Many misconstrue why and how coral reefs are collapsing. There are a number factors including warming waters which causes coral bleaching, rising sea levels, and ocean acidification (what we will be covering here).
A number of people are familiar with coral bleaching, with the stark white in contrast with the normally vibrant corals that we are familiar with.
However, ocean acidification’s less apparent effects are less documented and understood by the public. Ocean acidification makes corals thinner and weaker, leaving coral reefs more vulnerable to breakage and death along with the quarter of all marine life that rely on coral reefs for food and shelter. Ocean acidification occurs when carbon dioxide from fossil fuels is absorbed into the ocean and reacts to eventually create bicarbonate and hydrogen ions. Watch the attached video to fully understand how ocean acidification affects coral, and what that means for us.