45 A Case Study: Variability in the Calcification Response of Mediterranean Cold-Water Corals to Ocean Acidification

Abstract

The Mediterranean Sea has certain characteristics that make it especially sensitive and vulnerable to changes in atmospheric CO2 and its gradual acidification. Some of the organisms that may be the first to be threatened by this impact are the cold-water corals. The few studies carried out up to date with these organisms by simulating in aquarium the acidified conditions expected for the year 2100 revealed a high variability between and within species. This chapter shows this highly variable response in the calcification of four of the most abundant cold-water coral species in the Mediterranean to low-pH conditions and their potential ecological implications.