Coral Reefs Surprisingly Resistant to Acid Water

Palau's Coral Reefs Surprisingly Resistant to Acid Water

Summary: Marine biologists doing work in the coral reefs of Palau have made two unexpected discoveries that could help scientists learn more about corals' resistance and their resistance to the acid in the ocean. The team there collected samples at nine different points, from the open ocean to the bays and inlets of Palau. With each point they found that there was more and more acid in the seawater. An amazing part of the reef were that the corals living in the more acidic parts were healthy and diverse. There is more diversity and greater coral cover then in non-acidic areas. This information tells of a coral system that is resistant to acidic seawater. In the case of the reefs at Palau, scientists are trying to find out if the corals are just adapted to the low pH. The latter is if the corals are just specifically for the environment of Palau. By learning of what is the cause of this could benefit coral reefs everywhere. While the ocean's acidic levels differ at different points on the earth, it is all gradually changing due to the increased carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere. The ocean absorbs the carbon dioxide, which lowers the pH and making the world's oceans more acidic. As well as shell-building organisms living in the ocean that take out carbonate ions from the water but put back carbon dioxide from their respiration. With the labs of coral growing in low pH conditions, it simulates some future conditions and a wide variety of negative effects.

Relevance: This article relates to the coral reefs and that the corals house organisms that provide food for the coral, while the coral provides a place for the organism to live. As well as coral bleaching which is when the corals are stressed out from the high level of acid in the water, or from warm water temperatures. The coral near the Palau islands however were somehow resistant to the acid in the water. Which prevented the corals from becoming stressed out and spitting out the polyps. By learning more about what it is that allows the coral to resist and hence not get stressed out from the high acid levels in the ocean water.

Author: Macroevolution.net
Published: February 18, 2014
Link: http://www.macroevolution.net/coral-reefs-surprisingly-resistant.html
By: Simin Li