New Research Reveals: How Ocean Acidification Affects Coral Skeletons

Coral reefs are among the most vital ecosystems on Earth – and also among the most vulnerable to climate change.
Rising ocean temperatures and acidification threaten their ability to survive and regenerate.
A new study from the Coral Biomineralization and Physiology Lab, led by Ph.D. candidate Federica Scucchia under the supervision of Prof. Tali Mass, in collaboration with the University of Rhode Island and the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, explored how much stress young corals can withstand. 
Researchers exposed coral recruits – the most fragile stage in a coral’s life – to conditions simulating future oceans: warming and acidification.

What did they find?
– Under moderate changes, the young corals managed to survive and settle.
– Under extreme conditions, survival and settlement rates dropped sharply, and genetic analyses revealed signs of severe energetic stress.

The takeaway: Corals from variable environments may show resilience – but only up to a point. Beyond that threshold, even the strongest break. 
This research was part of a broader international collaboration supported by the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF).
Read the full paper