Marine Life Could 'Irreversibly' Change Due to CO2 Emissions

Marine life will be irreversibly changed unless CO2 emissions are drastically cut, according to a new study.

 Oceans are heating, losing oxygen and becoming more acidic because of CO2, experts noted in the study.

They warned that the 2C maximum temperature rise for climate change agreed by governments will not prevent dramatic impacts on ocean systems, adding that the range of options is dwindling as the cost of those options is skyrocketing.

According to experts contributing the report believe that politicians trying to solve climate change have paid far too little attention to the impacts of climate change on the oceans.

 "The ocean has been minimally considered at previous climate negotiations. Our study provides compelling arguments for a radical change at the UN conference (in Paris) on climate change," said Jean-Pierre Gattuso, lead author of the study.

"The ocean is at the frontline of climate change with its physics and chemistry being altered at an unprecedented rate so much so that ecosystems and organisms are already changing and will continue to do so as we emit more CO2," added Carol Turley, of Plymouth Marine Laboratory.

"The ocean provides us with food, energy, minerals, drugs and half the oxygen in the atmosphere, and it regulates our climate and weather.

The study was published in a special section of Science Journal.