SYDNEY: Southern Ocean marine life may start to dissolve away, say Australian scientists, who have discovered that a dangerous 'tipping point' for ocean acidification could arrive as soon as 2030.

The other CO₂ problem: Tiny planktonic molluscs called pteropods are likely to be impacted by increasing acidity in the Southern Ocean. These organisms are an important component of the food chain, but may be find it difficult to form shells by 2030.

This is worrying news, say the experts, because organisms with calcium carbonate skeletons and shells – such as corals, pteropods, krill and other shellfish – may not be able to survive the changing water conditions.

Every year the ocean provides a useful service by absorbing one-third of the 30 billion tonnes of CO₂ emitted into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels.