Effects of Ocean Acidification and

Potential Solutions
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

(OA-ICC)

By: Patrick Meyer

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Table of Contents
Title 1

Table of Contents 2

Executive Summary 3

Ocean Acidification 3

a. Impacts on Marine Life 3

b. Impacts on Humans 4

Potential Solutions 5

a. Invest in Clean Energy 5

b. Ways You Can Help 6

Conclusion 7

References 8

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Executive Summary

Ocean Acidification is caused by rising levels of carbon dioxide in Earth’s

atmosphere. This is mostly caused by rising emissions from human
activity. The rising acidity is causing harm to a lot of marine life, but
primarily harms calcifiers. However, the calcifiers are not the only creatures harmed as the loss
of calcifiers removes the bottom of the food chain and as a result hurts every organism in the
chain. The primary way to slow the rise of carbonic acid in the ocean is to reduce carbon
emissions, and this can be done primarily by switching to more clean energy sources. Secondary
solutions that can be done at the individual level would be to reduce polluting waste, carpool,
and reduce meat consumption.

Ocean Acidification

Impacts on Marine Life

The impacts of ocean acidification are felt by all marine life but especially those that use calcium
carbonate, think clams, coral, and snails, referred to as marine calcifiers. Marine calcifiers fact
two main problems with rising acidy; the first being that the acidity causes their shells and
skeletons to break down at faster rates and the second is reducing the amount of carbonate ions
are available to be used by the organism. The exact reasons that acidification slows calcification
is not fully understood yet, but the leading hypothesis focuses on increasing energy cost on the
organism. “Most hypotheses focus on the additional energy an organism must expend to build
and maintain its calcium carbonate shells and skeletons in an increasingly corrosive environment”
(Wood Hole). The energy consumption problem is likely to be exacerbated by other factors
caused by climate change such as rising water temperatures, decreasing oxygen availability, and
loss of habitat. Marine animals that do not fall under the marine calcifiers category are also facing
problems related to acidification. Specifically, smaller marine life that depend on coral for shelter;
however, the impact will be all the way up the marine food chain.

Impacts on Humans

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Ocean acidification does not only affect marine life it has consequences for humans as well.
“Coral reefs are vital to humans as sources of food and medicine, protection from storms, and
the focus of eco-tourism” (Wood Hole). The main impacts on humans is in the loss of habitat for
commercially important fish and shellfish and the effects this would have on global malnutrition.
Removing fish as a food source would not affect Americans as dramatically as in others, especially
Asian countries. As shown in the figure below Asia consumes the most fish.
Fish Consumption per Capita

This map shows the per capita consumption of

fish by global region. Chan 2018

“More than 4.5 billion people obtain at least 15% of their animal protein intake from fish. In some
countries, the share of protein from fish can be greater than 50%. Ocean acidification not only
affects the available seafood, but the nutritional qualities of this food as well: when the food
source of fish species changes, the species that are harvested for consumption also change”
(Falkenberg). Another impact that will be felt by humans in the pharmaceutical industry. With
75% of the Earth covered in ocean medicinal research has been increasingly looking towards the
vast biodiversity of the seas for potential breakthroughs. Ocean acidification causing problems
up and down the food chain will reduce he organisms available to research and perhaps discover
life changing new medicines. Two chemical compounds coming from marine life of note are
bryostatin and discodermalide both of which are used in cancer treatments (Pomponi).

Potential Solutions

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Solutions to slow the rise of acidity in oceans are split into two categories. The first being high
level societal changes. This would primarily focus on governments shifting the dominant energy
production away from carbon emitting processes such as coal and oil use. The shift towards clean
energy such as solar power would drastically reduce the emissions of the country. The second
category is how small personal changes could help make a difference if the majority of Americans
participate.

