Most aquarists that have an irregular pH would rather use a natural means of balancing the pH of salt water because of the beneficial effects on, not only the overall water chemistry, but the non-lethal effects on the waters inhabitants. A very common pH balancer is crushed coral, which is a chemical mixture of solid aragonite. Aragonite is a polymorph of calcium carbonate, and a natural pH buffer. Crushed coral could quite possibly be the solution for reversing ocean acidification, however, like adding a base to the ocean it is economically improbable. When coral dies in the ocean an area of calcium carbonate deposits are all that is left. It will eventually dissolve and remove any evidence of a coral …show more content…
The only way the ocean will balance itself out will be if all corals die. The coral’s calcium carbonate deposit will dissolve and react with the water creating calcium hydroxide and aqueous carbon dioxide. This would help the ocean for a short amount of time, but the disappearance of corals would devastate the chemistry of the water. Live rocks in the case of aquariums are dead corals that have been brought back to life from beneficial bacteria and algaes. The dead coral acts as a literal “building block,” for coral reefs. They provide the water with nutrients, remove many chemicals hazardous to sea creatures, and help keep the ocean clean and