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Ocean Acidification

Ocean acidification is the name given to the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans, caused by their uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide from the atmosphere…. Since the industrial revolution began, it is estimated that surface ocean pH has dropped by slightly less than 0.1 units, and it is estimated that it will drop by a further 0.3 - 0.5 units by 2100 as the ocean absorbs more anthropogenic CO2. [Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_acidification]. This makes life more difficult for shell-building ocean organisms, including coral reefs and many species of phytoplankton.

Some scientists believe that if Atmocean’s system mildly accelerates the process whereby CO2 is suspended in the mid-ocean or sinks into the seafloor sediments, this could be beneficial for the upper ocean where most of these shell-builders live. In effect, upper ocean pH would stabilize or perhaps get slightly better and mid-ocean pH decrease more quickly.

To discuss in more detail how Atmocean’s technology might help mitigate changes in pH caused by atmospheric CO2 dissolving into the oceans, please contact Philip W. Kithil, CEO, at [email protected]