Climate change: what is ocean acidification?

The ocean is getting more acidic because of climate change, it’s like when you mix lemon juice into water and it becomes sourer.

Imagine the ocean as a big bathtub full of water, and the air around it is like a bubble that helps keep things balanced. When we burn things like coal or gas, we put out carbon dioxide, which goes into the air and then gets absorbed by the ocean, kind of like when you blow bubbles into the bathtub.

But here's the twist: when carbon dioxide mixes with water, it makes something called carbonic acid. It’s like adding a little bit of lemon juice to the water in your bathtub, not enough to hurt you, but over time, it starts making the water more sour.

This is ocean acidification. The ocean is getting more acidic because there's more carbon dioxide being added to it all the time, just like if you kept adding spoonfuls of lemon juice into your bathtub every day.

Think about how some people feel when they drink too much soda, it can make their teeth feel tingly. That’s kind of what happens to sea creatures like shellfish and corals: the more acidic the ocean becomes, the harder it is for them to build and keep their shells and skeletons. The ocean is getting more acidic because of climate change, it’s like when you mix lemon juice into water and it becomes sourer.

Imagine the ocean as a big bathtub full of water, and the air around it is like a bubble that helps keep things balanced. When we burn things like coal or gas, we put out carbon dioxide, which goes into the air and then gets absorbed by the ocean, kind of like when you blow bubbles into the bathtub.

But here's the twist: when carbon dioxide mixes with water, it makes something called carbonic acid. It’s like adding a little bit of lemon juice to the water in your bathtub, not enough to hurt you, but over time, it starts making the water more sour.

This is ocean acidification. The ocean is getting more acidic because there's more carbon dioxide being added to it all the time, just like if you kept adding spoonfuls of lemon juice into your bathtub every day.