Oceanic Acidity

Researcher outlines coral's future in an increasingly acidic ocean

VIRGINIA KEY, FL (February 17, 2006) — The ocean is getting more and more acidic, and that's bad news for coral reefs. That's the word from University of Miami Rosenstiel School's Dr. Christopher Langdon who will speak on “Possible Consequences of Increasing Atmospheric CO2 on Coral Reef Ecosystems,” Monday, Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. HST (8 p.m. EST) in Honolulu at the American Geophysical Union's 2006 Ocean Sciences Meeting.

“While we focus a great deal of attention on rising ocean temperatures and the bleaching incidents they cause in corals, we tend to overlook the other consequence of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide on our corals: decreases in ocean pH,” Langdon said. “Carbon dioxide in the ocean is creating a growingly acidic environment for corals, and this acidity could ultimately cause our reefs to waste away.”