CO2 dangerously acidifying world's oceans - Features - Al Jazeera English

Power plants and other forms of energy supply are responsible for 26 percent of the world's carbon emissions [EPA]

As the effects of global climate change continue to be felt throughout the world's ecosystems, scientists say greenhouse gases are causing rapid changes that may irreversibly alter the composition of the Earth's oceans.

It is estimated oceans absorb up to 30 percent of global carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, helping to offset the overall warming of the planet. But the amount of CO₂ being pumped into the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution has skyrocketed, saturating oceans and boosting acidification.

Burgeoning ocean acidification raises the spectre of extinctions of coral, algae and shellfish - key cogs in the global food chain - with far reaching consequences for the planet's inhabitants.

CO2 dangerously acidifying world's oceans - Features - Al Jazeera English