Human activities that produce carbon dioxide cause ocean acidification. Some examples are deforestation, unsustainable agricultural practices, and burning fossil fuels.

Deforestation is one of the significant causes of carbon dioxides in the atmosphere. We cut down trees and clear forest areas to make room for buildings, agricultural land use, construction, and manufacturing purposes, leading to the absence of trees and greenery to soak carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 

Most of the farmlands on earth used to be part of a great expanse of forests. China lost most of its forested areas in the past 4000 years, while we cut down most of the trees in North America from the 1600s to the 1870s for construction, timber, and agriculture. We are destroying most of the remaining tropical rainforests to construct roads connecting inaccessible regions.

Forests and other green ecosystems play a unique role in preventing the accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere. They sequester carbon, meaning they are like a sponge, soaking carbon from the air. Trees absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, preventing the environment from overheating. 

Deforestation strips the environment of forests’ sequestering benefits. As we cut and burn down trees, we release the carbon stored in the tree while increasing the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Deforestation produces 4.8 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually. The increase causes a chain reaction, creating more acidic waters1.

Fewer trees are in the environment to absorb the carbon dioxide released into the air. So, it accumulates in the air, leading to ocean acidification and increasing its impact on ocean life.