1. We don't really know
2. When humans move out of an area often recovery is faster and more prolific that expected.
3. Coral takes a really long time to grow and even if it does recover it will take a long time to do so
4. Creatures adapt so that even if CO2 goes up some coral may adapt and so survive happily in the new warmer CO2 rich water
5. Some things, once gone, never come back, which means whole species of coral might be lost even if the reef recovers.
6. We don't really know, have to see what happens.
I find it unlikely that even the most extreme levels of ocean acidification (and other coral-harming changes to the oceans) would wipe out *all* species of reef-forming coral.
And as long as at least some reef-forming coral species survive, coral reefs will eventually return. But they may not be where they once were, they may not be as diverse and rich as they once were, and it will take them a bloody long time to recover even after we return CO2 to better levels, if we actually reach a point first where we can reasonably say there are *no* coral reefs.
It depends on the severity of the acid levels. If it is very acidic and all corals disappear, they is a high chance of corals not existing again a.k.a. extinct. But if still a couple of reefs survive and are thriving, there is a chance that they will reproduce again and form more corals. It honestly depends, but if the CO2 level rises slowly and gradually, the coral may adapt to the high carbon dioxide levels and still survive.
Yes they will recover if greenhouse gas levels are reduced.
This is great question. Its ideal toppic to divert chunk of tax payer money to make useless eko studies on it. And as a result - carbon tax everone for breathing.
Oh please hurry, Earth is dying
(say, for instance, due to geo-engineering measures, in the 22nd century)?
Suppose, to make the hypothetical scenario clear-cut, CO2 peaks somewhere around 500 in about the year 2100, but then goes all the way back down to 350ppm (e.g. roughly the upper bound of the normal range during the last few millions years) by 2200.
