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"If that continues, it could damage the ability of many ocean creatures to make their shells..."

'Follow me here for a minute:

... 'Plants need CO2. Shellfish need the plants that need the CO2 to synthesize their shells, which are composed of calcium and carbon. So how does having CO2 in the ocean damage the ability of shellfish to produce their shells?'

I think what they were trying to say was, an increase in the concentration of dissolved CO2 in seawater will dissolve shells quicker. "Feely and his research team found in laboratory tests that the water near the ocean surface with added CO2 can cause shells of marine animals, including corals, snails and plankton, to dissolve." What they didn't mention, but anyone with a science background would know, is that CO2 dissolved in water produces carbonic acid, and so makes the water more acidic.

'I wish the people that spouted this kind of crap science would do us all a favor and drink the grape Kool-Aid now. That would make the planet safer for everyone.'

It might have been badly written, but pot kettle black and all that...

Shellfish and coral make calcium carbonate directly from the CO2 in water. They do not get the carbon from thier food. All this carbon eventually ends up as limestone.

Increased CO2 increases acidity and acid disolves shells. That is the concern.

However, there is good reason to suspect that this does not happen in the oceans. Increased acidity disolves limestone - and there is a LOT of limestone in the oceans - which acts as a "buffer" to neutralise the pH.

Every marine aquariest understands this. They like to keep a layer of dolomite or some coral in the tank to keep pH constant. It would think it would be mighty hard to change the pH of the oceans.

"What they didn't mention, but anyone with a science background would know, is that CO2 dissolved in water produces carbonic acid, and so makes the water more acidic."

And as anyone with a science background would know alkali balances acid. There is more than enough alkali in the ocean to keep seawater alkali without damaging the "ability of many ocean creatures to make their shells."

Once again, however, a mere lab experiment is being used as a model for the whole ocean, proving only that scienctists with an agenda can get any result they want from a "lab experiment" to panic the masses.