Addressing Ocean Acidification on Two Coasts
808 views · Published 26 November 2010 · 6:01 · Indexed 20 September 2026
Channel: PBS NewsHour · 2010 · News & Politics
An Environmental Protection Agency memo on ocean acidification played a role in the settlement of a lawsuit that challenged the EPA's failure to address the issue under the Clean Water Act. To help us understand the topic from both coasts we spoke to Heather Goldstone of the Climatide blog covering Cape Cod, and Cassandra Profita of the Ecotrope blog in Oregon. Concern over ocean acidification is heightened by the focus on climate change. The process of ocean acidification is not new, but many climatologists worry that its expedited pace is a result of increased carbon emissions. Because oceans occupy 70 percent of the planet's surface, they are more greatly exposed to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The ocean acts as a sponge and soaks some of that carbon, creating carbonic acid which can erode the shells of shellfish. The tiniest shellfish are food for larger fish, and this passes upward through the commercial fishing industry and the millions of people who eat seafood. Follow @Ecotrope, @Climatide and @Hari on Twitter
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