By By Kev Hedges Oct 26, 2014 in Science Sir Mark Walport, the UK's leading chief scientist, warned the world's oceans face a growing and serious threat from man-made carbon emissions. Some of the world's most delicate corals are now unlikely to be around by the time this (21st) century has ended because A new method of measurement, which can determine the rate at which the oceans are acidifying, suggests changes in the carbon chemistry of our deepest oceans may exceed anything the planet has felt in the past It is the organisms living deep down on the ocean floor that are used to stable conditions and any form of rapid environmental change would wipe out millions of species. It has happened before in the Paleocene-Eocene period when the planet warmed up by 6 degrees Celsius in a short space of time and wiped out several oceanic species forever. More alarmingly, experiments note that if the pH levels continue to fall, we could see an environmental impact such as marine organisms dissolving, slowed growth, muscular wastage, dwarfism and a knock on effect that will spread throughout the Earth's ecosystem. About one-third of CO2 produced by industrial societies is being absorbed by the oceans. And the very chemistry of the sea waters is being changed irreversibly. The ocean's acidity levels have increased by as much as 25 percent since the industrial revolution, all because of man-made carbon emissions.Some of the world's most delicate corals are now unlikely to be around by the time this (21st) century has ended because CO2 reacts with sea water and forms a carbonic acid. Sir Mark told the BBC: "If we carry on emitting CO2 at the same rate, ocean acidification will create substantial risks to complex marine food webs and ecosystems."A new method of measurement, which can determine the rate at which the oceans are acidifying, suggests changes in the carbon chemistry of our deepest oceans may exceed anything the planet has felt in the past 65 million years.It is the organisms living deep down on the ocean floor that are used to stable conditions and any form of rapid environmental change would wipe out millions of species. It has happened before in the Paleocene-Eocene period when the planet warmed up by 6 degrees Celsius in a short space of time and wiped out several oceanic species forever.More alarmingly, experiments note that if the pH levels continue to fall, we could see an environmental impact such as marine organisms dissolving, slowed growth, muscular wastage, dwarfism and a knock on effect that will spread throughout the Earth's ecosystem. More about Pollution, marine pollution, manmade carbon emissions, Sir Mark Walport More news from Pollution marine pollution manmade carbon emiss... Sir Mark Walport