Marble, limestone, and other carbonate rocks used throughout antiquity could start dissolving as oceans soak up more carbon dioxide.
ocean acidification
Posted inNews
Coral Diversity Drops as Ocean Acidifies
As seawater becomes steadily more acidic, complex branching corals die off and are replaced with hard boulder corals and algae.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Our Ocean’s “Natural Antacids” Act Faster Than We Thought
New evidence from New Zealand suggests that calcium carbonate dissolution occurs not just over millennial timescales, but over annual and decadal ones too.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Coastal Coralline Algae Naturally Survive Persistent, Extreme Low pH
Time-series monitoring shows that a coastal coralline algae reef is naturally exposed to extreme low pH levels, suggesting potential adaptation of this biodiverse habitat to future ocean acidification.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
New River Chemistry Insights May Boost Coastal Ocean Modeling
By more realistically accounting for river inputs, researchers reduced overestimation of the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by coastal waters.
Posted inNews
As Seas Rise, Corals Can’t Keep Up
Coral reef growth rates in the tropical western Atlantic have slowed to a fraction of what they once were, erasing coastal protection benefits they once offered.
Posted inNews
Warming Gulf of Maine Buffers Ocean Acidification—For Now
Scientists constructed a 100-year history of acidity in the Gulf of Maine. They expected coastal variability but were surprised by what they didn’t find: a strong anthropogenic signal.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
River Alkalinization and Ocean Acidification Face Off in Coastal Waters
Factors ranging from rainfall to nutrient runoff to changing mining and agricultural practices drove decades-long pH trends in the Chesapeake Bay.
Posted inNews
Corals Are Simplistic When Conditions Are Acidic
Increasing ocean acidity could spell trouble for fish that depend on corals’ many branches for protection.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
In Hot Water and Beyond: Marine Extremes Escalate
A new study suggests marine life is increasingly faced with triple-threat events in which extreme water temperature, low oxygen levels, and acidification converge.