Ocean acidification: An annotated bibliography compiled by the students in BioHopk187H, “Sensory Ecology of Marine Animals”, 2016

Oceans cover 71 percent of Earth’s surface and include more than 99 percent of the biosphere by volume. They play a vital role in global biogeochemical cycles, encompass an enormous fraction of our planet’s biodiversity, and support the livelihoods of millions of people around the world.
But what happens when changes in the environment lead to adverse effects on the world’s oceans? Through this annotated bibliography, we explore one specific change in these waters: the dilemma of ocean acidification due to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. An analysis of the history of ocean acidification science, spatial and temporal changes in ocean acidification, the biological impacts of this phenomenon, ocean acidification in the political sphere, and how ocean acidification is communicated for the lay audience provides a holistic summary of research and publicity regarding ocean acidification. In the process, we hope to relay the urgent need for climate action to reduce the rapidly acidifying oceans of the present.