Our oceans are 40% more acidic than pre-industrial times, making it harder for corals, molluscs, crustaceans and plankton to build their calcium carbonate skeletons. It's a crucial planetary boundary we've crossed — threatening reefs, fisheries, tourism, food security, and coastal communities. And almost no one is talking about it.

So what’s driving it? What does it mean for the Great Barrier Reef? And what can we do?

This week on Word on the Reef, we’re joined by Dr Katharina Fabricius from the Australian Institute of Marine Science — a global leader in coral reef ecology and ocean acidification research — to unpack the science and the solutions.

Read Dr Fabricius's research: Volcanic bubbles help foretell the fate of coral in more acidic seas

Thumbnail image: CO2 bubbles emerging from volcanic seeps in Papua New Guinea. Dr Katharina Fabricius

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PROTECT THE REEF - Sign these Petitions Now!

• Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia, it's time to lead on Climate Action!
• Divers for Climate: Sign the 'I'm a Diver for Climate' National Statement
• Australian Conservation Foundation: No New Coal and Gas!
• Queensland Conservation Council: Take Strong Climate Action and Build a Positive Renewable Future!
• Our Islands Our Home: Protect the Torres Strait Islands from Climate Change
• Greenpeace: Save the Great Barrier Reef!
• WWF Australia: Protect Nature
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