The Cause and Consequences of Ocean Acidification [Video]

Giving Compass’ Take:

• Triona McGrath explains how ocean acidification occurs and the consequences the process has on marine ecosystems. 

• How can funders work to increase awareness about ocean acidification? What can be done to protect ecosystems from ocean acidification?

• Learn about ocean acidification to come. 

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As we keep pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, more of it is dissolving in the oceans, leading to drastic changes in the water’s chemistry. Triona McGrath researches this process, known as ocean acidification, and in this talk she takes us for a dive into an oceanographer’s world. Learn more about how the ‘evil twin of climate change’ is impacting the ocean — and the life that depends on it.

There has already been an increase in ocean acidity of 26 percent since pre-industrial times, which is directly due to human activities. Unless we can start slowing down our carbon dioxide emissions, we’re expecting an increase in ocean acidity of 170 percent by the end of this century. I mean this is within our children’s lifetime. This rate of acidification is 10 times faster than any acidification in our oceans for over 55 million years.So our marine life have never, ever experienced such a fast rate of change before. So we literally could not know how they’re going to cope.

Read the full article on ocean acidification by Triona McGrath at TED.