Speakers Club: Dr. Adina Payton

Event Date: 

Thursday, November 13, 2014 - 2:00pm

Event Location: 

  • Webb Hall 1100

Dr. Adina Payton of UC Santa Cruz will give a talk at Speakers Club entitled "Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Coral Reefs."

 

 

Coral reefs are ecologically and economically important marine habitats, but they are threatened by a host of human-induced stressors including ocean acidification. When acidification occurs, an increase in dissolved carbon dioxide causes the oceanic pH to decrease. This lowered pH threatens calcifying marine organisms such as corals because it decreases the availability of carbonate ions, an important building block for their skeletons.

Field sites with low pH submarine springs can be used to study the impacts of acidification on coral calcification in their natural environment including ecosystem interactions and over long time scales. The ability of corals and other calcifying organisms to acclimate to reduced pH conditions is critical for their survival as the oceans become more acidic. Results from this field work will be presented.