As a child, I spent most many summers playing on the beaches of the Jersey shore. I loved the warm blanket of sand, the shrill cawing of the seagulls, and most of all, I loved the ocean blue.

I still get that warm, melting feeling of nostalgia whenever I think of the ocean. It’s my second home. And while I don’t like to think of it, I know the human race has damaged our oceans.  It’s a crime we’re all guilty of - and we’re definitely paying the price.

Scientists have been cautioning us about the consequences of climate change since the 1800’s, when Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius first claimed that fossil combustion would result in the warming of earth’s atmosphere. Since then, the Earth’s temperature has mounted an alarming 1.33 degrees fahrenheit.

This climate change not only has disastrous effects for our atmosphere, but our ocean as well.
Our ocean is a carbon sink- which means it has the ability to soak up large quantities of carbon from the atmosphere. While a certain amount of carbon in the ocean is ok, normal even, the current amount in the ocean is ominous to say the least.

As per the National Ocean Service, our Ocean is absorbing 30% of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. When excess carbon dioxide dissolves in the water, it goes through a chemical reaction with seawater to form carbonic acid. This Carbonic Acid lowers pH levels, and thus increases the Ocean’s acidity.

The National Center for Biotechnology Information describes Carbonic acid as the combination of carbon dioxide and water. It exists in various forms, including in its salts (carbonates) and in its acid salts ( hydrogen carbonates). These carbonates present in carbonic acid cause altered situations for “calcifying” organisms such as clams, corals, oysters, sea urchins, and calcareous plankton, as they interfere with calcium carbonate minerals.

How exactly does this work? As the PMEL Carbon Program documents, Carbonic Acid lowers the saturation states of calcium carbonate minerals. These Calcium Carbonate minerals are what calcifying organisms depend on to build their shells. With the perpetuated ocean acidification, the ocean is losing these precious minerals. This inhibits these organisms’ ability to create their shells; and thus protect themselves. Marine Creatures that were once numerous in population are now at risk for endangerment, possibly even extinction.

To visualize the qualms of Ocean Acidification, just take the example of the Pteropod, or the “sea butterfly”. The pteropod is a sea snail, about the size of a pea. They are transparent, and use wing-like flaps called parapodia to swim.  The West Coast Ocean Acidification group conducted an experiment with these creatures in which they placed Pteropods in seawater with projected pH levels for the year 2100. After 45 days, the Pteropods shells’ completely dissolved.

This clearly poses a problem for the marine ecosystem, as organisms ranging from krill to large mammals rely on calcifying organisms just like Pteropods for food. The death of these organisms may endanger the entire marine population. And for the one billion people who rely on seafood as their main source of protein, they too will feel the fare. The rise in acidity damages the economy of developing villages in countries such as Japan and Bangladesh, where fishermen are the families’ breadwinners. The lack of fish puts these communities into further depression, with less of a chance at sustainable civilization.

Ocean Acidification also puts corals at risk, as they rely on calcium carbonate to form. The lack of calcium carbonate is especially detrimental in larval stages of a coral’s life, where it is just beginning to build its structure. During this young age, corals require copious amounts of calcium carbonate minerals. As the Climate Interpreter notes, there have been numerous studies documenting a 52-73% decline in larval settlements in reefs with higher acidification rates.

The problem of Ocean Acidification first emerged after the Industrial Revolution, when according to the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the U.S. made the switch to factories. In fact, since the Industrial Revolution, the ocean’s acidity has increased by 30%. Future predictions aren’t looking too better either. The National Climate Assessment documents our current pH to be 8.1. By the end of the century, this number could drop to 7.8. (the lower the number the higher the acidity). These are drastic changes that haven’t been experienced by our planet for the last 100 million years - and it’s impossible to know if ocean life will be able to survive under these conditions.

The main cause of ocean acidification is the increased temperature of earth’s atmosphere - or global warming. The main culprit behind global warming is human activities, such as the constant emission of fossil fuels.

Our government is guilty of disregarding the bountiful scientific evidence that highlights the ramifications of climate change, and have made timid steps for more eco-friendly legislation. Instead, a business oligarchy has seemingly taken control. What needs to be brought to the legislators is the grave costs of Ocean Acidification.

In order to change the ocean’s fate, we need to work together as a community.
There are small things each and every one of us can do in our regular lives to make a change. Avoid products that use palm oil - you can do this by looking for the RSPO label or the Green Palm label. These labels indicate that the product uses none or minimal palm oil. Use minimal electricity and shut off the water while you are brushing your teeth. Speak with your senators or congressmen about how you can make a change. These little actions can postpone the disastrous effects of global warming. As a community, we can do so much to make a change. We’ve depended on our planet for years now, and now it’s for us to give back.

I don’t want the existence of our blue beautiful oceans to fade from memory. I want my children to see the beauty of the ocean. To feel what I once felt. To feel the tranquility and see all those organisms prospering. But it’s a harsh reality that most of these organisms that I see now will be nothing but a picture from a science textbook in the future.

The effects of Ocean Acidification will destroy our future - it’s time to recognize the high price we’re paying.