Rising atmospheric CO2 is lowering ocean pH, threatening shell-forming organisms, coral reefs, fisheries, and the coastal economies that depend on them. In 2025 it became the seventh planetary boundary to be breached, yet it remains overshadowed by climate warming.
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Ocean acidification — the lowering of seawater pH as the ocean absorbs CO2 — became the seventh breached planetary boundary in 2025, yet remains overshadowed by climate warming in funding and attention. This founding report explains the chemistry and stakes, distinguishes acidification from warming, and surveys the limited mitigation options for a high-stakes, under-funded problem whose ultimate fix is decarbonization.
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