Increased acidity is bad news for coral reefs and creatures whose shells are
made from calcium carbonate, but how does it affect the entire food web?
The science of how soured waters will affect marine life is still young, but the evidence so far suggests that the hardest hit will be organisms that have shells or skeletons
built from calcium carbonate, including corals, mollusks, and many plankton.
One of the most critical effects of increasing ocean acidity relates to the production of shells, skeletons, and
plates from calcium carbonate, a process known as calcification.
If there is a reaction, the fossilized material is likely made
from calcium carbonate.
Ocean acidification can negatively affect marine life, causing organisms» shells and skeletons made
from calcium carbonate to dissolve.
But in sea water, the gas reacts to produce carbonic acid - a threat for organisms building their shells and skeletons
from calcium carbonate.
England's famous White Cliffs of Dover, for example, are made
from calcium carbonate, or limestone.
The increased levels of carbonic acid in the water means there are less carbonate ions available in seawater for making shells, meaning that thousands of species that build shells or skeletons
from calcium carbonate are in danger of extinction.
Finally, they found a company to provide a «neoprene» layer made
from calcium carbonate (limestone) and thus no nasty petroleum or PVC.