Coral reef sediment dissolution in a changing ocean : insights from a temporal field study

• Main Author: Stoltenberg, Laura
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Southern Cross University 2020
• Subjects: Coral reefs; Sediment dissolution; Biogeochemistry; Ocean acidification; Seasonal variability
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.25918/thesis.72; https://researchportal.scu.edu.au/esploro/outputs/doctoral/991012884699802368

Calcium carbonate sediments form an essential part of coral reefs yet have often been overlooked when studying the effects of future ocean acidification (OA). This original field-based research aims to assess the temporal variability of organic and inorganic sediment metabolism under ambient and elevated pCO2. OA caused a shift from net precipitation to net dissolution, but the sensitivity to OA varied seasonally, depending on interactions with temperature and benthic productivity. A slack-water approach of net ecosystem calcification revealed that sediments can play an important role in carbonate budgets, particularly at night, and become increasingly important as the oceans continue acidifying.