For juvenile hard-shell clams, ocean acidification alone or in combination with low salinity reduced the hardness and fracture toughness of their shells. This may reduce protection against predators. Salinity should be taken into account when predicting the effects of ocean acidification on estuarine bivalves. (Laboratory study)

Climate change, rising atmospheric carbon dioxide, excess nutrient inputs, and pollution in its many forms are fundamentally altering the chemistry of the ocean, often on a global scale and, in some cases, at rates greatly exceeding those in the historical and recent geological record. Major observed trends include a shift ...

This paper reports nearly 20 years of measurements of seawater pH and associated parameters at Station ALOHA in the central North Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. The data show a long-term decrease of approximately 0.0019 pH units per year.

Ocean acidification increased the rate at which sponges bored into scallop shells. At pH 7.8, sponges bored twice the number of papillar holes and removed two times more shell weight than at pH 8.1. Greater erosion caused by the lower pH weakened the scallop shells. A warmer water temperature had ...

Common sunstar larvae and juveniles in ocean acidification conditions grew faster without apparent effects on survival or body structure. Unlike the larvae of some other sea star species that feed on plankton, larval common sunstars rely on nutrition provided in their egg. This difference in life history may enable some ...

Brittlestar larvae died within 8 days after being transferred into acidified seawater (pH 7.9). The larvae had reduced growth and abnormal development and body structure. The brittlestar used in this study, Ophiothrix fragilis, dominates the seabed ecosystem off northwestern Europe, and the findings suggest that ocean acidification could lead to ...

Green sea urchins were able to adjust their internal pH level within 5 days after being placed in ocean acidification conditions, but sea stars (Leptasterias polaris) were not. Internal pH did not appear to be related to immune response. (Laboratory study)

In the gulf toadfish, respiratory gas transport and acid–base balance are affected by ocean acidification. While the full physiological impacts are not known, the changes could compromise several physiological systems. (Laboratory study)

This field study in Papua New Guinea examined the effects of natural carbon dioxide seeps on coral reef ecosystems. At reduced pH, coral diversity was lower, population replenishment and abundance of some corals decreased, and interactions among species changed. Reef development ceased below pH 7.7. Ocean acidification, together with warmer ...

Ocean acidification did not have a major impact at the cellular level in the gill epithelia of green crabs. (Laboratory study)