Listen&Learn: Ocean Acidification

Learn about the dangerous process that threatens marine life.

Pre-listening vocabulary

• ecosystem: a community of living creatures that depend on each other
• carbon dioxide: a gas that is released into the air by the use of oil and coal
• balance: a healthy or even amount of different things
• dissolve: to mix with a liquid
• greenhouse effect: the process where gases in a planet’s atmosphere trap heat
• molecule: a combination of bonded atoms
• shell: a hard outer layer that surrounds an animal

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:13 — 1.1MB)

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Gapfill exercise

Ocean acidification is a dangerous process. Over time, the pH level of the oceans is decreasing, which is likely to lead to the disruption of ecosystems and the endangerment of marine life. Like change, ocean acidification is caused by human activity. Excess carbon dioxide emissions disrupt the chemical balances of the Earth. While some carbon dioxide stays in the , causing a greenhouse effect, some dissolves in the ocean. Carbon dioxide molecules bond with water molecules to make carbonic acid, which can the shells of marine animals like clams, coral, and plankton. The of these creatures would cause major consequences for underwater ecosystems, and for human life, too.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. The pH level of the oceans is
   a. increasing
   b. decreasing
   c. fluctuating rapidly
   
2. Ocean acidification is caused by
   a. plastic pollution
   b. fertilizer runoff
   c. dissolved carbon dioxide
   
3. Carbonic acid
   a. makes seawater poisonous to fish and whales
   b. makes seafood dangerous for humans to eat
   c. destroys the shells of clams, plankton, and coral

Discussion/essay questions

1. Do you think humans will be able to stop ocean acidification and climate change? What are some actions that people can take to help the environment?

Transcript

Ocean acidification is a dangerous environmental process. Over time, the pH level of the oceans is decreasing, which is likely to lead to the disruption of ecosystems and the endangerment of marine life. Like climate change, ocean acidification is caused by human activity. Excess carbon dioxide emissions disrupt the chemical balances of the Earth. While some carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere, causing a greenhouse effect, some dissolves in the ocean. Carbon dioxide molecules bond with water molecules to make carbonic acid, which can destroy the shells of marine animals like clams, coral, and plankton. The loss of these creatures would cause major consequences for underwater ecosystems, and for human life, too.

Answers to comprehension questions

1b 2c 3c