Chapter 7: Dropping Acid

In chapter seven, the author goes to One Tree Island where there are multiple species of coral rubble that is found in many different forms. On the Island, there is a research station that is operated by the University of Sydney. Captain James Cook was the first european to see the Great Barrier Reef. His team discovered it after the ship stumbled upon a section of the reef. Although Cook understood that the reef originated by a biological process, he was perplexed about how the reef grew to the height. Other scientists, like Lyell and darwin were also fascinated by coral reefs. Lyell theorized that coral reefs grew from extinct underwater volcanoes. When Darwin went to Moorea, he concluded that reefs were vast island that sank away. The complexity of coral reefs is something that continues to fascinate scientists. The book states, “Reefs are organic paradoxes- obdurate, ship destroying ramparts constructed by tiny gelatinous creatures, They are part animal, part vegetable and part mineral, at once teeming with life, and, at the same time, mostly dead.” (130)

Kolbert explains that there was an experiment being conducted there on corals and ocean acidification. Ken Caldiera was the leader of this experiment and the team was calculating the change in the ocean’s pH to see how it affected reefs. In Arizona, biosphere 2 was built which was meant to demonstrate how life on earth can be imitated on other planets. This experiment didn’t work out because the inhabitants were hungry and the artificial atmosphere fell apart. This is because the oxygen levels dropped and carbon dioxide was abundant. Because of this high amount of carbon dioxide, the ph levels of the fake ocean was low. Low ph levels affect coral reefs because it establishes a high amount of acidification and causes the reefs to begin to disintegrate. This chapter connects to the theme, the earth itself is one interconnected system. This is because major changes in the atmosphere since industrialization are continuing to impact different ecosystems.