Coral Reefs: most vulnerable to the effects of Climate Change
The rise in atmospheric CO2 levels has been a talked-about subject for quite some time, but while scientists and politicians are coming to what they call a “solution,” the impact on marine environments is being ignored. Proposed emission cuts are aiming to significantly lower the amount of CO2 produced within the United States, but what impact does this value have outside the human world? Scientists say that even the lowest proposed percentages aren’t nearly enough to halt oceanic damage. CO2 is a soluble gas that is easily absorbed into the ocean’s waters. When CO2 is combined with H2O, the reaction releases what is known as Carbonic Acid, or H2C03. When the carbonic acid is dissolved, it loses a hydrogen ion resulting in HCO3, leaving the H+ ion to move freely. This process is known as ocean acidification and is ultimately responsible of the raise in seawater acidity. Read More...
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