http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/Photography/Images/POD/u/underwater-coral-nicklin-695684-xl.jpg
Why this is bad for sea life
Calcium carbonate literally forms the
backbone of life under the sea. Practically
all aquatic life depends on its availability.
Whether it's a microscopic zooplankton
using it to form it’s exoskeleton or a
predator at the top of the food chain who
indirectly gets its nutrients from that same
phytoplankton, a great majority of life in the
aquatic food web is dependent on the ability of organisms
to calcify. As calcium carbonate levels continue to decrease,
so do organisms’ abilities to perform calcification. When this happens
the population of calcifying organisms towards the bottom of the food chain
start to drop. This is directly effects the consumers above them because what is lost in number they lose in food. The effect continues all the way up to the top of the food chain as each progressive level begins to run out of food.
Why this is bad for humans
Now you might be thinking “Sure that sucks for fish, but it doesn’t have anything to do with me.” Unfortunately, this is not the case.
1 billion people across the globe are reliant on the ocean as their primary source of protein.
People worldwide rely on the ocean for employment as well.
In the U.S. alone the ‘ocean economy’ provided 2.8 million jobs and pulled in $282 billion in revenue for 2011 alone (NOA, 2014).
These statistics mean that a collapse of the aquatic ecosystem would be detrimental to human society. If a total collapse occured widespread economic collapse and famine would be inevitable.
The graph above shows a basic food
chain. As you can see, if zooplankton
numbers were affected secondary,
tertiary, and quarternary level
consumers would all be affected
too.
http://marinewaters.fish.wa.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/marineconnections-image-300x192.jpg
Oyster fisheries, like the one here in Pt. Reyes, are at risk of bankruptcy if ocean acidification gets worse.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/30/science/earth/point-reyes-oyster-farm-ordered-closed.html?_r=0