Journal of Limnology and Oceanography, doi:10.4319/lo.2010.55.6.2424 (2010)

Since the dawn of the industrial age, oceans have been absorbing about 1/3 of the massive amounts of CO₂ that humans have produced. When ocean water absorbs CO₂ it makes carbonic acid which acidifies the ocean and decreases the saturation state of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃). This event has consequences for organisms that rely on high saturation states to build their shells and skeletons.

In this study led by Li-Qing Jiang, the researchers monitored the saturation state of the water off of the coast of the southeastern US from 2005 to 2006. They found that in all cases the water was supersaturated with CaCO₃. They also concluded that the saturation state of East Coast water was higher than that of West Coast water due to the age of the water in global circulation and the upwelling that occurs in the Pacific Ocean.