Question

Drag each item to indicate whether it supports ocean acidification or ocean warming.
Ocean Acidification Evidence & Ocean Warming Evidence
1) Larger concentration of carbonic acid
2) Difficult for some species to make shells
3) Growing difficulty in absorbing carbon dioxide
4) Expansion of ocean volume
5) Melting of glaciers and ice caps
6) Organisms more prone to illness

Answer 1

Ocean Acidification Evidence
- 1) Larger concentration of carbonic acid — CO2 dissolved in seawater forms carbonic acid, lowering pH.
- 2) Difficult for some species to make shells — acidification reduces carbonate ions needed for shell/skeleton formation.

Ocean Warming Evidence
- 3) Growing difficulty in absorbing carbon dioxide — warmer water holds less CO2, so ocean uptake decreases.
- 4) Expansion of ocean volume — thermal expansion as seawater warms raises sea level.
- 5) Melting of glaciers and ice caps — caused by warming, which adds freshwater to the oceans and raises sea level.
- 6) Organisms more prone to illness — higher temperatures stress marine life and favor pathogens, increasing disease.