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How does ocean acidification disrupt marine food webs?
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Worker in the Tsukiji fish market, Tokyo.
Ocean acidification disrupts marine food webs primarily by altering the chemistry of seawater, which creates significant physiological challenges for marine organisms and threatens the stability of entire ecosystems.1
- Impact on Calcifiers: Increased acidity reduces the availability of carbonate ions, making it difficult for organisms like coral, shellfish, and pteropods to build and maintain their shells and skeletons. As these organisms struggle to grow, they become smaller and more vulnerable to predators.1
- Predator-Prey Imbalance: The decline of key species, such as pteropods—which serve as a food source for krill and whales—forces predators to switch to new food sources, causing population declines and placing unsustainable pressure on other species.1
- Physiological Stress: Larger animals, including squid and fishes, may suffer from acidosis, which impairs their respiration, growth, and reproduction.1
- Habitat Loss: The degradation of coral reefs and cold-water coral communities reduces essential habitats, further threatening the biodiversity that supports healthy marine fisheries.1
These disruptions pose a severe threat to the health of marine ecosystems and the stability of food chains upon which human populations rely.12