About Leadership FAQ
Home Privacy policy Terms of use
Contact Us
Ask AI

Discover

Disclaimer: Ocean Central’s chatbot is an AI-powered tool that generates responses based on publicly available information from credible sources such as IPCC reports, peer-reviewed research by Professor Carlos Duarte, and a leading oceanography textbook. It may also search the web for additional content while filtering out known low-quality sources. Please note that all responses are automatically generated and may include factual or contextual inaccuracies. These responses do not represent the views or opinions of Wave and should not be interpreted as professional or scientific advice. Wave accepts no responsibility or liability for any actions, decisions, or outcomes resulting from the use of this tool.

Browse Methodology

We value your privacy

We use cookies to improve Ocean Central’s site. Some cookies are necessary for our website to function properly. Other cookies are optional and help personalize your experience. You can consent to all cookies or required cookies only. You can change your preferences at any time. To learn more, view our Cookie Policy.

Mitigate Climate Change - Acidity - Ocean Central

Overview Insights Act

As oceans absorb increasing amounts of carbon dioxide, chemical reactions form carbonic acid, lowering seawater pH and reducing the availability of carbonate ions needed by corals, shellfish, and plankton to build skeletons and shells.

Ocean acidification now affects nearly every marine ecosystem, with cascading consequences for biodiversity, food security, and coastal economies. Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network provides global data on pH changes and their impacts, helping guide mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Key Stats

Average Acidity
Map:

Globally, the average ocean pH has decreased by 0.1 pH units since the Industrial Revolution.

2025 Goal

Minimize Ocean Acidification

Target 14.3 calls for minimizing and addressing the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation, monitoring, and reducing COâ‚‚ emissions that drive chemical changes in seawater.

Source: United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
2030 Goal

Pollution and Hazardous Activities

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework target 16 aims to eliminate or minimize the impacts of pollution and hazardous activities on biodiversity, which includes chemical changes in the ocean such as acidification that threaten marine species and ecosystems.

Source: Convention on Biological Diversity
Acidity Data Report
  • Temporal Coverage

    40Years

  • Data Frequency
    Sufficient - At least 2 data points available for trend analysis AND at least one data point in the last 7 years
  • Geographic Range
    100% of global data available
  • Goal Assessment
    2025 Goal - Low Quality (Broad)
  • 2030 Goal – Low Quality (Broad)
Data Availability

There is still so much we do not know about our oceans. 

Join us in filling critical gaps in ocean data.

Steadily declining ocean pH weakens the foundations of marine life.

Corals and shell-forming species are struggling to survive, threatening reefs that support nearly one quarter of all ocean biodiversity. Acidification also impairs fish behavior and nutrient cycling, compounding the effects of warming and deoxygenation.

These impacts are uneven across regions: coastal waters are experiencing more extreme and rapid pH swings due to runoff, upwelling, and pollution. In polar seas, acidification is advancing faster than anywhere else on Earth as cold water absorbs COâ‚‚ more readily.

If current trends continue, there is a risk that parts of the ocean could become corrosive to some marine life. Expanding global monitoring, restoring blue carbon ecosystems such as seagrasses and mangroves, and cutting emissions are critical to slowing this chemical transformation and preserving the ocean’s role as a life-support system for the planet.

Biodiversity at Risk

Ocean acidification harms marine life that relies on calcium carbonate, including corals, shellfish, and plankton to build strong exoskeletons. As seawater chemistry shifts, coral reefs struggle to grow, threatening habitats and weakening the ecosystems that depend on them.

Critical Marine Areas
Map:

Globally, 30.2% of critical marine areas (CMAs) are impacted by significant pH trends.

