Research into the phenomenon of ocean acidification, as well as awareness raising about the problem, has been going on for several decades. The fundamental research really began with the creation of the pH scale by Danish chemist Søren Peder Lauritz Sørensen in 1909. By around the 1950s the massive role of the ocean in absorbing fossil fuel CO was known to specialists, but not appreciated by the greater scientific community. Throughout much of the 20th century, the dominant focus has been the beneficial process of oceanic CO uptake, which has enormously ameliorated climate change. The concept of "too much of a good thing" has been late in developing and was triggered only by some key events, and the oceanic sink for heat and CO is still critical as the primary buffer against climate change.
In the early 1970s questions over the long-term impact of the accumulation of fossil fuel CO in the sea were already arising around the world and causing strong debate. Researchers commented on the accumulation of fossil CO in the atmosphere and sea and drew attention to the possible impacts on marine life. By the mid-1990s, the likely impact of CO levels rising so high with the inevitable changes in pH and carbonate ion became a concern of scientists studying the fate of coral reefs.
By the end of the 20th century the trade-offs between the beneficial role of the ocean in absorbing some 90 % of all heat created, and the accumulation of some 50 % of all fossil fuel CO emitted, and the impacts on marine life were becoming more clear. By 2003, the time of planning for the "First Symposium on the Ocean in a High-CO World" meeting to be held in Paris in 2004, many new research results on ocean acidification were published.
In 2009, members of the InterAcademy Panel called on world leaders to "Recognize that reducing the build up of  in the atmosphere is the only practicable solution to mitigating ocean acidification". The statement also stressed the importance to "Reinvigorate action to reduce stressors, such as overfishing and pollution, on marine ecosystems to increase resilience to ocean acidification".
For example, research in 2010 found that in the 15-year period 1995–2010 alone, acidity had increased 6 percent in the upper 100 meters of the Pacific Ocean from Hawaii to Alaska.
According to a statement in July 2012 by Jane Lubchenco, head of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration "surface waters are changing much more rapidly than initial calculations have suggested. It's yet another reason to be very seriously concerned about the amount of carbon dioxide that is in the atmosphere now and the additional amount we continue to put out."
A 2013 study found acidity was increasing at a rate 10 times faster than in any of the evolutionary crises in Earth's history.
The "Third Symposium on the Ocean in a High- World" took place in Monterey, California, in 2012. The summary for policy makers from the conference stated that "Ocean acidification research is growing rapidly".
In a synthesis report published in Science in 2015, 22 leading marine scientists stated that  from burning fossil fuels is changing the oceans chemistry more rapidly than at any time since the Great Dying (Earths most severe known extinction event). Their report emphasized that the 2 °C maximum temperature increase agreed upon by governments reflects too small a cut in emissions to prevent "dramatic impacts" on the world's oceans.