Why I do the Drifter Deployments: Ocean Acidification

This figure shows the increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over several decades (red line). It also shows how this leads to an increase in carbon dioxide in the ocean (dark blue line), which in turn causes the pH to decline (light blue line). Lower pH means more acidic.

The primary reason that I do my research is to understand how the chemistry of the ocean affects coral reefs. I am hoping that my research will help scientists predict how corals will respond to ocean acidification in coming decades.

Ocean Acidification is the process by which the ocean becomes more acidic. The root cause of ocean acidification is the burning of fossil fuels, which adds vast amounts of CO₂ to the atmosphere.  The ocean absorbs one-third of this carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The combination of CO_2­­­ and water results in the production of carbonic acid – keyword: acid. 

Organisms tend to be very sensitive to changes in the chemical environment around them.  The acidification of the ocean is affecting marine organisms by disrupting their metabolic processes and behavior and thereby rendering them less fit. By extension it is also disrupting entire marine ecosystems.  Global change is happening too quickly for organisms to adapt. 

Corals are especially sensitive to ocean acidification, because their skeletons are made of limestone – a mineral that is easily dissolved by acid. I am studying how the chemistry of seawater affects corals in the natural environment, within the context of their diverse community and fluctuating conditions.  I hope that by better understanding the impacts of ocean acidification on coral reefs, we will be better equipped to mitigate detrimental effects.