Climate change - Another effect

Recent expanded research and in-depth scientific reports have proven the existence of climate change by dramatic increase of CO2 in the atmosphere. Meanwhile, people seem to be unaware of the critical side-effect of climate change which is the high level of absorption of CO2 ¬by the oceans.
Chemically, when CO2 is absorbed by the oceans, it lower the pH which is the scale to measure whether the water is acidic or basic. For a long time before industrial era, the nature has done a great job in keeping the pH of the oceans nearly unchanged about 8.1(slightly basic) through the equilibrium of acids from volcanoes and bases released by the weathering of rock. However, since the industrial era begun, the pH of the oceans has declined by 0.1 unit, a relatively small number for most of us. Yet, if we take into account the fact that the decline took place in only 50 to 80 years under the industrial era while it would take the nature 5000 to 10000 to carry out the same drop, such an amazing difference. Further predicts of another drop by 0.4 unit in the century and 0.7 beyond 2100 have been made.
The question is how the decline in pH of the oceans affect its ecosystem, and furthermore, us? According to the article, 89% of absorbed CO2 exists in form of bicarbonate ion (-HCO3-), 10% as carbonate ion(CO32-) and 1% as dissolved gas. Many sea creatures intake carbonate ion to build their own skeletons such as snails, urchins, clams, crabs. Carbonate ion also support the phytoplankton whose role in forming food chain in the oceans is indisputable. The more CO2 we dispose into atmosphere, the more CO2 ¬ is absorbed by the oceans which raises the rate of dissolved CO2 and thus, lowering the concentration of carbonate ion. As a result, creatures find it hard to build their structure, the food chain in the oceans is affected and the whole ecosystem may experience significant turmoil. Furthermore, throughout evolution, most sea creature have developed their metabolism subjected to narrow range of pH, therefore, change in pH scale could result in drastic effect to those creature.
We are counting on the oceans to resolve the climate change without being aware of the long-term effects and even if we know, there is one dilemma need to be reconciled “Society can continue to depend on the ocean for help, but the cost is a rising threat to all marine life”

Information adopted from "Rising Acidity in the Ocean: The Other CO2 Problem" , http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=rising-acidity-in-the-ocean