The role of aspartic acid in reducing coral calcification under ocean acidification conditions.

ABSTRACT: Biomolecules play key roles in regulating the precipitation of CaCO₃ biominerals but their response to ocean acidification is poorly understood. We analysed the skeletal intracrystalline amino acids of massive, tropical Porites spp. corals cultured over different seawater pCO₂. We find that concentrations of total amino acids, aspartic acid/asparagine (Asx), glutamic acid/glutamine and alanine are positively correlated with seawater pCO₂ and inversely correlated with seawater pH. Almost all variance in calcification rates between corals can be explained by changes in the skeletal total amino acid, Asx, serine and alanine concentrations combined with the calcification media pH (a likely indicator of the dissolved inorganic carbon available to support calcifi

SUBMITTER: Kellock C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7393068 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature