We cannot yet predict exactly how ocean acidification will affect connections among the world’s many different marine organisms, but we do know the consequences will be profound. Research already points to the unnatural behavior of coral clownfish in an acidified environment. These fish wander farther from their natural protection, making them more vulnerable to predators. We have yet to learn how salmon and other commercially important fish will adapt as acidification erodes their food supply, especially since some of the most vulnerable species are the small, simple life forms that juvenile salmon and other fish depend on. There may be cascading impacts that we don’t yet fully understand. Acidification won’t make seawater dangerous for swimming, but it will upset the balance among the multitudes of microscopic life found in every drop of seawater. Such changes will almost certainly affect seafood supplies and the ocean’s ability to store pollutants, including future carbon emissions.

To understand where the challenges lie, we need better ocean-measuring capability, linked with improved modeling of marine ecological systems. Smart investments in monitoring and observing are critical to building resilience and hedging risks that can directly affect economies at all levels. There is urgency to such investments. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration conducts round-the-clock monitoring of global CO2. The rate of increase has never been higher than during the past three years, accelerating the ocean acidification process.

Both the United States and Britain recognize that rising CO2 and the production of other greenhouse gases have widespread consequences and have called for strong action to reduce carbon emissions. We are pleased that representatives of our two nations help lead the pioneering Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network, a collaboration of scientists from 30 countries. This network is based on the premise that we can’t manage what we don’t measure. It’s designed to provide the basis for robust forecasting by integrating existing observations from unmanned vehicles, research vessels, volunteer observing ships and many more assets.

The new network will build on the success of the American and British teams that recently came in first and second in the Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health XPRIZE by developing affordable, accurate sensor technology. Such technology will help coastal countries around the world obtain the environmental information required to underpin sound policy and build community and global resilience. Already oyster hatcheries on the U.S. West Coast are working with scientists to monitor water quality and adapt to ocean acidification so baby oysters can survive. And while ocean acidification is a global concern, inroads are occurring at the local scale, encouraging control, for example, of nutrient pollution that can exacerbate acidification.

When it comes to the health of the sea, we are all stakeholders. The ocean is a harbinger of our own well-being and the resilience and economic viability of our planet. We ignore the risks of ocean acidification at our own peril, and that of future generations.