Ocean acidification from CO2 absorption is impairing marine animal physiology and welfare across multiple species and ecosystems.
Ocean acidification creates physiological stress for marine animals including impaired sensory function, shell dissolution, and developmental abnormalities. Animals experiencing acidification stress have compromised immune systems and behavioral changes consistent with chronic distress. The scale of affected marine animals is enormous, involving billions of individual animals across hundreds of species. Climate action is the fundamental marine welfare intervention.