Ocean Acidification
roughly tracks pH.
Threatens
Economies And
Marine Life
Environment: Corals weaken as pH
drops, UN report detail further ocean
harm
By Puneet Kollipara
Researchers use the growth and density patterns
revealed by these CT scans to track coral
development, which is inhibited by higher-than-normal
acidity.
Credit: Adina Paytan
Evidence for ocean acidification
abounds, but what that means for
different organisms has been hard to pin
down. A recent study finds that at least
one coral species won’t be able to
acclimatize to more acidic waters (Proc.
Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2013,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1301589110).
Led by Elizabeth D. Crook of the
University of California, Santa Cruz,
researchers sampled Porites
astreoides corals from waters in the
Yucatan Peninsula with a natural pH
gradient.
The researchers used computed
tomography (CT) scans to determine
annual growth rates over four years and
skeletal erosion due to wear-and-tear or
predation. Then they assessed how
these measures vary with the water’s
carbonate ion concentration, which
Some of the corals came from waters
with a pH just above 8.0, which is near
the average value for oceans. Others
came from an area with much less
carbonate than average, where pH is
7.2–7.6. They found that corals in low-
carbonate waters calcified 30% less,
their skeletons were 28% less dense,
and their bioerosion was nearly twice as
extensive. These effects worsened in
areas with even more acidic waters. The
observed trends mirror those seen in
short-term lab studies, suggesting they
would persist over a lifetime, Crook
says.
Chris Langdon of the University of
Miami is concerned by the study’s
findings. He notes that the oceans are
becoming warmer, which also negatively
affects coral. Research on how these
two factors synergize is a growing field,
he adds. Study coauthor Adina
Paytan of UC Santa Cruz says that coral
reefs serve as frameworks for diverse
ecosystems and help humans by
providing tourism opportunities, coastal
protection, and homes for seafood.
Adding to the gloom, a new United
Nations report says human activities
that generate carbon emissions are
acidifying the oceans and the problem
could get far worse without emission
cuts. By 2050, ocean pH could drop to
7.8 on average, a 150% acidity increase
over preindustrial values of around 8.2.
The economic impact of these changes
could reach billions of dollars, the report
warns.
Chemical & Engineering News
ISSN 0009-2347
Copyright © 2016 American
Chemical Society