Whose work first identified the role of pH in ocean acidification?

The chemistry behind ocean acidification was established by 20th-century researchers who showed that when carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater it forms carbonic acid and lowers pH. This process reduces the availability of carbonate ions that corals, shellfish, and some plankton need to build calcium carbonate shells and skeletons. The issue became a major marine science concern as atmospheric CO2 rose sharply after the industrial era. Ocean acidification is now monitored worldwide because it can reshape marine ecosystems.