Most Impacted Marine Areas CMA Impacted (%)
Bristol Channel 100
Gulf of Oman 100
Tyrrhenian Sea 100
Sulu Sea 100
Makassar Strait 100
Halmahera Sea 100
Balearic (Iberian Sea) 100
Celtic Sea 100
Mediterranean Sea - Western Basin 100
Andaman or Burma Sea 100
Laccadive Sea 100
Ligurian Sea 100
North Pacific Ocean 99.92
Indian Ocean 99.8
Tasman Sea 99.72
South Pacific Ocean 99.7
South Atlantic Ocean 99.64
North Atlantic Ocean 99.41
Arabian Sea 99.19
Coral Sea 98.84
Norwegian Sea 98.34
Mozambique Channel 98.24
Philippine Sea 98.11
Japan Sea 97.57
Bay of Bengal 97.27
Great Australian Bight 96.89
Labrador Sea 96.47
South China Sea 96.33
Caribbean Sea 95.76
Gulf of Guinea 95.09
Solomon Sea 95.08
Eastern China Sea 94.47
Timor Sea 94.33
Bering Sea 94.31
North Sea 94.13
Ionian Sea 93.71
Gulf of Mexico 92.7
Celebes Sea 92.13
Sea of Okhotsk 91.59
Barentsz Sea 91.45
Greenland Sea 91.39
Red Sea 89.95
Bass Strait 89.86
Molukka Sea 89.47
Banda Sea 89.27
Davis Strait 88.53
Southern Ocean 88.26
Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin 88.01
Hudson Bay 87.72
East Siberian Sea 87.67
Baffin Bay 87.21
Arafura Sea 86.85
Bismarck Sea 86.7
Gulf of Alaska 86.12
Flores Sea 85.75
Savu Sea 85.67
Yellow Sea 85.44
Gulf of Thailand 85.3
Laptev Sea 85.24
Java Sea 84.8
Beaufort Sea 84.46
Kara Sea 84.25
Irish Sea and St. George's Channel 83.79
Chukchi Sea 83.65
Skagerrak 80.68
Gulf of Tomini 80
Ceram Sea 79.99
Bay of Biscay 79.71
Kattegat 79.36
Aegean Sea 77.89
Gulf of Aden 77.19
Baltic Sea 76.13
Gulf of California 73.74
Gulf of St. Lawrence 72.93
Persian Gulf 72.74
Gulf of Bothnia 70.13
Bali Sea 66.72
Gulf of Boni 66.62
Hudson Strait 65.23
Malacca Strait 62.42
English Channel 60.13
Arctic Ocean 56.59
Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland 56.55
White Sea 51.99
The Coastal Waters of Southeast Alaska and British Columbia 38.4
The Northwestern Passages 36.16
Rio de La Plata 32.93
Adriatic Sea 31.58
Lincoln Sea 20.55
Alboran Sea 14.18
Gulf of Finland 10.37
Bay of Fundy 0
Gulf of Suez 0
Sea of Marmara 0
Seto Naikai or Inland Sea 0
Gulf of Riga 0
Black Sea 0
Sea of Azov 0

90%

Estimated Global Reefs that will Experience Severe Bleaching Annually by 2055

Coral Reefs
Map:

Globally, 99.7% of areas with live coral are exposed to statistically significant increased acidity.

Most Impacted Marine Areas Area Impacted (%)
Bass Strait 100
Great Australian Bight 100
Tasman Sea 100
Mozambique Channel 100
Savu Sea 100
Timor Sea 100
Bali Sea 100
Coral Sea 100
Flores Sea 100
Solomon Sea 100
Arafura Sea 100
Gulf of Boni 100
Java Sea 100
Ceram Sea 100
Bismarck Sea 100
Banda Sea 100
Gulf of California 100
Alboran Sea 100
Caribbean Sea 100
Gulf of Aden 100
Gulf of Oman 100
Red Sea 100
Persian Gulf 100
Ionian Sea 100
Tyrrhenian Sea 100
Adriatic Sea 100
Gulf of Suez 100
Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin 100
Aegean Sea 100
Sea of Marmara 100
Celebes Sea 100
Malacca Strait 100
Sulu Sea 100
Gulf of Thailand 100
Eastern China Sea 100
Philippine Sea 100
Gulf of Tomini 100
Makassar Strait 100
Halmahera Sea 100
Indian Ocean 100
Bay of Bengal 100
Arabian Sea 100
North Pacific Ocean 100
Gulf of Mexico 100
North Atlantic Ocean 100
Balearic (Iberian Sea) 100
Mediterranean Sea - Western Basin 100
Andaman or Burma Sea 100
Japan Sea 100
Laccadive Sea 100
Ligurian Sea 100
Gulf of Guinea 100
South Pacific Ocean 99.494
South China Sea 98.295
South Atlantic Ocean 97.753
Molukka Sea 94.118
Explore Coral Reef Ecosystems
GHG Emissions and Ocean Acidity

Ocean acidification is directly tied to greenhouse gas emissions. The ocean absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which helps regulate climate but also drives chemical changes that lower pH and disrupt marine ecosystems.

