Carbonate production by coral reefs

Chave, Keith E.; Smith, Stephen V.; Roy, Kenneth J.

doi:10.1016/0025-3227(72)90024-2

Cited by 193 publications

(89 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…For example, marine mollusks are estimated to produce about 50 to 1000 g CaCO 3 m -2 yr -1 (Beukema 1982, Gutiérrez et al 2003. For coral reef, the rate of calcification is approximately 10 kg CaCO 3 m -2 yr -1 (Chave et al 1975). Given the importance of marine calcifiers to these processes, influences on their population size and composition will potentially cause negative impacts to coastal ecosystems, which, consequently, may even affect the whole oceanic ecosystem.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of CO2-driven ocean acidification on the early developmental stages of invertebrates

Kurihara¹

2008

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

573

411

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CO 2 emissions arising from the burning of fossil fuels have altered seawater chemistry far more rapidly than the Earth has previously experienced, and the rate and extent of this change are expected to affect shallow water marine organisms. The increased CO 2 diffuses from the atmosphere into ocean surface waters, resulting in increased partial pressure of CO 2 , and reduced [CO 32 -] and pH. The CO 2 -driven ocean acidification leads to a decrease in calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) saturation state in the ocean surface waters and has potential impacts on calcifiers. The present study focuses on the effects of ocean acidification on early developmental and reproductive stages of calcifiers, both of which are believed to be the most vulnerable stages to environmental change within a life cycle. Laboratory experiments revealed that ocean acidification has negative impacts on the fertilization, cleavage, larva, settlement and reproductive stages of several marine calcifiers, including echinoderm, bivalve, coral and crustacean species. There appear to be significant ontogenetic impacts and species-specific differences in tolerance to the high CO 2 levels. The conclusion is that future changes in ocean acidity will potentially impact the population size and dynamics, as well as the community structure of calcifiers, and will therefore have negative impacts on marine ecosystems. Further studies are needed to evaluate the potential impacts on non-calcifiers, as well as the synergistic impacts of ocean acidification and climate change. Studies should also focus on the adaptive capability of marine organisms, which will be crucial to the ability to forecast how marine organisms and ecosystems will respond to the world's oceans as they warm and acidify.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of CO2-driven ocean acidification on the early developmental stages of invertebrates

Kurihara¹

2008

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

573

411

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“…This method measures inorganic gain, incorporating early dissolution, per unit area over time and is averaged to the long-term net growth of the reefal structure, expressed as the community metabolic performance or gross reef production (G in kg CaCO 3 m -2 yr -1 ). Results suggested that G values measured at whole-reef and intra-reef reef community spatial scales were comparable across geographical gradients and between different reef tracts, despite large variability in coral assemblages (Chave et al, 1972;Kinsey, 1985;Smith and Kinsey, 1976).…”

Section: Hydrochemistry-derived Gross Caco 3 Production Ratesmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…The gross production (G) is the amount of CaCO 3 produced per unit area over time (kg CaCO 3 m -2 yr -1 ), while net production is the amount of CaCO 3 retained by the reef system after removal by biological, physical and chemical erosion (Chave et al, 1972). Four different techniques have been used to quantify carbonate production on reefs: hydrochemistry, census-based, geological evidence and numerical modelling.…”

Section: Coral Reef Caco 3 Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This method, as proposed by Vecsei (2001), is a modification of the traditional census-based approach which relies in measured abundance and growth rates of carbonate producing organisms (Chave et al, 1972;Harney and Fletcher, 2003). A regional census-based approach uses regionally averaged coral cover and growth data derived from published figures and assumes that gross production is an additive process across spatial scales (Andréfouët and Payri, 2000).…”

Section: Regional Census-based Gross Caco 3 Production Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Morphological characterisation of reef types in Torres Strait and an assessment of their carbonate production

