'It's a ticking time bomb': Acid levels in Earth's oceans have already breached 'danger zone', study suggests

An underwater photograph of a shoal of fish swimming above corals.

Earth's oceans are in worse condition than scientists thought, with acidity levels so high that our seas may have entered a "danger zone" five years ago, according to a new study.

Humans are inadvertently making the oceans more acidic by releasing carbon dioxide (CO₂) through industrial activities such as the burning of fossil fuels. This ocean acidification damages marine ecosystems and threatens human coastal communities that depend on healthy waters for their livelihoods.