pH, %DO and Temperatures February 2026

🌡️The weekly pH graph, shows a clear inverse relationship between temperature and pH. Temperature exhibits moderate daily variability, with a peak around 04/02, while pH declines progressively toward the same period before stabilizing and slightly recovering.

🪸This pattern is consistent with carbonate chemistry dynamics in tropical reef systems. Increasing temperature reduces CO₂ solubility and can enhance biological respiration rates, shifting the carbonate equilibrium and contributing to a measurable decrease in pH. Conversely, when temperature declines, pH shows partial recovery.

🧪Importantly, pH values remain within the typical range for oligotrophic coral reef environments (8.00–8.08), suggesting no acute acidification stress during the monitoring window. The limited amplitude of fluctuation indicates short-term physicochemical variability rather than systemic instability.

💧Talking about dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations, the ranging is approximately between 7.58 and 7.71 mg/L. Temperature fluctuations correspond with subtle inverse responses in DO levels, particularly evident during the temperature peak around 04/02, when dissolved oxygen slightly declines.

🌡️This pattern reflects the well-established thermodynamic relationship between temperature and oxygen solubility in seawater: as temperature increases, gas solubility decreases. Additionally, elevated temperatures may enhance metabolic respiration rates within the reef community, further influencing short-term oxygen dynamics.

🪸Despite these fluctuations, dissolved oxygen concentrations remain consistently high and within optimal thresholds for coral reef organisms, indicating well-oxygenated conditions and effective water exchange. The limited amplitude of variation suggests natural environmental modulation rather than hypoxic stress.

#coralrestoration #temperatures #pH #DissolvedOxygen