Deforestation and the use of fossil fuels have led to a large increase in anthropogenic carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. Since the Industrial Revolution, atmospheric CO2 concentrations have increased from around 280 parts per million to over 390 parts per million; and has recently been calculated to increase by 1.5-2 parts per million per year (Kudela, 2013). This sharp increase in atmospheric CO2 has impacted the ocean and can be seen by increased levels of CO2 gas in seawater. When the CO2-rich atmosphere comes into contact with the ocean surface, CO2 is easily absorbed which causes the pH of seawater to become more acidic. Many enzymes and processes that occur in the ocean, such as test construction, are sensitive to pH (Calderia, 2003). Any change in pH would result in disruption of important functions whose outcome is uncertain. Many marine organisms, such as corals, algae, and pretty much anything with a shell, rely on CaCO3 to form their hard parts. An increase in ocean acidity causes this CaCO3 to dissolve rapidly and generally makes it more difficult for these organisms to build their calcifying parts (Kleypas, 1999). If we maintain this current rate of CO2 increase, ocean pH is predicted to decrease. by 0.5 by 2100 (Kudela, 2013). While there are still those who refuse to believe that rising CO2 levels have a negative effect on the environment, it cannot be argued that there is no evidence of ocean acidification. If we're not on the same page now, there may come a day when you go on vacation to Hawaii and there will no longer be beautiful corals and their fish to see while you snorkel. When it comes to ocean acidification, the media typically ...... middle of paper ......Newsom, L.A. (2013). The impact of ocean acidification on the functional morphology of Foraminifera. PLoS ONE, 8(12), 1-4.Kleypas, J. A. (1999). Geochemical consequences of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide on coral reefs. Science, 284(5411), 118-120. Kudela, R., & Sverdrup, K. (2013). The chemistry of sea water. Ocean sciences (pp. 141-144). United States: McGraw-Hill Education.Le Quesne, W. J., & Pinnegar, J. K. (2012). The potential impacts of ocean acidification: moving from physiology to fisheries. Fish and Fisheries, 13(3), 333-344.Nienhuis, S.; Palmer, A.; Harley, C. (2010). “Elevated CO2 affects the rate of shell dissolution but not the rate of calcification in a marine snail.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B 277 (1693): 2553–2558.Roleda, M. Y., Boyd, P. W., & Hurd, C. L. (2012). Before ocean acidification: Calcifier chemistry lesson. Journal of Physiology, 48(4), 840-843.