The ocean is an essential component of our planet. It covers 71 percent of the surface of the Earth, storing and transporting heat energy, supplying half the oxygen needed by living things, and influencing weather patterns.
There are a number of ways that we can help to protect the world’s oceans, but the most effective is to educate ourselves and make changes in our lives that will keep our oceans healthy for generations to come. These steps include choosing nontoxic products, reducing waste, eating sustainable seafood, and volunteering to protect marine habitats.
Our oceans are the largest body of water in the world, but they’re still a mystery to scientists. Almost 80 percent of the surface of the ocean has never been mapped, studied, or even seen by human eyes.
As the oceans have grown warmer and more acidic over time, they’ve begun to impact life on land. This is known as ocean acidification, and it’s a direct result of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Currently, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is about 400 parts per million (ppm). This has grown significantly over the years as humans have burned fossil fuels, including coal.
Since the Industrial Revolution, this increase in CO2 has resulted in oceans becoming more acidic, and the rate at which they’re changing is accelerating. This is causing damage to the coral reefs, marine life, and other ecosystems in the sea.
There are a number of factors that are contributing to the changing pH value of ocean water, but it’s most important to understand that there are differences across the different regions and temperatures in the ocean. For example, oceans near the polar regions are generally less acidic than those farther south. This is because the water in these areas is colder, so it’s better at absorbing and dissolving carbon dioxide than in the warm, tropical regions of the ocean.
Another way that our planet’s oceans are becoming more acidic is due to increased rainfall. Rainwater picks up carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as it falls, and it washes it into rivers leading to the ocean. This acidic water is then carried to the ocean, where it dissolves into the seawater.
Because the water in the ocean is largely salty, this acidic substance is also able to corrode metals and other minerals that are naturally present in rocks and soil. This is why a lot of salt is found in the ocean’s water, and it is the primary reason for the seawater’s high concentration of sodium chloride.
As carbon dioxide levels rise, ocean acidification is a serious threat to the health of our marine ecosystems and other living organisms in the ocean. This is a concern for everyone, and it’s one that we must address in order to ensure the future of our planet.
The biggest problem with our oceans right now is the growing amount of pollution that is causing them to become more acidic and dangerous to marine life. This pollution is caused by a variety of activities, from industrial pollutants to pesticides and herbicides that leach into waterways, causing harm to marine life.