Why is ocean acidification more pronounced in the Arctic and Antarctic (Southern Ocean)?
Colder waters, due to their higher solubility for CO2, naturally hold more CO2 and are more acidic than warmer waters. As such, it is suggested that with increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations, the surface waters of high latitude oceans will be the first to become under-saturated with respect to calcium carbonate. Models have indicated that the cold Southern Ocean is particularly vulnerable given the low existing saturation levels of carbonate minerals, uniform temperatures and the extent of mixing in the water column. What are the effects of ocean acidification on coral? The response of tropical coral reefs to ocean acidification will range from the point where reduced skeletal growth affects the coral’s ability to survive, to the point where a reef loses the ability to maintain its structure. These thresholds will vary from coral to coral and reef to reef. Reefs in acidified waters are predicted to decline in the following sequence: • loss of coralline algae causing decreased reef
