Specialized satellites can help researchers track the rate of ocean acidification and map the growing impact of climate change on a global scale.

A team led by the University of Exeter’s Dr. Jamie Shutler suggests that we must employ a combination of data from existing satellites alongside on-location research and in situ instruments. Translated from Latin, in situ means “in position,” or on-location. An acidity sensor placed directly in the ocean would fit this category, while a satellite sensor would not.

“It is now time to evaluate how to make the most of satellite and in situ data to help us understand ocean acidification, and to establish where remotely-sensed data can make the best contribution,” said team member Dr. Peter Land in a press release.

To date, humans have pumped about 525 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the ocean, according to the Smithsonian Natural Museum of Natural History. Earth’s largest bodies of water absorb 22 million tons of carbon emissions daily.

While the pH, or level of acidity, of ocean water fluctuates naturally, some members of its ecosystem may not adapt to current trends and face possible extinction. The museum explains that unchecked acidification may limit coral reef growth, alter the brain processing capabilities of fish, dissolve creatures’ shells, and impact their ability to reproduce.

Old techniques of tracking pH levels often required expensive research vessels and produced results limited to very specific territories. Now, researchers may use existing satellites’ thermal cameras and microwave sensors to track trends. Microwave sensors allow observers to extract data on oceanic salinity, meaning the amount of salt content in a body of water. Both salinity and temperature impact water’s chemistry.

“We are pioneering these techniques so that we can monitor large areas of the Earth’s oceans, allowing us to quickly and easily identify those areas most at risk from the increasing acidification,” adds Shulter.

At the same time, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory is spearheading an effort to install more chlorophyll, turbidity, oxygen and pH sensors to track acidification as well.

These findings were originally published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.