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Nature Geoscience 2, 11 (1 January 2009) | doi:10.1038/ngeo407

Ocean science: Resetting the record

Anna Armstrong

A substantial proportion of the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere by human activities is sequestered in the oceans. Unfortunately, this sink is not without side effects: on entering the ocean, the carbon dioxide reacts with sea water to produce carbonic acid, decreasing the pH of the oceans and potentially threatening the stability of marine ecosystems.