What does GOA mean in UNCLASSIFIED

Global Ocean Acidification (GOA) is an environmental phenomenon that occurs when increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere dissolve into the water and raise acidity levels, making it difficult for certain species to survive long-term.

Global Ocean Acidification has been linked to numerous environmental problems, including damaging coral reefs and threatening marine biodiversity. Additionally, higher ocean temperatures can lead to more nutrients added to the ocean which can cause algal blooms, leading to oxygen depletion in areas where fish and other marine organisms live.

When carbon dioxide dissolves into water, this reduces its pH level creating an environment conducive to warming temperatures. As more CO2 is released into the atmosphere through human activities such as burning fossil fuels, more CO2 will be present in the oceans thus raising global temperatures due to an increase in acidity levels.

Reducing emissions from burning fossil fuels is a key step towards limiting further climate change and slowing down global ocean acidification by decreasing greenhouse gas concentrations in atmospheric air. Implementing renewable energy sources should also help reduce dependency on non-renewable energy sources that create harmful greenhouse gases which lead to climate change.

As the acidity levels increase so does the difficulty for certain species of fish and other animals who rely on particular pH ranges for survival. Additionally, high temperatures caused by ocean acidification can threaten plankton populations due to reduced availability of nutrients they need in order feed as well as disrupt food webs essential for keeping a healthy ecosystem balance.