Cold-Water Corals of Chile
Jantzen, C., Haussermann, V., Forsterra, G., Laudien, J., Ardelan, M., Maier, S. and Richter, C. 2013. Marine Biology 160: 2597-2607.
From this host of data, the seven scientists determined that the cold-water coral D. dianthus grows along the course of the fjord and its entire pH range," where "it occurs in shallow depths (below 12 m, pH 8.1) as part of a deep-water emergence community, but also in [water of] 225 m depth at a pH of 7.4." Indeed, they say that it thrives close to the aragonite saturation horizon and even below it, where they found "flourishing coral banks."
In discussing their findings within a wider context, Jantzen et al. note that several other recent studies "question reduced calcification rates of corals in environments with lowered aragonite saturation state (Ωarg)," citing Marubini et al. (2008) and Jury et al. (2010), while noting that "very recent studies hint at a higher acclimatization potential of cold-water corals to ocean acidification," citing Rodolfo-Metalpa et al. (2010), Trotter et al. (2011), Form and Riebesel (2012) and McCulloch et al. (2012a,b). And now their study suggests much the same thing.
Form, A. and Riebesel, U. 2012. Acclimation to ocean acidification during long-term CO2 exposure in the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa. Global Change Biology 18: 843-853.
Jury, C., Whitehead, R.F. and Szmant, A. 2010. Effects of variations in carbonate chemistry on the calcification rates of Madracis auretenra (= Madracis mirabilis sensu Wells, 1973): bicarbonate concentrations best predict calcification rates. Global Change Biology 16: 1632-1644.
Marubini, F., Ferrier-Pages, C., Furla, P. and Allemande, D. 2008. Coral calcification responds to seawater acidification, a working hypothesis towards a physiological mechanism. Coral Reefs 27: 491-499.
McCulloch, M., Falter, J., Trotter, J. and Montagna, P. 2012a. Coral resilience to ocean acidification and global warming through pH up-regulation. Nature Climate Change 2: 1-5.
McCulloch, M., Trotter, J., Montagna, P., Falter, J., Dunbar, R., Freiwald, A., Forsterra, G., Lopez-Correa, M., Maier, C., Ruggeberg, A. and Taviani, M. 2012b. Resilience of cold-water scleractinian corals to ocean acidification: boron isotopic systematics of pH and saturation state up-regulation. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 87: 21-34.
Rodolfo-Metalpa, R., Martin, S., Ferrier-Pages, C. and Gattuso, J.P. 2010. Response of the temperate coral Cladocora caespitosa to mid- and long-term exposure to pCO2 and temperature levels projected for the year 2100 AD. Biogeosciences 7: 289-300.
Trotter, J., Montagna, P., McCulloch, M., Silenzi, S., Reynaud, S., Mortimer, G., Martin, S., Ferrier-Pages, C., Gattuso, J.P. and Rodolfo-Metalpa, R. 2011. Quantifying the pH 'vital effect' in the temperate zooxanthellate coral Cladocora caespitosa: validation of the boron seawater pH proxy. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 303: 163-173.