MAO coating is deposited on AZ31 Mg alloy by microarc oxidation.
Corrosion performance of MAO-coated AZ31 in EBSS vs. c-SBF is studied.
MAO-coated AZ31 exhibits enhanced corrosion resistance compared to bare AZ31.
Samples in EBSS show slower corrosion progression than the samples in c-SBF.
CO2 buffer and less chloride in EBSS cause corrosion rate gap in c-SBF and EBSS.