recent study of a unique natural laboratory created by
scientists in the Mediterranean Sea has shown that the number of
single-celled organisms called Foraminifera found around
volcanic carbon dioxide vents near Naples, Italy, has diminished
from 24 species to only four. from the University of Plymouth in
the United Kingdom and the University of Santa Catarina in
Brazil discovered that similar losses in many forms of marine
life, especially organisms with calcium carbonate shells like
Foraminifera, are linked to rising ocean acidity, which has
occurred from the excessive absorption of carbon dioxide and has
the effect of lowering the water’s pH levels. over-acidification
has been responsible for wide-scale extinctions in the past,
study co-author Dr. Jason Hall-Spencer stated, “A tipping point
occurs at … pH 7.8. This is the pH level predicted for the end
of this century… The big concern for me is that unless we curb
carbon emissions, we risk mass extinctions, degrading coastal
waters and encouraging outbreak