Ocean acidification could jeopardize Dungeness crab populations
Ocean acidification could jeopardize the Dungeness crab, an economically vital shellfish species in the Pacific Northwest. In a new study funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, researchers found that Dungeness crabs are not only struggling to fully develop shells—the sensory organs they use to seek food and navigate the ocean are getting damaged, too. The culprit? Rising ocean acidity linked to increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (see our reporting on this very issue). A crabby reason to reel in our carbon emissions? CNN has more.
