Environmental Protection  Rising Acidity in Oceans Posts Threat
to Shellfish and Humans  The acidity in the oceans is rising,
which will ultimately threaten marine animals, the seafood
industry, and the health of humans who consume the affected
shellfish.  Rising acidity has negatively impacted the West
Coast’s $110 million oyster industry, but it will also begin to
threaten other marine animals and the seafood industry. The
health of humans that eat the affected shellfish may also be at
risk. Since the Industrial Revolution, the world’s oceans have
become 30% more acidic. In that amount of time, the seas have
absorbed 500 billion tons of carbon dioxide, which has built up
in the atmosphere primarily from the burning of fossil fuels.
According to scientists, the oceans have buffered the full
effects of climate change by absorbing the greenhouse gas, but
the benefits of that buffer have come at a cost to marine life.
Oysters, clams, and corals that rely on minerals from alkaline
seawater to build their protec