Rising CO2 Levels Posing Threat to Oysters

Rising CO2 levels are disrupting the natural balance of the ocean and posing a threat to oysters and marine mammals in California.

22 million metric tons of CO2 gets absorbed by the ocean everyday, making the sea much more acidic than it would naturally be, according to Patrick Krug, marine biologist and professor at Cal State Los Angeles.

Oysters and other shellfish are impacted by the effects of ocean acidification and CO2 emissions. Changes in the ocean's carbon chemistry can pose a threat to oyster shells by causing growth deformities, according to Davey Kline, marine biologist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. If CO2 levels continue to rise, we might not see any future generations of oysters or other shellfish, Kline explained.

"On the West Coast, we are experiencing PH levels that won't occur in other parts of the world for another 50 or 100 years. That's why oyster farmers in California are having problems today," he said.

Featuring Interviews With:

• Davey Kline, marine biologist, UC San Diego
• Dennis Peterson, marine biologist
• Spencer Bezaire, chef, L&E Oyster Bar
• Patrick Krug, professor, Cal State Los Angeles