Dr. Kiesha Bahr and PhD candidate Alex delivered a powerful lesson to students April 12. Eleven classes from three different states zoomed in to learn about ocean acidifications affect on coral. Students learned carbon dioxide undergoes chemical reactions upon entering the ocean. Those reactions affect skeletal strength of the coral.
PhD candidate Alex led students in a hands on experiment used real coral from Dr. Bahr’s research in Hawaii. In Dr. Bahr’s experiment coral fragments were dyed pink and then placed in controlled tanks adjusted for acidic and normal ocean conditions. Resulting growth was white. The students measured the white growth of coral grown in control conditions and coral grown in acidic conditions. Results were graphed and discussed.
Besides ocean acidification themes included collaboration, scientific repetition, and communication.
