Seawater carbonate chemistry, calcification and Zn uptake during experiments with coral Stylophora pistillata, 2011

• Main Authors: Houlbrèque, Fanny, Rodolfo-Metalpa, Riccardo, Jeffree, Ross, Oberhänsli, F, Teyssié, Jean-Louis, Boisson, Florence, AL-Trabeen, Khalid, Ferrier-Pagès, Christine
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2011
• Subjects: Alkalinity; Gran titration (Gran; 1950); total; Animalia; Aragonite saturation state; Benthic animals; Benthos; Bicarbonate ion; Calcification/Dissolution; Calcite saturation state; Calculated using seacarb after Nisumaa et al. (2010); Calculated using SYSTAT; Carbon; inorganic; dissolved; Carbonate ion; Carbonate system computation flag; Carbon dioxide; Cnidaria; DATE/TIME; Determined using a high-resolution spectrometry system consisting of four coaxia; EPOCA; EUR-OCEANS; European network of excellence for Ocean Ecosystems Analysis; European Project on Ocean Acidification; Experimental treatment; Experiment day; Fugacity of carbon dioxide (water) at sea surface temperature (wet air); Gross calcification rate of calcium carbonate; Laboratory experiment; Measured after Tambutté et al. (1995); Other metabolic rates; Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (water) at sea surface temperature (wet air); pH; pH meter (Metrohm; 826 pH mobile); Salinity; Single species; Stylophora pistillata; Temperature; water; Zinc-65; inc uptake kinetics; Ocean acidification
• Online Access: https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.756646; https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.756646

Many studies have investigated the effect of an increase in pCO2 on coral calcification and photosynthesis but the physiological consequences are still relatively speculative. We investigated the effects of ocean acidification on zinc incorporation and gross calcification in the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata. Zn is an essential element for health and growth of corals. Colonies were maintained at normal pHT (8.1) and at two low-pH conditions (7.8 and 7.5) during 5 weeks. Corals were exposed to 65Zn dissolved in seawater to assess uptake rates of this element. After 5 weeks, 65Zn activity measured in the whole coral and in the two compartments: tissue and skeleton, differed significantly between pH conditions with concentration factors higher at pHT 8.1, compared to lower pH. Zn is therefore taken less efficiently by corals at reduced pH. Their gross calcification, as measured by 45Ca incorporation, photosynthesis and photosynthetic efficiency did not change with pH even at the lowest level.