Ocean acidification is the ongoing decrease in ocean pH caused primarily by uptake of anthropogenic CO₂ from the atmosphere, leading to shifts in the seawater carbonate system. Dissolved CO₂ forms carbonic acid, which dissociates to release hydrogen ions and convert carbonate ions to bicarbonate, reducing carbonate saturation states critical for calcifying organisms (e.g., corals, coccolithophores, mollusks). Research focuses on quantifying pH and aragonite/calcite saturation changes, organismal and ecosystem responses, biogeochemical feedbacks, and interactions with other stressors such as warming and deoxygenation, using observations, laboratory experiments, mesocosms, and Earth system models.
A 113-million-year-old marine murder mystery may finally be solved. Using chemical clues locked inside microscopic fossils, Northwestern University scientists found evidence that ocean acidification drove one of the largest ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 30, 2026
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From "heat wave simulators" to ecological boot camps, scientists and conservationists are trying ways to revive and reinforce the famous coral reefs off Japan's Okinawa, decimated by climate-driven bleaching two summers ago.
Ecology
Jul 29, 2026
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As the planet warms, countries around the world are racing to meet their net-zero targets set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement.
Earth Sciences
Jul 24, 2026
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Since the first major bleaching event in 1996, Hawaiian corals have been subject to increasing heat stress and more frequent bleaching events. New research from oceanographers at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa used high-resolution ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 23, 2026
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A new review in Limnology and Oceanography led by scientists at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography warns that the rapid loss of oxygen from the ocean and other aquatic ecosystems is pushing Earth toward an ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 17, 2026
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When most people hear the phrase "ocean acidification," they think of coral reefs, shellfish or declining fisheries. Those concerns are real. But while working on our recent research, I found myself asking a different question: ...
A new Stanford-led study offers the clearest picture yet of how some ocean life survived our planet's biggest mass extinction while most animals did not. About 252 million years ago, 96% of marine species and 70% of land ...
Evolution
Jul 10, 2026
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261
An ongoing research project exploring the effects of rising levels of oceanic CO2 on squid neurology reveals that exposure to future levels of ocean acidification could shrink their brain volume by around 50%. This severe ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 8, 2026
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Microscopic plankton are among the most important organisms on Earth. Phytoplankton produce around half of the oxygen we breathe, while plankton as a whole underpin marine food webs, support fisheries, help regulate carbon ...
Environment
Jun 29, 2026
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The eastern tropical Pacific Ocean is known for its large low-oxygen zones that are increasing in size, putting marine life at risk. New research shows that 15 million years ago, the opposite was true.
Earth Sciences
Jun 26, 2026
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