COâ‚‚ Emissions & Acidity
Map:

Globally, atmospheric CO₂ increased the CO₂ absorbed by the ocean, measured by the partial pressure of CO₂, by 69 μatm since 1982.

Acting now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other human-driven stressors is critical to slow ocean acidification, protect vulnerable marine species, and preserve the health and productivity of ocean ecosystems for the future.

Taking Action

  • Reduce COâ‚‚ Emissions

    Global and national strategies to mitigate climate change, including transitioning to renewable energy and carbon capture.

     

  • Protect Vulnerable Ecosystems

    Establish MPAs and buffer zones to enhance resilience of calcifying species and corals.

     

  • Monitor and Research

    Expand ocean pH monitoring networks and invest in studies on acidification impacts.

     

  • Support Adaptation in Fisheries

    Help communities shift to sustainable species and aquaculture that are less sensitive to pH changes.

     

  • Policy and International Cooperation

    Enforce climate agreements, pollution controls, and ocean management policies to limit further acidification.

     
Loading...

Case Studies 2

  • Global

    Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) — Ocean Visions Initiative

    Accelerated weathering of alkaline minerals is being developed as a frontier climate-mitigation strategy under the Ocean Visions Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) initiative. OAE works by adding alkaline substances such as crushed olivine, basalt or carbonate minerals to seawater so that dissolved COâ‚‚ is converted into stable bicarbonate and carbonate ions—locking carbon away for thousands of years. This process not only removes atmospheric COâ‚‚, but also counters ocean acidification and supports calcifying organisms. The initiative is exploring coastal and open-ocean deployment pathways, outlining the technology readiness (currently around TRL 6) and first-order priorities including field trials, monitoring, governance frameworks, and partnership development.

    Ocean Visions; global research institutions (e.g., MIT); Innovation and technology partners; Philanthropic and climate finance organizations (e.g., ClimateWorks Foundation).
    oceanvisions.org www2.oceanvisions.org
  • Global

    Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON)

    Launched in 2012, the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON) is an international monitoring initiative designed to track changes in ocean pH, identify acidification hotspots, and assess biological impacts on vulnerable species. The network integrates satellite data, moorings, autonomous floats, and community-led coastal stations to provide real-time observations critical for climate adaptation and fisheries management. GOA-ON also supports capacity building in developing nations, enabling coastal communities to monitor their own waters and respond to changing ocean chemistry.

    GOA-ON is the world’s primary system for detecting ocean acidification and informing global policy under SDG 14.3. It provides the data needed to protect coral reefs, fisheries, and food security for the 3 billion people who rely on marine resources.

    GOA-ON Secretariat; NOAA; UNESCO-IOC; Ocean Acidification Alliance; national research institutes; Indigenous and local coastal communities.
    www.goa-on.org

Data Layers

No active data to display.
View relevant data layers on the globe using the available map toggle in the top right of each card in the left panel.
Note: Loading high-resolution datasets may take up to a minute.
Use the toggle buttons in the sidebar modules to display new active data layers on the globe.

Data Layers

No active data to display.
View relevant data layers on the globe using the available map toggle in the top right of each card in the left panel.
Note: Loading high-resolution datasets may take up to a minute.
Use the toggle buttons in the sidebar modules to display new active data layers on the globe.

Data Layers

No active data to display.
View relevant data layers on the globe using the available map toggle in the top right of each card in the left panel.
Note: Loading high-resolution datasets may take up to a minute.
Use the toggle buttons in the sidebar modules to display new active data layers on the globe.