Sensitivity of calcification to thermal stress varies among genera of massive reef-building corals
Reductions in calcification in reef-building corals occur when thermal conditions are suboptimal, but it is unclear how they vary between genera in response to the same thermal stress event. Using densitometry techniques, we investigate reductions in the calcification rate of massive Porites spp. from the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), and P. astreoides, Montastraea faveolata, and M. franksi from the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef (MBR), and correlate them to thermal stress associated with ocean warming. Results show that Porites spp. are more sensitive to increasing temperature than Montastraea, with calcification rates decreasing by 0.40 g cm−2 year−1 in Porites spp. and 0.12 g cm−2 year−1 in Montastraea spp. for each 1°C increase. Under similar warming trends, the predicted calcification rates at 2100 are close to zero in Porites spp. and reduced by 40% in Montastraea spp. However, these predictions do not account for ocean acidification. Although yearly mean aragonite saturation (Ωar) at MBR sites has recently decreased, only P. astreoides at Chinchorro showed a reduction in calcification. In corals at the other sites calcification did not change, indicating there was no widespread effect of Ωar changes on coral calcification rate in the MBR.
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Texto biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
| Subjects: | Arrecifes de coral, Calcificación, Porites astreoides, Montastraea faveolata, Montastraea franksi, Calentamiento global, Artfrosur, |
| Online Access: | http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0032859&type=printable |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|