The effect of lower pH on phytoplankton growth in the Galapagos Archipelago

Abstract

Average ocean pH has dropped 0.1 units over the last 100 years to its current level of 8.1. Models suggest that ocean pH could further drop by up to 0.7 units within the next 300 years. This research focused on the effect of lower pH on marine phytoplankton in water samples taken from two locations around the Galapagos Islands. The results showed that marine phytoplankton are sensitive to pH and that different phytoplankton populations respond differently to shifts in pH.