Can Cold-Water Corals Adapt to Climate Change?

Can Cold-Water Corals Adapt to Climate Change?

Reference- http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216111528.htm

Summary- By absorbing about a third of human made carbon dioxide the ocean decelerates global warming. However when dissolved in seawater carbon dioxide reacts to produce carbonic acid causing seawater pH to decrease. It also diminishes the concentration of carbonate ions thereby putting organisms forming their shells and skeletons from calcium carbonate at risk. In a first experiment the scientists kept selected coral branches in bioreactors for a week at a range of CO2 levels as the projected to occur during the next decade and centuries. The temperature was held constant and the corals were fed properly. A second experiment under similar conditions took six months. The short-term experiment suggests that even a pH decrease of only 0.1 units’ results in a decline of growth by about one third compared to control conditions. But the long-term experiment did not support this trend to our own surprise and that of the marine science community. The corals seem to get used to the new conditions.

Critique- The corals seem to be able to get use to the new conditions. The second experiment took longer than the first one which didn’t support the data since it was long termed.

Impact- The project showed that the corals are able to adapt to the new conditions.