Life Ocean Acidification

Absorption of CO2 by the ocean plays a large role in global climate. Because carbon dioxide and water form carbonic acid, the H2CO3 concentration in the ocean increases as the water absorbs atmospheric CO2. Most of the carbon in the ocean, however, is in the form of HC03 and CO ions, which form a buffer system that maintains the ocean s pH between 8.0 and 8.3. The pH of the ocean is predicted to decrease as the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere increases, as discussed in the Chemistry and Life box on ocean acidification in Section 17.5. 

Reaction A is the same reaction by which ocean acidification (Box 11-1) can destroy marine life in the ocean. 

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