Why some stony coral species are better at surviving ocean acidification
Hard corals grow by generating calcium carbonate (CaCO3) from seawater and adding it to their skeletons, where it crystallizes. This process -- and coral survival -- are threatened by ocean acidification. However, scientists report that corals produce the CaCO3 in compartments protected from seawater and not, as previously believed, in exposed locations. The findings, and differing crystallization rates, could explain why some species are more resilient to this threat.