Marine organisms use carbonate ions to form calcium carbonate, a critical component to many shells and exoskeletons. The bonding of hydrogen ions with carbonate ions reduces the amount of free carbonate ions available for calcification.
pH is really a measure of the relative amount of free hydrogen and hydroxyl ions in the water. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. pHs less than 7 are acidic while pHs greater than 7 are alkaline (basic).
With unchecked carbon emissions, more and more anthropomorphic carbon will end up absorbed by the ocean, increasing the acidity and decreasing the amount of carbonate ions available for calcification. The resulting structural change, while seemingly small, can have a catastrophic impact on the ocean's ecosystems.
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