Coral Reef Chemistry

So let's cut to the chase in terms of some of the science. Coral reefs worldwide are suffering.
Since 1980 bleaching of coral reefs has become widespread. This doesn't have anything to do with bleach as in the chemical it just means that algae which provide corals with their food and color leave the coral and the coral turns white.


Coral often die soon afterwards. Two of the strongest hypotheses for why coral bleaching has reached endemic levels recently are higher ocean temperatures and lower ocean pH.
Here's a Update on Coral Reefs from the scientists I'm working with.

Dissolved gases- you know that solids can dissolve in water, and if you've ever partaken of a carbonated beverage you also know that gases can dissolve in water. Since the industrial revolution the ocean has been kind enough to suck up about half of the CO2 we humans have been adding to the atmosphere. If the oceans hadn’t been doing this, global climate change would probably be a lot worse than it currently is. Thank you oceans! But are the oceans becoming too carbonated? It’s not yet to the point of swimming in soda (that would be super carbonated) but what are the issues?

Ocean Acidification- as oceans absorb human-made CO2 from the atmosphere they turn that CO2 into carbonic acid. Thus, the oceans are getting more acidic. Their pH is going down. This is one possible reason for the decline of the coral reefs.

Here’s a National Geographic article about CO2 in the oceans.