Ocean “Acidification” Alarmism Reconsidered

Many papers on ocean acidification, said to be caused by rising man-made CO₂ levels in the atmosphere, predict that it will result in the mass extinction of marine species that employ calcification, including corals, shellfish and many species of plankton, and that this, in turn, will result in the extinction of many other marine species. Marine species that calcify have survived through millions of years during which CO₂ was at much higher levels in the atmosphere. All species, including marine calcifying species, are capable of controlling their internal chemistry in a wide range of external conditions. There is no evidence to support the claim that most calcifying marine species will become extinct owing to higher levels of CO₂ in the atmosphere and lower pH in the oceans.