Newly deceased Caribbean reef-building corals experience rapid carbonate loss and colonization by endolithic organisms
Abstract Coral mortality triggers the loss of carbonates fixed within coral skeletons, compromising the reef matrix. Here, we estimate rates of carbonate loss in newly deceased colonies of four Caribbean reef-building corals. We use samples from living and recently deceased colonies following a ston...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:4635623ec1ce4e4a93bf164b43c03588 2023-10-09T21:54:54+02:00 Newly deceased Caribbean reef-building corals experience rapid carbonate loss and colonization by endolithic organisms Francisco Medellín-Maldonado Israel Cruz-Ortega Esmeralda Pérez-Cervantes Orion Norzogaray-López Juan P. Carricart-Ganivet Andrés López-Pérez Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip 2023-09-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-05301-3 https://doaj.org/article/4635623ec1ce4e4a93bf164b43c03588 EN eng Nature Portfolio https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-05301-3 https://doaj.org/toc/2399-3642 doi:10.1038/s42003-023-05301-3 2399-3642 https://doaj.org/article/4635623ec1ce4e4a93bf164b43c03588 Communications Biology, Vol 6, Iss 1, Pp 1-11 (2023) Biology (General) QH301-705.5 article 2023 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-05301-3 2023-09-24T00:42:47Z Abstract Coral mortality triggers the loss of carbonates fixed within coral skeletons, compromising the reef matrix. Here, we estimate rates of carbonate loss in newly deceased colonies of four Caribbean reef-building corals. We use samples from living and recently deceased colonies following a stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) outbreak. Optical densitometry and porosity analyses reveal a loss of up to 40% of the calcium carbonate (CaCO3) content in dead colonies. The metabolic activity of the endolithic organisms colonizing the dead skeletons is likely partially responsible for the observed dissolution. To test for the consequences of mass mortality events over larger spatial scales, we integrate our estimates of carbonate loss with field data of the composition and size structure of coral communities. The dissolution rate depends on the relative abundance of coral species and the structural properties of their skeletons, yet we estimate an average reduction of 1.33 kg CaCO3 m−2, nearly 7% of the total amount of CaCO3 sequestered in the entire system. Our findings highlight the importance of including biological and chemical processes of CaCO3 dissolution in reef carbonate budgets, particularly as the impacts of global warming, ocean acidification, and disease likely enhance dissolution processes. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ocean acidification Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Communications Biology 6 1 |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Biology (General) QH301-705.5 |
spellingShingle |
Biology (General) QH301-705.5 Francisco Medellín-Maldonado Israel Cruz-Ortega Esmeralda Pérez-Cervantes Orion Norzogaray-López Juan P. Carricart-Ganivet Andrés López-Pérez Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip Newly deceased Caribbean reef-building corals experience rapid carbonate loss and colonization by endolithic organisms |
topic_facet |
Biology (General) QH301-705.5 |
description |
Abstract Coral mortality triggers the loss of carbonates fixed within coral skeletons, compromising the reef matrix. Here, we estimate rates of carbonate loss in newly deceased colonies of four Caribbean reef-building corals. We use samples from living and recently deceased colonies following a stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) outbreak. Optical densitometry and porosity analyses reveal a loss of up to 40% of the calcium carbonate (CaCO3) content in dead colonies. The metabolic activity of the endolithic organisms colonizing the dead skeletons is likely partially responsible for the observed dissolution. To test for the consequences of mass mortality events over larger spatial scales, we integrate our estimates of carbonate loss with field data of the composition and size structure of coral communities. The dissolution rate depends on the relative abundance of coral species and the structural properties of their skeletons, yet we estimate an average reduction of 1.33 kg CaCO3 m−2, nearly 7% of the total amount of CaCO3 sequestered in the entire system. Our findings highlight the importance of including biological and chemical processes of CaCO3 dissolution in reef carbonate budgets, particularly as the impacts of global warming, ocean acidification, and disease likely enhance dissolution processes. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Francisco Medellín-Maldonado Israel Cruz-Ortega Esmeralda Pérez-Cervantes Orion Norzogaray-López Juan P. Carricart-Ganivet Andrés López-Pérez Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip |
author_facet |
Francisco Medellín-Maldonado Israel Cruz-Ortega Esmeralda Pérez-Cervantes Orion Norzogaray-López Juan P. Carricart-Ganivet Andrés López-Pérez Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip |
author_sort |
Francisco Medellín-Maldonado |
title |
Newly deceased Caribbean reef-building corals experience rapid carbonate loss and colonization by endolithic organisms |
title_short |
Newly deceased Caribbean reef-building corals experience rapid carbonate loss and colonization by endolithic organisms |
title_full |
Newly deceased Caribbean reef-building corals experience rapid carbonate loss and colonization by endolithic organisms |
title_fullStr |
Newly deceased Caribbean reef-building corals experience rapid carbonate loss and colonization by endolithic organisms |
title_full_unstemmed |
Newly deceased Caribbean reef-building corals experience rapid carbonate loss and colonization by endolithic organisms |
title_sort |
newly deceased caribbean reef-building corals experience rapid carbonate loss and colonization by endolithic organisms |
publisher |
Nature Portfolio |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-05301-3 https://doaj.org/article/4635623ec1ce4e4a93bf164b43c03588 |
genre |
Ocean acidification |
genre_facet |
Ocean acidification |
op_source |
Communications Biology, Vol 6, Iss 1, Pp 1-11 (2023) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-05301-3 https://doaj.org/toc/2399-3642 doi:10.1038/s42003-023-05301-3 2399-3642 https://doaj.org/article/4635623ec1ce4e4a93bf164b43c03588 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-05301-3 |
container_title |
Communications Biology |
container_volume |
6 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1779318658769616896 |