Climate & Energy Ever sinces Earth’s creation, the oceans have
been absorbing vast amounts of carbon dioxide in a system that
keeps our planet’s atmosphere in balance. Now, because of the
burning of fossil fuels, the oceans are becoming saturated with
carbon. Carbon dioxide is changing the very chemistry of the
oceans, causing them to become more acidic and jeopardizing the
future of coral reefs and organisms that produce shells. The
oceans are also warming, thus increasing the intensity of
storms, causing sea levels to rise and disrupting ecosystems and
ocean circulation.