Benthic coral reef calcium carbonate dissolution in an acidifying ocean

Eyre, Bradley D.; Andersson, Andréas; Cyronak, Tyler

doi:10.1038/nclimate2380

Cited by 167 publications

(165 citation statements)

References 93 publications

(88 reference statements)

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“…Numerous experimental studies have demonstrated decreases in coral calcification rates (Chan and Connolly, 2013) and increases in rates of CaCO 3 substrate and sediment dissolution (Andersson et al, 2009;Cyronak et al, 2013) under increasing seawater CO 2 concentrations and decreasing pH. Thus, ocean acidification poses a direct threat to the ability of coral reef ecosystems to maintain positive CaCO 3 accretion (Eyre et al, 2014). However, extrapolating and scaling these experimental results to in situ community and ecosystem scales poses multiple challenges Edmunds et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Coral Reef Carbonate Chemistry Variability at Different Functional Scales

et al. 2018

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There is a growing recognition for the need to understand how seawater carbonate chemistry over coral reef environments will change in a high-CO 2 world to better assess the impacts of ocean acidification on these valuable ecosystems. Coral reefs modify overlying water column chemistry through biogeochemical processes such as net community organic carbon production (NCP) and calcification (NCC). However, the relative importance and influence of these processes on seawater carbonate chemistry vary across multiple functional scales (defined here as space, time, and benthic community composition), and have not been fully constrained. Here, we use Bermuda as a case study to assess (1) spatiotemporal variability in physical and chemical parameters along a depth gradient at a rim reef location, (2) the spatial variability of total alkalinity (TA) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) over distinct benthic habitats to infer NCC:NCP ratios [< several km 2 ; rim reef vs. seagrass and calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) sediments] on diel timescales, and (3) compare how TA-DIC relationships and NCC:NCP vary as we expand functional scales from local habitats to the entire reef platform (10's of km 2 ) on seasonal to interannual timescales. Our results demonstrate that TA-DIC relationships were strongly driven by local benthic metabolism and community composition over diel cycles. However, as the spatial scale expanded to the reef platform, the TA-DIC relationship reflected processes that were integrated over larger spatiotemporal scales, with effects of NCC becoming increasingly more important over NCP. This study demonstrates the importance of considering drivers across multiple functional scales to constrain carbonate chemistry variability over coral reefs.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Coral Reef Carbonate Chemistry Variability at Different Functional Scales

et al. 2018

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“…Photosynthesis during the day consumes DIC and increases X ar , which promotes calcification that depletes TA (Suzuki et al 1995;Ohde and van Woesik 1999;Bates et al 2010;Shamberger et al 2011;Lantz et al 2013). At night, respiration produces CO 2 , decreases X ar , and calcification often slows, with some benthic communities experiencing net dissolution Halley 2003, 2006;Andersson and Gledhill 2013;Eyre et al 2014). The impact of these processes on the variability in the parameters of the CO 2 -carbonic acid system depends on a number of environmental factors including geographic location, seasonal and daily trends in temperature and light availability, hydrodynamic forcing and nutrients (Suzuki et al 1995;Andersson et al 2005;Bates et al 2010;Drupp et al 2011Drupp et al , 2013Falter et al 2012;Zhang et al 2012;Yeakel et al 2015).…”

Section: Ta: Dic Relationshipmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatiotemporal Assessment of CO2–Carbonic Acid System Dynamics in a Pristine Coral Reef Ecosystem, French Frigate Shoals, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

et al. 2017

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Observations of surface seawater fugacity of carbon dioxide (fCO 2 ) and pH were collected over a period of several days at French Frigate Shoals (FFS) in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) in order to gain an understanding of the natural spatiotemporal variability of the marine inorganic carbon system in a pristine coral reef ecosystem. These data show clear island-to-open ocean gradients in fCO 2 and total alkalinity that can be measured 10-20 km offshore, indicating that metabolic processes influence the CO 2 -carbonic acid system over large areas of ocean surrounding FFS and by implication the islands and atolls of the NWHI. The magnitude and extent of this spatial gradient may be driven by a combination of physical and biogeochemical processes including reef water residence time, hydrodynamic forcing of currents and tidal flow, and metabolic processes that occur both on the reef and within the lagoon.

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“…Rates of sediment autotrophic production (gross primary productivity; GPP) on coral reefs are generally greater than rates of heterotrophic metabolism (respiration; R; GPP / R > 1), such that the sediments are a net source of oxygen (Atkinson, 2011). Similarly, rates of sediment calcification/precipitation are generally greater than rates of sediment dissolution (G net > 0) on most reefs under current ocean conditions, such that coral reef sediments on diel (24 h) timescales are net precipitating, resulting in the long-term burial of carbon in the form of calcium carbonate (Eyre et al, 2014;Andersson, 2015). This long-term production of calcium carbonate is an important component of reef formation and the creation of sandy cays (Atkinson, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The short-term combined effects of temperature and organic matter enrichment on permeable coral reef carbonate sediment metabolism and dissolution

et al. 2017

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Abstract. Rates of gross primary production (GPP), respiration (R), and net calcification (G net ) in coral reef sediments are expected to change in response to global warming (and the consequent increase in sea surface temperature) and coastal eutrophication (and the subsequent increase in the concentration of organic matter, OM, being filtered by permeable coral reef carbonate sediments). To date, no studies have examined the combined effect of seawater warming and OM enrichment on coral reef carbonate sediment metabolism and dissolution. This study used 22 h in situ benthic chamber incubations to examine the combined effect of temperature (T ) and OM, in the form of coral mucus and phytodetritus, on GPP, R, and G net in the permeable coral reef carbonate sediments of Heron Island lagoon, Australia. Compared to control incubations, both warming (+2.4 • C) and OM increased R and GPP. Under warmed conditions, R (Q 10 = 10.7) was enhanced to a greater extent than GPP (Q 10 = 7.3), resulting in a shift to net heterotrophy and net dissolution. Under both phytodetritus and coral mucus treatments, GPP was enhanced to a greater extent than R, resulting in a net increase in GPP / R and G net . The combined effect of warming and OM enhanced R and GPP, but the net effect on GPP / R and G net was not significantly different from control incubations. These findings show that a shift to net heterotrophy and dissolution due to short-term increases in seawater warming may be countered by a net increase GPP / R and G net due to short-term increases in nutrient release from OM.

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Benthic coral reef calcium carbonate dissolution in an acidifying ocean

Cited by 167 publications

References 93 publications

Coral Reef Carbonate Chemistry Variability at Different Functional Scales

Coral Reef Carbonate Chemistry Variability at Different Functional Scales

Spatiotemporal Assessment of CO2–Carbonic Acid System Dynamics in a Pristine Coral Reef Ecosystem, French Frigate Shoals, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

The short-term combined effects of temperature and organic matter enrichment on permeable coral reef carbonate sediment metabolism and dissolution

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