Effects of ocean acidification on benthic marine species and ecosystems

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As anthropogenic carbon dioxide is absorbed by the oceans, it alters carbonate chemistry and leads to reductions in pH and carbonate ion availability. This process, know as ocean acidification (OA), will result in oceanic pH levels not seen in many millions of years being reached well before the end of this century. Because massive ecological changes, including population collapses, disruption of food webs, and loss of ecosystem function, are likely to result, OA is considered to be the single greatest threat to marine ecosystems. To date, documented effects of acidification include impairment of larval development, reductions in growth, dissolution of shells and skeletons, and direct mortality. Although effects of OA on individual performance are increasingly well described, we cannot currently predict how ocean acidification will affect the things that people care about the most, like harvestable population size and biodiversity.