Hello, we have been sharing so much about pollution in water bodies and today we would like to focus on acid rain and how it affects ocean acidification.
What is acid rain?
Acid rain is a kind of water precipitation similar to normal rain but acid rain often includes acidic components such as sulfuric or nitric acid. Sulfuric or nitric acid transforms into sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) after reacting with oxygen, water and other particles in the atmosphere (EPA, 2020). Majority of SO2 and NOX originates from the combustion of fossil fuel or emission of the vehicle.
Ocean Acidification
In the ocean, the acidification process occurs when the seawater mixes with chemical elements such as carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfuric and nitrogen (NSF, 2007). Ocean acidification is found to be exacerbated due to global warming and acid rain. Anthropogenic activities have contributed to the emission of CO2 significantly in the past decades. According to (Hoegh-Guldberg et al. , 2007), the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere has surpassed 380 ppm which is 80 ppm above the maximum value of past 740,00 years.
The process will further reduce the pH level (more acidic) of the ocean, increase water temperature and cause adverse impacts to marine life. The increase of carbonic acid will reduce the concentration of carbonate-ion in the seawater (Hoegh-Guldberg et al. , 2007). The decline in carbonate-ion will further affect the cultivation of marine lives. Marine species such as coral reef, sea urchins and species with hardshell are highly reliant on carbonate-ion to form hard outer shells or exoskeletons. These species might unable to obtain sufficient carbonate-ion to grow, subsequently resulting in a decline in breeding rate.
If the abovementioned species are adversely affected, it might extend the damage to the whole ecosystem as they are important food and habitat to other species and human (NSF, 2007). One of the well-known examples is coral bleaching and it’s still expanding significantly!
Moreover, the increase of Nitrogen (N) in the water might boost the harmful algae bloom or eutrophication which create oxygen-depleted dead zones in the oceans (NSF, 2007). This will only exacerbate the disaster in the ocean.
Wright and Schindler (1989) also stated that acid rain might affect the transparency of water making them clearer. However, this phenomenon does not mean the water has become cleaner! The rise in acidity will simply increase the exposure of water to ultraviolet (UV) and water will become clearer as a result (interaction). The increase in exposure to UV might cause marine life to decline or even death (University World News, 2012). This will affect the ocean and all kinds of water bodies around the world!
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SMWGV-DBnk
Cheers,
Shee Wen & Nicole 
References
Hoegh-Guldberg, O., Mumby, P., Hooten, A., Steneck, R., Greenfield, P., Gomez, E., . . . Hatziolos, M. (2007). Coral Reefs Under Rapid Climate Change and Ocean Acidification. Retrieved September 30, 2020, from https://science.sciencemag.org/content/318/5857/1737.full
National Science Foundation (NSF). (2007). Acid Rain Has Disproportionate Impact on Near-Shore Ocean Waters. Retrieved September 30, 2020, from https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=109997
R.F. Wright & D.W. Schindler (1989). Interaction of acid rain and global changes: Effects on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Retrieved September 30, 2020, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00483691
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2020). What is Acid Rain? Retrieved September 30, 2020, from https://www.epa.gov/acidrain/what-acid-rain
University World News. (2012). UV radiation causing rising deaths in marine life. Retrieved September 30, 2020, from https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20120801103536847