Dissolving brittle stars hint at implications of ocean acidification
Friday, August 16, 2013 - 05:30
in Astronomy & Space
(Phys.org) —Under the sea ice of Explorers Cove, Antarctica, is a startling array of life. Brittle stars, sea urchins and scallops grow in profusion on the seafloor, a stark contrast to the icy moonscape on the continent's surface. This distant, frigid ecosystem may serve as a microcosm for the health of the entire ocean. And the plentiful brittle stars that dot the seafloor can act as a harbinger of aquatic trouble.