What effect does ocean acidification have on corals and shellfish?
What effect does ocean acidification have on corals and shellfish? For good reason, ocean acidification is sometimes called “osteoporosis of the sea.” Ocean acidification can create conditions that eat away at the minerals used by oysters, clams, lobsters, shrimp, coral reefs, and other marine life to build their shells and skeletons. How does ocean acidification affect shellfish? For oysters, scallops and other shellfish, lower pH means less carbonate, which they rely on to build their essential shells. As acidity increases, shells become thinner, growth slows down and death rates rise. Which shellfish is particularly susceptible to ocean acidification? Shelled mollusks...