Due to ocean acidification when the ocean becomes more acidic, what happens to the pH level of the ocean?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → The pH level goes down.
The pH scale measures how acidic or basic a solution is: 7 is neutral, and the more acidic a solution, the lower its pH. So when the ocean becomes more acidic, its pH goes down.
Ocean acidification happens because the sea absorbs carbon dioxide from the air. The dissolved gas forms carbonic acid, which releases hydrogen ions; more hydrogen ions mean a lower pH. The average pH of surface seawater has fallen from about 8.2 to about 8.1 since the Industrial Revolution. The sea is still slightly basic, but it is moving towards the acidic side.