Sea butterfly (pteropod; Limacina helicina)Range: Arctic and Southern oceans
These tiny shelled marine snails are called “sea butterflies” by some due to their elegant swimming style, and “potato chips of the sea” by others because they’re a key part of the marine food web in the polar oceans. Limacina helicina captures its prey by casting a web of mucus that traps tiny plankton. Pteropods are among the marine creatures most vulnerable to ocean acidification, global warming’s “evil twin.” Ocean acidification lowers the availability of the mineral aragonite that this pteropod uses to form its shell, hindering this snail from building its protective armor. Scientists project that acidic ocean conditions may be lethal for Limacina helicina in the Southern Ocean as early as 2030. The loss of these key organisms would be catastrophic for the marine food web.
The Center has petitioned eight coastal states to declare ocean waters impaired under the Clean Water Act due to ocean acidification; we also petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to impose stricter pH standards for ocean water quality and publish guidance to help states protect U.S. waters from acidification.
The Center has petitioned eight coastal states to declare ocean waters impaired under the Clean Water Act due to ocean acidification; we also petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to impose stricter pH standards for ocean water quality and publish guidance to help states protect U.S. waters from acidification.