The chemical nature of natural processes provides stability on our planet. Environmental issues such as climate change and ocean acidification are driven partly through an imbalance in the molecules to which living things have adapted. Data demonstrates that the imbalance is due in great part to human activity, whether it be increased carbon emissions or nutrient contamination of oceans and other bodies of water through overreliance on chemical fertilizers. Often chemistry students wonder “What does chemistry have to do with me?” Well, you may never have to balance a chemical equation again or calculate the molarity of a solution, but the health of our oceans and other ecosystems have a direct impact on human health, world economies, and our political landscape.

For your project, you will create a physical art piece that, in some way, communicates the effects of climate change (as related to ocean ecosystems) and/or ocean acidification in a unique and creative way.