CT scans of coral skeletons reveal ocean acidity increases reef erosion

(University of Hawaii ‑ SOEST) For coral reefs to persist, rates of reef construction must exceed reef breakdown. Prior research has largely focused on the negative impacts of ocean acidification on reef growth, but new research this week from scientists at the Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, based at the University of Hawai'i - Mānoa, demonstrates that lower ocean pH also enhances reef breakdown: a double-whammy for coral reefs in a changing climate.