Human activities have resulted in ocean acidification due to an increase in concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and oceans, resulting in a decrease in the pH of the oceans. Corals have a more difficult time building their calcium carbonate skeletons when the water becomes more acidic. How do you predict that this affects the biodiversity of coral reef ecosystems?

Biodiversity will likely decrease as corals die, leading to physical changes in ecosystem structure as well as the collapse of coral dependent food webs.

Biodiversity will likely increase as a fresh wave of species moves in to occupy the newly available space produced by the lower number of corals.

Biodiversity will likely not change much, as new species capable of tolerating the lower pH move in to replace the corals and other species in the reef are not affected by the loss of corals.

Biodiversity will likely not change much because the corals will quickly adapt to the lower pH and continue to thrive.