The California coast is a thriving ecosystem, both under the sea and in the cities that line its shores. For the purposes of our discussion, we will focus on mussels as an example species. Mussels, as we speak, are being damaged by ocean acidification, and the damage is becoming increasingly costly to our ecosystem. Global climate change, more commonly referred to as global warming, is a major factor in ocean acidification. In its most basic form, climate change is the result of unprecedented levels of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere and creating a greenhouse effect in the Earth's atmosphere. This causes the planet's average temperature to increase over time. The full effects of this type of temperature increase are still being studied, but it is already clear that our planet will be damaged as a result. Ocean acidification is an extension of global climate change. It is the result of about a third of the carbon dioxide in the air entering the Earth's oceans. Ocean acidification Our ocean, made up of approximately 70% water and 30% land, is a vast surplus, unexplored and uncontrollable habitat. Although humanity has achieved great advancements in technology, resources, food and more, nature is a factor that humanity cannot predict and manipulate. However, our society has caused a major change in the global climate, a change that is costly to our environment. One of the main reasons to explain this change is the use of fossil fuels in the environment. This process creates a multitude of carbon atoms that are released into the atmosphere, which is harmful to our environment. To be precise, global warming is the process in which there is an increase in the amount of greenhouse gases (such… half of the article… realize the importance of this problem and the urgent need for a solution to the climate problem). change.Works CitedDictionary.com (2014, euphotic zone). Retrieved from Dictionary.com: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/euphotic+zoneGruber, N., Hauri, C., Lachkar, Z.,. Loher, D., Frölicher, T.L. and Plattner, G. (2012) Rapid progression of ocean acidification in the California Current System, 220-223 doi:10.1126/science.1216773Mackenzie, C.L., Ormondroyd, GA. , Curling, SF, & Ball, RJ, Whiteley, NM, & Malham, SK (2014) Ocean warming, more than acidification, reduces shell strength in a commercial mollusc species during food limitation. 10.1371/journal.pone.0086764Robles, C. (2014). Interview with Dr. Carlos Robles Personal Collection of C. Robles, California State University Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA.