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Ocean Acidification, Effects on Calcification

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Encyclopedia of Modern Coral Reefs

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

Synonyms

Lowered pH of seawater

Definition

Aragonite: A calcium carbonate (CaCO3) mineral with an orthorhombic crystal lattice structure; a polymorph of calcite .

Calcification : The process by which an organism secretes calcium carbonate.

Calcite. A calcium carbonate (CaCO3) mineral with a trigonal (rhombohedral) crystal lattice structure; a polymorph of aragonite .

High-Mg calcite: Calcite containing at least 4 mol% MgCO3.

Ocean acidification : The decrease in the pH of the Earth’s oceans caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Rhodoliths: Coralline algae that grow in rounded, free-living forms that are unattached to the substrate.

Saturation state: A measure of the thermodynamic potential of a mineral to precipitate or dissolve.

Introduction

Technically, the term “ocean acidification” refers to any process that causes a decrease in seawater pH. Today, however, the term refers almost exclusively to the process by which oceanic water absorbs carbon dioxide from the...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Interdisciplinary Studies Program & Climate & Global Dynamics Division Institute for the Study of Society and Environment, National Center for Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 3000, 80307-3000, Boulder, CO, USA

    Joan A. Kleypas

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  1. Joan A. Kleypas
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Correspondence to Joan A. Kleypas .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. James Cook University, Townsville, Australia

    David Hopley

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Kleypas, J.A. (2011). Ocean Acidification, Effects on Calcification. In: Hopley, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Modern Coral Reefs. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2639-2_118

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