes that animal weaker (McAuliffe, 2008). Essentially, ocean acidification slowly weakens animals just as a disease would. As the acidification gets worse so do the chances of survival.

Organisms such as these: Oysters, Lobsters, and Zooplankton are all at risk from OA.

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This coral reef was weakened so much that it died.