The ocean absorbs around 30% of carbon dioxide (CO2) released to the atmosphere as a result of human activities. As CO2 dissolves in seawater, it forms carbonic acid, decreasing the ocean's pH. This is called ocean acidification. The acidity of the ocean has increased by 26% since the beginning of the industrial era. define anthropogenic activities, describe how such activities can have a negative effect on ocean acidification and climate change, and provide some solutions to overcome these issues.

 

To put it simply, anthropogenic activities are the actions done by humans. These actions may have positive or negative impact on the environment. During the industrial era, they discovered a new form of energy source which is the fossil fuels. Until today, it is still one of the main source of energy for human advancement. Burning fossil fuels can produce great amount of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and can increase the acidity of the ocean. The acidification of the ocean can affect marine life such as corals and planktons and make it hard for them to build up their shells and skeleton. Due to the acidification, the existing shells of some mollusc may dissolve entirely. Since it also affects the corals, fishes may have a hard time finding a habitat that can help them survive and can affect the whole ecosystem.

An increase amount of concentration of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide also affects our climate. They accumulate in the atmosphere and warm the climate (global warming) and may result to many changes in the world like melting of ice caps. In fighting problems like these, humans should work together. Instead of using fossil fuels, we can opt for a more environmental friendly source of energy like solar energy and geothermal energy. Reforestation is also a good solution to the climates problem by reducing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and can provide habitat to other animals. Raising awareness of the people towards global warming is also a great solution to the issue. If there are more people that cooperates, our success will be even greater.