Files and links (1)
Species-Specific Coral Calcification Responses to the Extreme Environment of the Southern Persian Gulf
Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open
Journal article
Species-Specific Coral Calcification Responses to the Extreme Environment of the Southern Persian Gulf
Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol.5, 56
27/02/2018
Metrics
4 Record Views
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Source: InCites
Abstract
Sustained accretion of calcium carbonate (mostly by scleractinian corals) is fundamental for maintaining the structure and function of coral reef ecosystems, but may be greatly constrained by extreme and rapidly changing environmental conditions. Corals in the southern Persian Gulf already experience extreme temperature ranges (<20 to >34◦C), chronic hypersalinity (>43 psu) and frequent light limitation (<100 µmol photons m−2 s −1). We compared annual rates of calcification for two of the most common coral species in the region (Platygyra daedalea and Cyphastrea microphthalma) along marked gradients in environmental conditions in the southern Persian Gulf and into the Oman Sea. Overall calcification rates were 32% higher in P. daedalea colonies (x = 1.103 g cm−2y−1, n = 46) than in C. microphthalma (x = 0.835 g cm−2y−1, n = 37), probably reflecting inter-specific differences in energy allocation and skeletal density. There was also considerable variation in calcification rates among individual colonies from the same locations that was unrelated to depth or photosymbiont type. However, most interestingly, P. daedalea and C. microphthalma exhibited contrasting trends in mean annual calcification rates across locations. For P. daedalea, calcification rates were lowest at Delma, where the minimum temperatures were lowest and salinity was highest, and increased across the southern Persian Gulf with increases in minimum temperatures and decreases in salinity. These data suggest that calcification rates of P. daedalea are most constrained by minimum temperatures, which is consistent with the strong relationship between annual calcification rates and minimum local temperatures recorded across the Indo-Pacific. Conversely, linear extension and calcification of C. microphthalma in the southern Persian Gulf was lowest at Ras Ghanada, where there was lowest light and highest maximum temperatures. These data reveal striking taxonomic differences in the specific environmental constraints on coral calcification, which will further reinforce changes in the structure of coral assemblages with ongoing global climate change.
Details
- Title
- Species-Specific Coral Calcification Responses to the Extreme Environment of the Southern Persian Gulf
- Creators
- Emily J Howells - New York University Abu DhabiGlenn Dunshea - University of CopenhagenDain McParland - New York University Abu DhabiGrace O Vaughan - New York University Abu DhabiScott F Heron - James Cook UniversityMorgan S Pratchett - James Cook UniversityJohn A Burt - New York University Abu DhabiAndrew G Bauman - New York University Abu Dhabi
- Publication Details
- Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol.5, 56
- Publisher
- Frontiers Research Foundation
- Grant note
- The project was funded by New York University Abu Dhabi (JB, EH) and the AXA Research Fund (AB, Postdoctoral Fellowship 154-000-649-507). Additional support was provided from the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program and the NOAA/NESDIS Center for Satellite Applications and Research (SH).
- Identifiers
- 991012966700202368
- Copyright
- Copyright © 2018 Howells, Dunshea, McParland, Vaughan, Heron, Pratchett, Burt and Bauman. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
- Academic Unit
- National Marine Science Centre
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article