Influence of ambient water intrusion on coral reef acidification in the Chuuk lagoon, located in the coral‐rich western Pacific Ocean

Abstract

Weekly carbonate chemistry condition data recorded between 2008 and 2014 in the Chuuk lagoon (7.3°N and 151.5°E) of the Federated States of Micronesia, located in the western Pacific Ocean, were analyzed. The results showed that, during periods of weak intrusion of ambient seawater from the surrounding open ocean, two internal biological processes (calcification and respiration) reinforced each other and together lowered the pH of the reef water for extended periods, ranging from a few to several months. The analysis indicated that reduced intrusion of ambient water is associated with periods of low wind speeds. Such conditions increase the residence time of reef water, thus promoting acidification by respiration and calcification. This phenomenon likely affects many other areas of the coral‐rich western Pacific Ocean, which contains 50% of global coral reefs and in which the degree of ambient water intrusion into the atolls has been shown to be closely associated with the El Niño–Southern Oscillation‐induced wind speed change.

Persistent Continental Shelf Carbon Sink at the Ieodo Ocean Research Station in the Northern East China Sea

“…The thermodynamic model, including these dissociation constants, led to the best agreement between measurements and calculations involving all three measured parameters (A T , C T , and pH), as demonstrated in previous studies (McElligott et al, 1998;Lee et al, 2000;Lueker et al, 2000;Millero et al, 2006;Fong and Dickson, 2019). The agreement was compelling evidence for insignificant biases in A T derived from organic acids (Cai et al, 1998;Kim and Lee, 2009;Ko et al, 2016) and phytoplankton and bacteria cells (Lee et al, 2021). The B:Cl ratio of 0.2414 confirmed for the open ocean (Lee et al, 2010) was shown to be accurate in the study area and in experiments designed to predict the borate contribution to A T (Lee et al, 2019).…”

Anthropogenic Nitrogen‐Induced Changes in Seasonal Carbonate Dynamics in a Productive Coastal Environment

“…This group of thermodynamic constants yielded the agreement between measurements and calculations involving all three parameters (pH, A T , and C T ), as previously demonstrated in a range of laboratory and field studies (Fong & Dickson, 2019; Lee et al, 2000; Lueker et al, 2000; McElligott et al, 1998; Millero et al, 2006). The good internal consistency further indicated minor biases in A T arising from organic acids (Cai et al, 1998; Kim & Lee, 2009; Ko et al, 2016) and phytoplankton cells (Kim et al, 2006) in the Yellow Sea. The B:Cl ratio of 0.2414 derived for the open ocean (Lee et al, 2010) has been shown to be accurate in the study area and in experiments designed to predict the borate contribution to A T (Lee et al, 2019).…”

Physical forcing of phytoplankton dynamics in the Al‐Wajh lagoon (Red Sea)

“…The periodic tidal motions are stronger in the periphery of the outer edges while attenuating toward the shore (Tartinville et al 1997;Andréfouët et al 2006;Zhan et al 2021). The inner regions of coastal lagoons are primarily influenced by the coastal general circulation, which is mainly driven by meteorological forces and interactions with the large-scale circulation dynamics of the adjacent open sea (Andrews 1990;Lowe et al 2009;Salles et al 2015;Ko et al 2016). Waters in the open sea can exhibit distinct characteristics from those inside lagoons (Kjerfve 1986;Dumas et al 2012;Sheehan et al 2019).…”