Ocean Acidification

Basics

100

Higher pH is more (a) _____, lower pH is more (b) ______. 

(a) basic (b) acidic

200

pH levels in the ocean are decreasing/increasing

decreasing

300

What percent of carbon ends up in the ocean?

30-40%

400

What compound is formed as a result of CO2 dissolving in the ocean that contributes to ocean acidification?

Carbonic Acid

500

What is the net reaction that takes place in ocean acidification? 

CO2 + H2O + CO3−2→ 2HCO3-

Effects on Environment

100

What are marine calcifiers?

Oysters, mussles, shellfish, and coral which uses carbonate ions to build their shells and skeletons. 

200

What ions do marine calcifiers need to form shells and skeletons?

carbonate ions

300

What sense does ocean acidification affect of fish? 

Olfactory system

400

What stage of life are fish affected most by ocean acidification? 

Early life stages of fish, making them not grow to their full size at a fast rate. 

500

How is the food chain disrupted by ocean acidification?

It affects marine organisms that are at the end of the food chain, creating knock-on effects on the species that eat them, forcing them to change their diet. 

Causes

100

Name two contributors to CO2 emissions

fossil fuels and changing land-use practices

200

What ion concentration increases in ocean acidifcation?

concentration of hydrogen ions

300

What does ocean acidification interact with?

global warming

400

At what different rates does ocean acidification increase or decrease?

Depends on gradients of temperature, latitude, and depth.

500

What is the ocean compared to and why?

A sponge because it absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.