In May 2011 a group of scientist went up to Norway to test how the ocean life is reacting to the rise in chemical acidity of the ocean. As acid levels rise marine life is experiencing new problems that they never had to face before, a decrease in one species could jeopardize a whole ecosystem and even harm us. As Carbon dioxide levels rise the ocean absorbs them and create carbonic acid which can kill many species. These scientist have found that the oceans have become more than 30 precent more acidic than they were 150 years ago, and that by the end of this century that number may have doubled. "Life is flexible, so some organisms will be able to adapt and evolve. But the worry today is that the change is happening so fast that many may not have time to ajust." says Gatusso, one of the scientist working on the project.
Their project test all organism from the bacteria level towards large fish. And how the lowered pH levels will affect them each. They have found that animals with calcium base skeletons or parts such as; crabs and corals, are the most affected. This is troubleing beacuse corals are a source of food and shelter for many animals and without them many species could suffer. And with 1 billion of people relying on the ocean for food it has become a very big problem.
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