Abstract Summary
A progressive decline in seawater pH known as ocean acidification (OA) will result in the reduced growth of numerous species of coral. The threatened staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis was once an ecologically important contributor to reef framework production throughout the Caribbean. Recent widespread mortality has decimated populations of this species and has provided the impetus for extensive nursery, restoration, and outplanting efforts. Here we synthesize the current state of knowledge concerning the impacts of OA on A. cervicornis. We explore new data that reveals that dynamic diel pH oscillations may enhance calcification at contemporary CO2 levels, and discuss how these findings may help to explain the differences in calcification responses observed among prior studies. We expand on these data to investigate the importance of co-occurring environmental conditions, such as light, temperature, and heterotrophy, as well as the contribution of host genotype. Finally, we address the impacts of OA on skeletal structure in order to examine how future conditions may interact with different nursery techniques to impact skeletal fragility, mortality, and asexual reproduction.
