Ocean acidification (OA), driven by rising CO₂, lowers ocean pH and impacts calcifying organisms like the Scleractinian coral Oculina arbuscula. A short pulse of extremely low pH can disrupt skeletal deposition, which can occur in dynamic environments such as estuaries, upwelling zones, and polar waters. The effects of a short-term extreme low-pH pulse on Oculina arbuscula were examined under laboratory conditions by measuring buoyant weight and surface area, comparing three treatments: a brief pH pulse of 6.25 from a pH 7.8, a sustained pH of 7.8, and a control pH of 8.1. A one-way ANOVA test demonstrated no significant effect of pH on the growth of corals exposed to the 6.25 pH pulse (F(2,6) = 1.17, p = 0.37). These results suggest that O. arbuscula may tolerate brief extreme acidification without significant physiological impairment.
