The planet's oceans are gradually becoming more acidic, in turn threatening the life and ecosystems that call the seas home. Yet the technology for measuring ocean acidification is inadequate or expensive, scientists say.
To tackle the problem, the X Prize organization is offering two USD 1 million (EUR 735,648) prizes in a competition to develop accurate and affordable sensors to measure ocean acidity, or pH, that can help provide a clearer picture of the effects of ocean acidification.
"Because of the underinvestment in ocean science and research, there aren't enough tools present to measure what's happening in the sea," said Paul Bunje, the lead scientist behind the ocean health prize. "We've mapped the dark side of the moon and Mars to higher resolution than the bottom of the ocean."
