Ocean Acidification One Deadly Threat To Unprotected Coral

     It turns out that not only does global warming have affect on our air quality due to a massive overload of CO2, it also has an equally scary partner: ocean acidification.  Ocean acidification is caused by CO2 being absorbed into our oceans, at a rate of around 1 million tons of carbon dioxide per hour.  According to a study by the National Research Council in early 2010, the acid levels in the worlds' oceans are increasing quickly, and poise a potential threat to many ecosystems under the sea. 
     What happens to the coral as the ocean becomes warmer is known as bleaching.  When the water becomes too warm for the coral, they automatically discharge the nutrient rich algae that is needed for their survival.  Growing levels of acid in the water also impair the corals ability to grow.  This acid treatment is not lost on the crabs, starfish, and other sea creatures that are finding it more and more difficult to create the hard shells they need to protect themselves from predators.

      Coral reefs, with their sprawling beauty and immense diversity, are one of the most sensitive organisms to ocean acidfication, as the colorful reefs have begun to erode all over the world at alarming speeds.  The Center for Biological Diversity has a petition for the government to grant protection to 83 critically endangered species of coral living in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans as well as the Gulf of Mexico.  The Center has also filed a notice of intent to sue as there has been slow movement to gain protection for the corals.  Only two coral species have gained federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, the elkhorn and the staghorn.  Some of the other species on the CBD's list include the whitestar sheet coral, the pillar coral, the rough cactus coral and the lobed star coral.  The world’s leading coral biologist, Charles Veron, warns that unless CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere drop to below 350 parts per million quickly, coral reefs and reef dependant marine life will be doomed to a deadly and irreversible decline due to global warming and ocean acidification.


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