 |
 |
|
|
|
Ocean Acidification
In addition to the well-documented changing climate, a troubling side affect of the increasing concentrations of anthropogenic CO2 in the atmosphere is beginning to emerge. The oceans have already become 30% more acidic over the past 200 years due to the uptake of this CO2 from the atmosphere. Unfortunately we do not have sufficient knowledge about the impacts of this acidification to make sound predictions about how these changes in the chemistry of the global oceans will affect marine ecosystems. To fill this critical gap, UW scientists, in partnership with colleagues at several institutions across the country, are building a targeted research program to better understand the consequences of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems, and to determine the minimum acceptable ocean pH level that will avoid dangerous interference with the marine ecosystem.