Did you know the ocean absorbs 25% of CO₂ emissions? That means the emissions are absorbed by coral reefs. This absorption causes the ocean pH to change and become a hostile environment for coral and algae, also known as ocean acidification. As a result, coral reefs calcify at a slower rate and will not be able to survive. One of the leading causes of this acidification is human CO₂ emissions. This article is about conservation management of coral reefs regarding ocean acidification: (1) set up a C chemistry baseline for the ocean, (2) set up ecological baselines, (3) determine species and habitat sensitivity to ocean acidification, (4) projecting changes in seawater carbonate chemistry, and (5) find potential synergistic effects of multiple stressors (Mcleod, et al., 2012). There hasn’t been much research on how to manage the ever-increasing CO₂ emissions so most of this is theoretical and is based on the conservation trends regarding coral bleaching. This an interesting article regarding my research question on how location affects coral reef survival because I never thought to look at CO₂ emissions. From these articles I have been browsing, it seems that human activity and natural disasters are what greatly impact the survival of coral reefs in different locations. Also, that possibly changing the habits of humans around the coast can positively affect coral reefs and make them more resilient.

Mcleod, E., Anthony, K. RN., Andersson, A., Beeden, R., Golbuu, Y., Kleypas, J., Kroeker, K., Manzello, D., Salm, R. V., Schuttenburg, H., and Smith, J. E. (2013) Preparing to manage coral reefs for acidification: lessons from coral bleaching. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 11(1): 20-27