British scientists say the current level of carbon dioxide emissions will wipe out about 30 per cent of the world’s marine species by the end of the century.
Much of the carbon dioxide put into the atmosphere through fossil fuel burning is being absorbed by the world’s oceans, causing them to acidify.
Scientists at Plymouth University in England have examined underwater volcanoes, where carbon dioxide bubbles naturally, to see how marine life copes in acidic water.
Dr Jason Hall Spencer says a lot of organisms cannot survive in such conditions.
“What we notice, unfortunately, is there’s very dramatic shifts in the ecosystem,” he said.
“There’s a tipping point that occurs at about the levels of ocean acidification we expect to see at the end of this century.
“But even before that, even within the next few years, the water becomes corrosive to the shells of organisms and some corals can’t survive.”
The new research was presented at a meeting in Vancouver.
ABC News, 21 February 2012. Article.
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