Understanding Ocean Acidification

Which gas is primarily responsible for causing ocean acidification?

• Oxygen

• Carbon dioxide

• Nitrogen

• Methane

What is the term used to describe the process by which oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?

• Photosynthesis

• Carbon sequestration

• Carbonation

• Respiration

Which marine organisms are most directly affected by the decrease in carbonate ion concentration due to ocean acidification?

• Jellyfish

• Mollusks and corals

• Sharks

• Sea otters

What is one visible effect of ocean acidification on coral reefs?

• Increased coral growth

• Coral bleaching and weakened skeletons

• More fish species

• Higher water temperature

Which of the following is a mitigation strategy to reduce ocean acidification?

• Increasing fossil fuel use

• Reducing carbon dioxide emissions

• Overfishing

• Dumping waste in the ocean

Explain how increased atmospheric carbon dioxide leads to lower pH levels in ocean water.

• By increasing oxygen production in water

• By dissolving in water to form carbonic acid, which releases hydrogen ions

• By decreasing water temperature

• By increasing salt concentration

Which of the following best describes the relationship between ocean acidification and the ability of marine organisms to form shells?

• Acidification increases shell formation

• Acidification decreases the availability of carbonate ions, making shell formation more difficult

• Acidification has no effect on shell formation

• Acidification increases the availability of calcium

• The pH will increase

• The pH will decrease

• The pH will remain the same

• The pH will fluctuate randomly

• The process increases ocean alkalinity, helping marine life

• The process increases hydrogen ion concentration, lowering pH and making it harder for organisms to form calcium carbonate structures

• The process removes all carbon dioxide from the ocean

• The process has no effect on marine life

Evaluate the effectiveness of two different mitigation strategies—reducing carbon emissions and adding alkaline substances to the ocean—in addressing ocean acidification. Which strategy is more sustainable in the long term, and why?

• Adding alkaline substances is more sustainable because it permanently fixes the pH

• Reducing carbon emissions is more sustainable because it addresses the root cause of acidification

• Both strategies are equally sustainable

• Neither strategy is effective