The pH level of the Puget Sound has been acidifying, along with the rest of the Earth’s oceans. Ocean acidification is a serious problem because it could lead to the collapse of the food chain. In fact, shellfish farmers only starting testing the waters of the Puget Sound for acidity after they noticed more than a 67% drop in production over the course of 2 years.
Ocean acidification happens because the top layer of the ocean (up to 100 meters) absorbs elements from the atmosphere. Carbon levels have been rising since the Industrial Revolution and are currently around 400ppm. Emission reduction activists have been calling for changes to reduce this level to 350ppm.
The reason why ocean acidification is such a problem for the food chain is that acidic waters dissolve calcium carbonate structures. The shells of ocean animals are made from calcium carbonate and so is the protective coating of plankton. With plankton being the foundation of the ocean food chain and smaller blooms of plankton are already being observed, the severity of this problem is rapidly escalating.
For more details, read the original article at the Washington Post