Ocean acidification refers to the lowering of the ocean’s pH due to the uptake of anthropogenic CO2 from the atmosphere. Coral reef calcification is expected to decrease as the oceans become more acidic. Dissolving calcium carbonate (CaCO3) sands could greatly exacerbate reef loss associated with reduced calcification but is presently poorly ...

This four-page brochure provides an introduction to ocean and coastal acidification, its effects on marine life, why the Northeast is especially vulnerable, research priorities for the region, and what people can do to fight coastal acidification. The information in the brochure is adapted from NECAN's 2015 Oceanography article. 

Appendicularians are free-swimming tunicates that are common in most oceans, coastal waters, and estuaries. They build delicate, gelatinous houses that they use to filter food from the water. This study found that appendicularian abundance increased with ocean acidification, warmer temperatures, and higher nutrient levels. This suggests that appendicularians will play ...

Sea urchin larvae from the Mediterranean Sea survived at higher rates under ocean acidification conditions, but they grew smaller. Warmer temperatures increased survival and growth rates of the larvae. The results suggest that ocean acidification and warming could boost populations of the sea urchin, increasing its impact on shallow Mediterranean ...

The immune responses of grazing isopods (Idotea balthica) in the Baltic Sea dropped by 60 to 80 percent after the isopods were placed in ocean acidification conditions for 20 days. In addition, isopods from a low salinity site, where their health was already compromised, suffered 100 percent mortality when placed ...

Brittlestar arms regenerated 30 percent more slowly under ocean acidification conditions. (Laboratory study)

Brittlestar arms regenerated faster in warmer water. However, they did not do so when the temperature increase was accompanied by ocean acidification conditions. This may have occurred because the brittlestars had to devote more of their energy to maintaining calcium carbonate body parts, as calcium carbonate became undersaturated when the ...

Bryozoan colonies that came from larger larvae survived better, grew faster, and reproduced sooner or produced more embryos than colonies that came from smaller larvae. These effects crossed generations, with colonies from larger larvae themselves producing larger larvae.

Eighteen marine species exposed to ocean acidification conditions for 60 days exhibited a wide range of responses. Ten of the 18 species were affected negatively with lower rates of net calcification and, in some cases, net loss of shell. Those species included temperate corals, pencil urchins, hard clams, conchs, serpulid ...

This study investigated the response of metamorphosing larvae of a tubeworm species (Hydroides elegans) to two climate change stressors—ocean acidification (pH 7.6) and low oxygen (hypoxia)—and to both combined. (Laboratory study)