Invest in Clean Energy

The United States Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that the emitted 1.71 billion
tons of carbon from energy alone in 2020. That same year clean energy accounted for 12.5% of
energy production. Ideally the country and the globe would run entirely off clean renewable
resources, but this is not feasible to do immediately. An investment and a change over time is
the most realistic solution to this problem. Many countries have joined the Paris Climate Accords
which promises for their countries to be carbon neutral by 2050, China has set 2060 as their date.
“countries representing more than 65 % of harmful greenhouse gasses and more than 70 % of
the world economy will have committed to achieve net zero emissions by the middle of the
century” (Guterres). Further investment in renewable would not only be beneficial for the
environment, as technology improves cost of running renewable resources has dropped year

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over year to lower than coal plants. This provides not only a moral incentive but a financial
incentive to move towards a more sustainable power grid.

As shown in the figure above based on the study conducted by IRENA in 2018 the crossover point
was reached in 2020. It is also estimated that transitioning to renewable energy will create 18
million jobs even counting ones lost in the fossil fuel energy (Gutteres). Based on the information
available moving towards carbon neutral energy production will be a great benefit in combating

Price comparisons by power source

Solar Photovoltaic 2018 This figure shows the price per kWh by varying power overtime
sources

climate change and ocean acidification and has the biproduct of being smart economic policy.

Ways You Can Help

During the transition to renewable energy current polluting factors should be reduced in as many
was as possible. This does not just apply to energy production but all facets of human life. Easy
ways that anyone can make a difference are to reduce plastic waste, carpool or bike to your
destinations, and reduce meat intake. The last one is the most impactful as livestock farming
produces more greenhouse gasses than all forms of transportation combined. These small
lifestyle changes if adopted by everyone, or the vast majority, would be a strong starting point in
reducing the negative impacts on our oceans.

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Conclusion

Ocean acidification has been accelerating since the start of the industrial revolution and has wide
ranging impacts on marine life. From dissolving carbonate shells and skeletons and destroying
coral. However, these impacts to marine calcifiers also spread up the food chain to affect the
entire oceanic ecosystem. These impacts are not limited to just marine life humans are also
impacted by the changes in the ecosystem from reduced food choices to loss of medicinal
research the effects of ocean acidification will be felt by everyone on the planet. The factors
causing this problem should be mitigated as soon as possible to limit their long-term impacts on
humans and marine life alike. These factors can be attacked by everyone on the planet by making
small lifestyle changes that when added up can make a large difference. However, the most
effective way to reduce ocean acidification will be to limit the amount of carbon that is released
by shifting towards clean energy.

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References:

Chan, Chin Yee. (2018). Prospects and challenges of fish on food security in Africa. Global Food
Security. 20. 17-25. 10.1016/j.gfs.2018.12.002.

Falkenberg. “Ocean Acidification Affects Our Health in Many Ways.” Climatechangepost.com,

Climate Change Post, www.climatechangepost.com/news/2020/8/21/ocean-acidification-
affects-our-health-many-ways/.

Guterres, Antonio. “Carbon Neutrality by 2050: The World's Most Urgent Mission Secretary-
General.” United Nations, United Nations, www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/articles/2020-12-
11/carbon-neutrality-2050-the-world%E2%80%99s-most-urgent-mission.

“Nuclear Technology Can Help Mitigate Ocean Acidification Caused by Climate Change.”
Ocean Acidification, OA-ICC, 17 Feb. 2021, news-oceanacidification-
icc.org/2021/02/17/nuclear-technology-can-help-mitigate-ocean-acidification-caused-by-
climate-change/.

“Ocean Acidification.” Know Your Ocean, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 6 Feb. 2019,
www.whoi.edu/know-your-ocean/ocean-topics/how-the-ocean-works/ocean-
chemistry/ocean-acidification/.

“Ocean Acidification.” Ocean Acidification | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, www.noaa.gov/education/resource-
collections/ocean-coasts/ocean-acidification.

Pomponi, Shirley A. “Do Medicines Come from the Sea?” Do Medicines Come from the Sea? :
Ocean Exploration Facts: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research,
oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/facts/medicinesfromsea.html.

“Solar Photovoltaic.” IRENA International Renewable Energy Agency, IRENA,

www.irena.org/costs/Charts/Solar-photovoltaic.