Coral calcification in a changing World and the interactive dynamics of pH and DIC upregulation.

ABSTRACT: Coral calcification is dependent on the mutualistic partnership between endosymbiotic zooxanthellae and the coral host. Here, using newly developed geochemical proxies (δ¹¹B and B/Ca), we show that Porites corals from natural reef environments exhibit a close (r² ∼0.9) antithetic relationship between dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and pH of the corals' calcifying fluid (cf). The highest DIC_cf (∼ × 3.2 seawater) is found during summer, consistent with thermal/light enhancement of metabolically (zooxanthellae) derived carbon, while the highest pH_cf (∼8.5) occurs in winter during periods of low DIC_cf (∼ × 2 seawater). These opposing changes in DIC_cf and pH_cf are shown to maintain oversaturated but stable levels of

SUBMITTER: McCulloch MT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5499203 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature