Ocean acidification is a growing problem in the Pacific. This photo shows two conch shells kept in seawater containing different levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide to see how their shells reacted to the different levels of acidity in the water. The shell on the left was kept in seawater containing today’s level of acidity and has a normal shell. The shell on the right was kept in water containing very high acidity as might be the case in the future. This resulted in part of the shell corroding away. (Photo by Tom Klendist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

Published 11 December, 2013 at 500 × 332 in Ocean acidification is a growing problem in the Pacific. This photo shows two conch shells kept in seawater containing different levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide to see how their shells reacted to the different levels of acidity in the water. The shell on the left was kept in seawater containing today’s level of acidity and has a normal shell. The shell on the right was kept in water containing very high acidity as might be the case in the future. This resulted in part of the shell corroding away. (Photo by Tom Klendist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
Two shells being held to compare the effects of acidic oceans on shells - one has a hole corroded from acid.

Ocean acidification is a growing problem in the Pacific. This photo shows two conch shells kept in seawater
containing different levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide to see how their shells reacted to the different
levels of acidity in the water. The shell on the left was kept in seawater containing today’s level of acidity
and has a normal shell. The shell on the right was kept in water containing very high acidity as might
be the case in the future. This resulted in part of the shell corroding away.
(Photo by Tom Klendist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

Ocean acidification is a growing problem in the Pacific. This photo shows two conch shells kept in seawater containing different levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide to see how their shells reacted to the different levels of acidity in the water. The shell on the left was kept in seawater containing today’s level of acidity and has a normal shell. The shell on the right was kept in water containing very high acidity as might be the case in the future. This resulted in part of the shell corroding away. (Photo by Tom Klendist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)