My home in the coral reefs is being damaged by ocean acidification—which occurs when the ocean absorbs carbon and becomes acidified. I love living among thriving reefs, but increasing acidification degrades the physical structure of these reefs, putting my habitat and food supply at risk. This affects all the creatures living among the reef—not just my team of fellow blacktip reef sharks.
A reef is a bar of rock, sand, coral or similar material, lying beneath the surface of water. Many reefs result from abiotic processes (i.e. deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock outcrops, and other natural processes), but the best known reefs are the coral reefs of tropical waters developed through biotic processes dominated by corals and coralline algae.