Scientists are predicting a bleak future for coral reefs in Bermuda and elsewhere in the world as the levels of acid and contaminants in the ocean continues to rise. Human activities are having a potentially lethal impact on the natural environment and particularly coral reefs which are threatened by carbon dioxide released from fossil fuels.

In this month's Currents, a newsletter produced by the BBSR, scientists say the long-term sustainability of valuable coral reefs is under threat from global climate changes.

Changes in oceanic carbon dioxide levels have been observed in the surface waters off Bermuda by scientists involved in the Atlantic Time-series study.

Recent experimental studies conducted in Bermuda by Dr. Alexander Amat and BBSR senior research scientist Nick Bates reveal a decrease in the ability of coral species to produce calcium carbonate - the compound needed to build a reef.

Chemicals such as carbon dioxide and acid are found to decrease the ability of some coral species to produce calcium carbonate. In the article, scientists said that the acid found in seawater also impairs the ability of coral to construct limestone reefs. Over the next century scientists are predicting that atmospheric carbon dioxide is likely to double from about 370 to 700 parts per million, with similar increases in the levels of carbon dioxide in the ocean. Scientists also predict that levels of acidity in the ocean will increase by the end of this century to levels not observed for millions of years. Preliminary studies conducted by the BBSR also reveal that some species of coral are adaptable to environmental changes and potentially are capable of developing at healthy rates in the future.

Coral reefs are one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on earth and are an important part of world-wide tourism as recent estimates suggest that the net economic benefit of the world's coral reefs is approximately $30 billion annually. Reefs have been put at risk in recent years by urban coastline development, pollution, and environmental phenomena that increase their susceptibility to bleaching and disease.