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Ocean
Billy the sea urchin currently lives in an ocean that is completely unbothered by fossil fuels or carbon dioxide. Due to this all of his coral and other creature friends are able to live peacefully without their lives being threatened. However, Billy doesn't know that soon humans will begin to burn fossil fuels and carbon dioxide will come into his home. -
Humans start burning fossil fuels
Since humans started to burn fossil fuels the air started to get more polluted. Since the air is more polluted the carbon dioxide enters the ocean creating carbonic acid. This carbonic acid can harm many organisms that live in the ocean. However, it can also benefit some organisms that live in the ocean. -
Carbon Dioxide in the ocean starts to increase.
Technology has started to advance and due to this carbon dioxide has been released into the air. Now that there are more factories there is a lot of carbon dioxide and at some point, that carbon dioxide enters the ocean. The carbon dioxide that enters the ocean can affect all sorts of things in the ocean like coral and sea urchins. Billy starts to feel himself change and asks his friends if they feel the same and they say yes. -
The cause of acidification
Ever since carbon dioxide and fossil fuels have started to enter the ocean there has been an increase in ocean acidity. The carbon dioxide has affected the ocean's pH causing it to go to a lower number. Since the pH has been affected and is going down the acidity has increased Billy has started to see his friends get affected. Billy even starts to feel the ocean becoming more acidic. Billy doesn't know that what is happening can end up killing many of his friends, therefore, damaging his home. -
Acidification
Since acidification in the ocean has begun the number of his coral friends has decreased. The corals due to the acidity aren't as strong as they used to be and are therefore much easier to destroy or eat. Also, the acidity draws out something that lives within the coral and the coral benefits from which hurts the coral. The corals then start to bleach and soon die. The acidity also affects the growth and strength of urchins which makes it easier for sea otters to eat them, so Billy gets worried. -
After effects of acidification
The acidification has killed corals and has made it very hard for sea urchins to live leading to sea otters slightly overpopulating in some areas. Corals give a lot to coral reefs including homes to some organisms and food to some other creatures, and since they are dying those organisms have no home. One day Billy looks outside and sees that his coral reef is fully dead and no one is there. This relates to coyotes coming into vegas because something affected where they live so they came here.
