Ocean Acidification What is ocean acidification? (OA) A reduction in ocean pH due to the uptake of anthropogenic CO2. The Amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is increasing We are at the highest level of CO2 we?ve had in a millions years Debates about the effects of high CO2 levels and its cause Not open for discussion The Chemistry of the ocean is dependent on the chemistry of the atmosphere Natural process If you increase CO2 in atmosphere by diffusion you increase the CO2 levels in the ocean What we do to the atmosphere, we also do to the ocean OCEAN IS NOT AN ACID Ocean is becoming less basic, not more acidic Chemistry of it: CO2 reacts with H20 HCO3 (bicarbonate) H (hydrogen) CO2 + H2O => HCO3 + H Water becomes more acidic the more CO2 it contains