Acid in the sea is destroying coral reefs

US scientists have published research showing that seawater, due to acidification by global warming, is corroding and destroying coral reefs.

According to research author Chris Langdon, an oceanographer at the University of Miami (USA), this is the first time scientists have recognized the long-term effects of ocean acidification on Coral reefs off the coast of the United States.

Coral reefs are being destroyed by acid in the seawater, making fish species take shelter.(Source: SLT).

Mr. Langdon said, what they observed was predicting a dark future for coral reefs here. As noted by scientists, the northern part of the Florida Keys reef (off Florida state) has been compromised for the past 6 years.

The research team estimates that the amount of corals damaged is more than 6 million tons. Seawater corrodes and causes cracks, making the coral here become more porous and weaker, Langdon said.

"Increasing ocean acidification has caused coral reefs to corrode, dissolve, disappear, and fish species will leave because there is no shelter," he said. Scientists expect that the limestone skeleton of the coral will be dissolved at the end of this century.

In addition, the increased concentration of acid in the sea also wears crustaceans of crustaceans such as shrimp, crabs, shellfish and snails . making them easily prey for other fish species, which reduces the number of these species. significant.

Ocean acidification occurs because seawater absorbs carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) from the air, altering its chemical composition. Commenting on this, Mark Eakin, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that people are underestimating the extent of the atmospheric excess CO2 in the living environment. Global.