Ocean Acidification Essay

Register to read the introduction… Increased ocean acidification isn’t the only thing affecting the ocean, but it is very problematic because it erodes aragonite which is a mineral of calcium carbonate. In other words it kills corals and causes the hard exoskeleton to erode. Action needs to be taken to ensure the survival of corals and the creatures that rely on coral reefs to survive. Coral reefs are sources of food for millions of people, but also are sources of medicines. As coral reefs disappear so do the organisms that are mutualistic to it. When coral reefs disappear it will cause a chain reaction affecting people all over the world. "We are seeing an overall negative impact from ocean acidification directly on organisms and on some key ecosystems that help provide food for billions. We need to start thinking about the risk to food security" (CNN World). People don’t understand the severity of what we are doing to the ocean and the world. If no action is taken and we continue on with our daily lives not caring about the long term effects of our actions then it could wipe out entire ecosystems or entire populations of sea …show more content…
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