How Does Carbon Dioxide Affect The Ocean?

Carbon dioxide from the air goes into the ocean, and that changes how the ocean feels and looks.

Imagine you're drinking a glass of soda, it’s fizzy because there's carbon dioxide inside. Now imagine the whole ocean is like that soda. When we put more carbon dioxide into the air (like when we drive cars or burn fuel), some of it goes down into the ocean, just like bubbles in your soda.

• The ocean gets a little sourer, like lemon juice, this is called ocean acidification. It can make it harder for sea creatures like shells and corals to build their homes.
• The water also gets warmer, which affects fish and other animals that live in it.

So the ocean is kind of like your soda, when you add more carbon dioxide, things start to change inside it, making life underwater a little trickier.