Final answer:
The increase of atmospheric CO2 levels causes ocean acidification, which decreases the amount of carbonate available for organisms to form shells. This process makes it difficult for marine life, including shellfish and corals, to build their calcium carbonate structures, essential for their survival.
Step-by-step explanation:
As the ocean acidifies, the amount of carbonate decreases, and organisms, such as crabs and clams, have a hard time forming shells. This is because ocean acidification, which is a decrease in the pH of ocean waters, is primarily caused by increased atmospheric CO2 levels that dissolve in the ocean, leading to more acidic conditions. As the acidity increases, it interferes with the process of calcification, which is essential for marine organisms to build their shells and skeletons out of calcium carbonate.
Rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide have several adverse effects on marine life. It not only lowers the pH and increases the ocean acidity, but it also interferes with the calcification that is crucial for coral animals to construct their calcium carbonate homes. Additionally, as CO2 concentration continues to rise, and the oceans become more acidic, the availability of calcium carbonate declines, which is necessary for the shells and skeletons of marine organisms.
Marine organisms like plankton, mollusks, shellfish, and corals are adversely affected by this change. If atmospheric CO2 concentrations double, it is projected that coral calcification rates could decline by more than 30%, leading to a significant reduction in coral populations and affecting the broader marine ecosystem that relies on them.