Ocean acidification is a threat to coral reefs

THE ocean’s coral reefs are in a grave situation. For starters, they’re bleaching because of climate change. That’s not going to get any better, it appears.

According to a new study, most reefs around the world will be dissolving more quickly than they can regenerate by the end of the century. Within about 30 years, carbonate sands on coral reefs will begin dissolving as the ocean further acidifies.

The study, published on February 22 in the Science journal, claims that the dissolution of carbonate sands is a potentially hazardous effect of ocean acidification, and it’s often overlooked. The ocean acidifies when carbon dioxide dissolves out of the atmosphere and hits the ocean, where it causes a chemical reaction and brings down the water’s ph level.

Carbonate sands accumulate over thousands of years when reef organisms break down, and they’re crucial to the regeneration of coral reefs because they serve as the building material for coral reef frameworks and shallow reef environments such as reef flats, coral sand clays, and lagoons. The problem is, carbonate sands are highly sensitive to toxic chemicals in seawater. When the ocean becomes too acidic, carbonate sands begin to dissolve, endangering the coral reef population.

It’s no secret that the acidification of the ocean diminishes the amount of carbonate sands corals produce, which in turn reduces the chance of coral reef production. It’s a no-win situation, and it will keep on getting worse.