Do novel mineralisation reactions in calcium carbonate sands decrease their resistance to Ocean Acidification?

Under acidic conditions, calcium carbonate sands dissolve (Eyre et al., Nature Climate Change, 2014). The rate of this dissolution is determined by the alkalinity of the water that filters through the sand (the ability to buffer acids), which is turn is determined by the series of carbon mineralisation reactions whereby microorganisms in the sediment convert organic carbon to carbon dioxide (CO2).
A recent finding that the expected order of carbon mineralisation reactions does not apply in sandy sediments (Bourke et al., Nature Geosciences, 2016) significantly changes the production of alkalinity in sands. Therefore, the ability of those sands to resist dissolution under ocean acidification may be reduced.
This project will determine the kinetic of carbon mineralisation and calcium carbonate dissolution in permeable sands under current and predicted future ocean conditions.