Using nuclear energy avoids the emissions that cause ocean acidification

• By generating electricity without producing carbon dioxide, nuclear reactors help reduce ocean
  acidification caused by burning fossil fuels.
• Nuclear techniques can help monitor the health of aquatic ecosystems.

Marine biodiversity is in significant decline across the world as a direct result of human activity.

Ocean acidification caused by fossil fuels has detrimental impacts on marine life and poses an especially big threat to coral reefs around the world.

Coral reefs are the nurseries of the oceans and more than 25% of all marine life depend on them, despite occupying less than 1% of the ocean floor. It is estimated that they provide food to hundreds of millions of people, and supply resources and services (including jobs, food, and protection from storms and erosion) worth more than $375 billion every year.

Nuclear power can play a major role in reducing ocean acidification and thus protect the immense biodiversity of the oceans, thanks both to its low-carbon credentials and the fact that it does not cause chemical emissions that pollute waterways – unlike many other energy sources.

Nuclear and isotopic techniques can also help understand aquatic ecosystems, assess pollution and verify the effectiveness of clean-up and remediation techniques. These techniques can also be used to evaluate past changes in ocean acidity, as well as the ocean’s capacity to store carbon and the potential impact this will have on the climate in the future.

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