Coral Integrity

MIT-WHOI Joint Program student Thomas DeCarlo removes a sub-sample of seawater for analysis during a calcium carbonate precipitation experiment in Glenn Gaetani’s laboratory. Thomas is growing a particular form of calcium carbonate called aragonite, which corals use to build their skeletons and some shellfish use to build their shells. Growing aragonite from seawater under a range of pH conditions will help Thomas understand how ocean acidification is affecting both the chemistry and the structural integrity of coral skeletons. (Photo by Tom Kleindinst, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)