Beautiful coral reefs beneath, deep sea or oceans are basic attractions for marine explorers who love to find unique and exclusive creatures hidden next to these beautiful vibrant structures.
Coral reefs are essential for marine life, providing food and shelter for about a quarter of all ocean species and aquatic animals, while scientists may worry about their existing and future damage.
A study published in Communication Biology was conducted to investigate rare coral reef environments in Papua New Guinea to understand how ocean acidification could affect coral ecosystems as the climate continues to warm.
A team led by the Australian Institute of Marine Science AIMS surveyed entire reef communities near several shallow submarine volcanoes in Papua New Guinea.
The researchers found that as the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide CO2 from the air, the seawater becomes increasingly acidic, which can slowly erode the limestone that forms coral skeletons.
These locations are naturally exposed to higher CO2 levels as gas escapes from the seafloor, creating conditions similar to those expected in future oceans.
Senior author of the study and coral researcher at AIMS, Dr. Katharina Fabricius, explained that the work has identified species capable of surviving long-term exposure to elevated CO2.
While the study’s other author, Dr Sam Noonan, revealed: “These reefs in Papua New Guinea tell us that with every increase in CO2 emissions, we will see fewer corals and more fleshy algae.”
“Importantly, we also found far fewer baby corals, meaning reefs will not be able to grow and recover quickly,” he added.
Dr. Sam further explained that oceans are slightly alkaline with a pH of 8.0, but their acidity has already increased by 30%.
As CO2 emissions rise, the ocean’s pH is expected to drop further to a pH of 7.8 by the year 2100.
Researchers concluded that ocean acidification is a huge global problem that has been understudied and underreported until now.
The first of its kind, this study presents unique field data and allows them to assess how entire communities are changing in the real world.
Researchers suggest we need to control the release of more carbon dioxide into the environment, even under the sea.
“The more CO2 we release into the atmosphere, the greater the changes will be to coral reefs and the coastal communities that depend on them. This is in addition to the impact of global warming and sea level rise,” AIMS researchers explain.
Moreover, coral reefs are formed by colonies of polyps held together by calcium carbonate, while most are built by stony corals.
Coral reefs are characterized by underwater ‘ecosystems for marine life’ and naturally protect the coastline of a sea or ocean.
In the event of a tropical cyclone or hurricane, any place surrounded by a reef has an incredible resource that will reduce damage to the coastline.
