Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

This is not the current EPA website. To navigate to the current EPA website, please go to www.epa.gov. This website is historical material reflecting the EPA website as it existed on January 19, 2025. This website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work. More information »

JavaScript appears to be disabled on this computer. Please click here to see any active alerts.

Ocean and Coastal Acidification

Ocean and Coastal Acidification

The carbon dioxide that humans release to the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels is increasing the acidity of the ocean. This phenomenon, called ocean acidification, impacts marine life and the people who depend on them. In addition, land-based sources of pollution can contribute to localized acidification of coastal waters. Learn more about Ocean and Coastal Acidification.

Basic Information

An Introduction to Acidification

What You Can Do

Causes and Effects

What EPA is Doing

Learn What EPA is Doing