Leon

Woodroffe

2013

Marine Geology

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Coral reefs represent major accumulations of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). The particularly labyrinthine network of reefs in Torres Strait, north of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), has been examined in order to estimate their gross CaCO3 productivity. The approach involved a two-step procedure, first characterising and classifying the morphology of reefs based on a classification scheme widely employed on the GBR and then estimating gross CaCO3 productivity rates across the region using a regional census-based approach. This was undertaken by independently verifying published rates of coral reef community gross production for use in Torres Strait, based on site-specific ecological and morphological data. A total of 606 reef platforms were mapped and classified using classification trees. Despite the complexity of the maze of reefs in Torres Strait, there are broad morphological similarities with reefs in the GBR. The spatial distribution and dimensions of reef types across both regions are underpinned by similar geological processes, sea-level history in the Holocene and exposure to the same wind/wave energetic regime, resulting in comparable geomorphic zonation. However, the presence of strong tidal currents flowing through Torres Strait and the relatively shallow and narrow dimensions of the shelf exert a control on local morphology and spatial distribution of the reef platforms. A total amount of 8.7 million tonnes of CaCO3 per year, at an average rate of 3.7 kg CaCO3 m− 2 yr− 1 (G), were estimated for the studied area. Extrapolated production rates based on detailed and regional census-based approaches for geomorphic zones across Torres Strait were comparable to those reported elsewhere, particularly values for the GBR based on alkalinity-reduction methods. However, differences in mapping methodologies and the impact of reduced calcification due to global trends in coral reef ecological decline and changing oceanic physical conditions warrant further research. The novel method proposed in this study to characterise the geomorphology of reef types based on classification trees provides an objective and repeatable data-driven approach that combined with regional census-based approaches has the potential to be adapted and transferred to different coral reef regions, depicting a more accurate picture of interactions between reef ecology and geomorphology. been examined in order to estimate their gross CaCO 3 productivity. The approach involved a two-step procedure, first characterising and classifying the morphology of reefs based on a classification scheme widely employed on the GBR and then estimating gross CaCO 3 productivity rates across the region using a regional census-based approach. This was undertaken by independently verifying published rates of coral reef community gross production for use in Torres Strait, based on site-specific ecological and morphological data.A total of 606 reef platform were mapped and classified using classification trees. per year, at an average rate of 3.7 kg CaCO 3 m -2 ...

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“…All were conducted in non-emergent, fringing reef environments potentially influenced by highisland silicate or hydrological inputs so that their results have limited applicability in interpreting the emergent, carbonate environments of Great Barrier Reef (GBR) platforms and Pacific atolls. Vecsei (2004) identifies four principal approaches used to quantify carbonate production on reefs: i) hydrochemical techniques based on water chemistry changes (Davies and Kinsey 1977;Smith and Harrison 1977;Kinsey 1976, 1978;Smith 1981Smith , 1983Kinsey 1985); ii) the census-based approach, which uses data on reef organism cover and extension/production rates (Chave et al 1972;Hubbard 1985;; iii) geological estimates from net accumulations of carbonate on individual reefs (Ryan et al 2001); and iv) modelling techniques focussed on net reef accumulation (Kleypas 1997). All these approaches yield aggregate estimates of production at the total reef scale but only the first two, hydrochemical and census-based methods, are applicable at sub-reef scales or in evaluating organism-level production differences.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbonate production of an emergent reef platform, Warraber Island, Torres Strait, Australia

Hart

Kench

2006

Coral Reefs

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Complex relationships exist between tropical reef ecology, carbonate (CaCO 3 ) production and carbonate sinks. This paper investigates census-based techniques for determining the distribution and carbonate production of reef organisms on an emergent platform in central Torres Strait, Australia, and compares the contemporary budget with geological findings to infer shifts in reef productivity over the late Holocene. Results indicate that contemporary carbonate production varies by several orders of magnitude between and within the different reef-flat sub-environments depending on cover type and extent. Average estimated reef flat production was 1.66 ±1.78 kg m -2 yr -1 (mean ± SD) although only 23% of the area was covered by carbonate producers. Collectively, these organisms produce 17,399 ±18,618 t CaCO 3 yr -1 , with production dominated by coral (73%) and subordinate contributions by encrusting coralline algae (18%) articulated coralline algae, molluscs, foraminifera and Halimeda (<4%). Comparisons between these organisms production across the different reef flat zones, surface sediment composition and accumulation rates calculated from cores indicate that it is necessary to understand the spatial distribution, density and production of each major organism when considering the types and amounts of carbonate available for storage in the various reef carbonate sinks. These findings raise questions as to the reliability of using modal production rates in global models independent of ecosystem investigation, in particular, indicating that current models may overestimate reef productivity in emergent settings.

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Carbonate production by coral reefs

Cited by 193 publications

References 8 publications

Effects of CO2-driven ocean acidification on the early developmental stages of invertebrates

Effects of CO2-driven ocean acidification on the early developmental stages of invertebrates

Morphological characterisation of reef types in Torres Strait and an assessment of their carbonate production

Carbonate production of an emergent reef platform, Warraber Island, Torres Strait, Australia

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