Ocean Acidification Makes it Harder for Corals to Build Skeletons
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution scientists Anne Cohen (left) and Nathan Mollica extract core samples from a giant Porites coral in Risong Bay, Palau. They are co-authors of a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showing how increasing ocean acidifcation will affect coral skeleton growth. (Photo credit: Richard Brooks, Lightning Strike Media Productions, Palau)
A new study published Jan. 29 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) shows how ocean acidification makes it harder for corals to build their skeletons. The study is based on research by scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution who extracted core samples from corals near Palau. Their work details the effects of acidification and will allow better predictions of coral vulnerability.
Read more about the research at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
A thriving coral reef community at Hotsarihie, Republic of Palau. (Photo credit: Hannah Barkley, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)