To properly kick this off I will be talking about coral! Coral starts with an animal called polyps that help build the structure of the coral and also catch food. Coral is also a plant with photosynthetic zooxanthellae symbiotically living within their tissues that provide additional nutrients. Coral need specific conditions in order to survive and when even one is changed, their lives are threatened! Since the Industrial Revolution we have been putting enormous amounts of CO2 and other gases continuously into the atmosphere. Some remain in the atmosphere, where we can see the effects of global warming (which is a REAL and current issue). CO2 also gets absorbed by the ocean and other bodies of water. CO2 reacts with seawater to make carbonic acid (H2CO3). Acids are low in pH and high in acidity. Stony corals are the main reef building types and they produce CaCO3 (calcium carbonate) which gives the hard structure to reefs and lays the foundation for other things to grow. Carbonic acid dissolves calcium carbonate, negatively effecting the reefs. It’s all connected you guys!! Take a moment to think about what in your life can be changed to limit the amount of CO2 you produce... it’s more than breathing and gas for your car!! And know that this is just ONE of the many things hurting coral reefs and causing them to bleach!
Original post: 21 October 2018
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