ETX 10 Practice Test 2025 – Comprehensive All-in-One Guide to Master Your Learning Assignments!

The acidification of oceans primarily leads to various environmental changes that significantly affect marine life and ecosystems. The correct answer identifies that less drinking water would not directly result from ocean acidification.

Ocean acidification occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) is absorbed by seawater, leading to a decrease in pH levels. This process has several consequences for marine biodiversity, particularly in organisms that rely on calcium carbonate for their shells and skeletons, such as corals and some shellfish. As the pH drops, these organisms struggle to form their structures, which can lead to coral bleaching and disrupt marine food chains as the foundation of those ecosystems starts to deteriorate.

While the implications of ocean acidification can indeed have indirect effects on coastal communities and freshwater resources—due to factors such as shifts in fish populations, potentially impairing fishing practices—reduced drinking water availability is not a direct consequence of ocean acidification itself. Instead, it stems from various other factors related to water management, climate change effects on inland sources, and agriculture.

Thus, the assertion that less drinking water would result from ocean acidification is unfounded, making it the correct choice in this context.