Theory 69/Field programme/Ocean acidification
Calcification Has a Threshold
The claim
Calcification declines sharply below a threshold in carbonate saturation, rather than linearly with pH.
01Mechanism
Shell formation requires saturation above a critical level; below it, dissolution outpaces deposition.
02Prediction
Calcification should fall abruptly at a saturation threshold.
03Refutation
Linear decline with pH would remove the threshold.