the algae (zooxanthellae) remove
the excess carbon dioxide and water within the coral polyp 6.
Not exact matches
Excess carbon dioxide enters the ocean, reacts with
water, decreases ocean pH
and lowers carbonate ion concentrations, making
waters more corrosive to marine species that need carbonate ions
and dissolved calcium to build
and maintain healthy shells
and skeletons.
Operators could then remove
water and sequester the
excess carbon dioxide.
For example, in higher latitudes such as northern Canada
and Greenland, coastal
waters usually act as
carbon sinks, absorbing
excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Specimens of elkhorn coral living in
water with
excess carbon dioxide have been studied for fertilization rates, ability of larvae to settle on reef substrate (where they produce new corals),
and subsequent growth
and survival.3 Three levels of
carbon dioxide were tested, corresponding to concentrations today, at mid-century,
and at the end of the century on a high - emissions path.3, 5 At the mid-century concentration, the ability of fertilization to occur
and for larvae to settle successfully on the reef was significantly reduced: around 52 percent,
and the decline intensified to about 73 percent at the late - century concentration.3 The corals» ability to survive over the long run declined as well, by an average of 39 percent
and 50 percent respectively.3, 4
These processes affect the transport of
water, heat, salinity, nutrients
and carbon in the ocean, impacting on the climate system by modifying it's ability to absorb human - emitted
carbon dioxide and excess heat resulting from increased
carbon dioxide concentrations.
Excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere — in addition to contributing to climate change — is absorbed by the ocean, making sea
water more acidic
and leading to a suite of changes in ocean chemistry.
Read / Purchase the Report Ocean Acidification: A National Strategy to Meet the Challenges of A Changing Ocean (2010)
Excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere — in addition to contributing to climate change — is absorbed by the ocean, making sea
water more acidic
and leading to a suite of changes in ocean chemistry.