text: The researchers at Woods Hole have spent four years doing a comprehensive study at Palau Rock Islands in the far Western Pacific, where pH levels are naturally ???more acidic?? (which is big-government speak for less alkaline ). Because of laboratory experiments Barkley et al expected to find all kinds of detrimental effects, but instead found a diverse healthy system they describe as ???thriving?? with ???greater coral cover?? and more ???species??.