[Coral-List] Global declines in coral reef calcium carbonate production under ocean acidification and warming

Ruben van Hooidonk - NOAA Affiliate ruben.van.hooidonk at noaa.gov
Sat May 15 11:26:02 UTC 2021


For those interested, this open access article in PNAS just got published.

Global declines in coral reef calcium carbonate production under ocean acidification and warming

In this study we calculated how coral reefs are likely to react to ocean acidification and warming under three different climate-change carbon dioxide emission scenarios – low, medium and worst-case.

The study has some good news to offer amid a grim outlook.
If the world can reduce carbon dioxide emissions drastically, coral-reef growth will be reduced but many reefs will still be able to grow. The study used data on net calcification, bioerosion and sediment dissolution rates measured or collated from 233 locations on 183 distinct reefs, 49% of them in the Atlantic Ocean, 39% in the Indian Ocean and 11% in the Pacific Ocean. This was then modelled against three Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emissions scenarios for low, medium and high-impact outcomes on ocean warming and acidification for 2050 and 2100.

The projections show most coral reefs will be unable to maintain growth from carbonate production by the end of the century under the medium and high-impact scenarios. Even under the low-impact case, reefs will suffer severely reduced accretion rates.


Have a great weekend,
Ruben

https://www.pnas.org/content/118/21/e2015265118 <https://www.pnas.org/content/118/21/e2015265118>


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