Acidification: the importance of coral reefs in the ocean species. Fragile stars need muscle movement for arm movement, breathing and feeding, without this the brittle star may die. (Doney, 2008) On the other hand, some species do benefit from excess carbon dioxide. The temperate starfish fed more and grew faster than the fragile star. (Kleypas, 2009) Having organisms that continue to live in an unbalanced manner can have serious consequences on corals.

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