Our Blue Backyard

December 2024

Every time we burn fossil fuels or cut down forests on land, the ocean absorbs a huge amount of the carbon dioxide that’s released. Oceans are like giant sponges that absorb about 30% of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. That might seem like a good thing, because less carbon dioxide in the air should mean slower global warming. However, the carbon dioxide in the ocean is changing the ocean’s chemistry and making it more acidic. This process is called ocean acidification, and it has increased by 30% since the Industrial Revolution.

Ocean acidification is causing huge problems for marine life, especially for shelled organisms like oysters. For example, acidification makes it harder for oysters to build their shells, and it causes existing oyster shells to dissolve faster. This means that oyster populations are under threat, as well as the habitats that they create for marine life and the coastal protection they provide for humans.