Organisms Composing an Experimental Coral Reef Community from Mo'orea, French Polynesia, Exhibit Taxon-Specific Net Production: Net Calcification Ratios

Current research on coral reefs seeks to link the responses to anthropogenic stressors (such as global warming and ocean acidification [OA]) among differing functional levels of biological organization. While experimental studies have identified ex situ taxon-specific responses to OA and global warm...

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Main Authors: Coulson A. Lantz, Robert C. Carpenter, Steeve Comeau, Peter J. Edmunds
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2017-09-01
Series:Frontiers in Marine Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2017.00298/full
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spelling doaj-d92c7e588977476fb1458a443b52741e2020-11-24T22:46:55ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452017-09-01410.3389/fmars.2017.00298268137Organisms Composing an Experimental Coral Reef Community from Mo'orea, French Polynesia, Exhibit Taxon-Specific Net Production: Net Calcification RatiosCoulson A. Lantz0Robert C. Carpenter1Steeve Comeau2Peter J. Edmunds3School of Environment, Science, and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, AustraliaDepartment of Biology, California State University, Northridge, CA, United StatesSchool of Earth Sciences, Ocean Institute, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Western Australia, Cawley, WA, AustraliaDepartment of Biology, California State University, Northridge, CA, United StatesCurrent research on coral reefs seeks to link the responses to anthropogenic stressors (such as global warming and ocean acidification [OA]) among differing functional levels of biological organization. While experimental studies have identified ex situ taxon-specific responses to OA and global warming, isolating and connecting these effects in situ at the community-level has proved difficult. The difficulties arise from the large number of naturally varying parameters affecting corals reefs, such as light intensity and seawater residence time that affect net community production and calcification. To control variation in seawater residence time and allow light intensity to vary naturally, experimental outer reef (17-m depth) benthic communities composed of calcified algae, corals, and reef pavement were constructed in large outdoor flumes in Mo'orea, French Polynesia. Net community production (P), net community calcification (G), the ratio of P/G (P/Gratio), and slope of P regressed on G (P/Gslope) were calculated for the communities, and concurrently for the constituent members under the same temperature, light, and flow conditions. P and G, for both the communities and constituent members, were correlated positively with light intensity, whereas P/Gratio and P/Gslope were unaffected by light intensity. P/Gratios and P/Gslopes exhibited values that were specific to each community member. These results suggest that the P/Gratio and P/Gslope may be unaffected by natural variability in light intensity and could serve as useful metrics to relate responses at the taxon and community level, which is an important step in assessing the effects of environmental changes on coral reefs.http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2017.00298/fullocean acidificationcoral reefcalcificationphotosynthesisproduction:calcification ratio
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Coulson A. Lantz
Robert C. Carpenter
Steeve Comeau
Peter J. Edmunds
spellingShingle Coulson A. Lantz
Robert C. Carpenter
Steeve Comeau
Peter J. Edmunds
Organisms Composing an Experimental Coral Reef Community from Mo'orea, French Polynesia, Exhibit Taxon-Specific Net Production: Net Calcification Ratios
Frontiers in Marine Science
ocean acidification
coral reef
calcification
photosynthesis
production:calcification ratio
author_facet Coulson A. Lantz
Robert C. Carpenter
Steeve Comeau
Peter J. Edmunds
author_sort Coulson A. Lantz
title Organisms Composing an Experimental Coral Reef Community from Mo'orea, French Polynesia, Exhibit Taxon-Specific Net Production: Net Calcification Ratios
title_short Organisms Composing an Experimental Coral Reef Community from Mo'orea, French Polynesia, Exhibit Taxon-Specific Net Production: Net Calcification Ratios
title_full Organisms Composing an Experimental Coral Reef Community from Mo'orea, French Polynesia, Exhibit Taxon-Specific Net Production: Net Calcification Ratios
title_fullStr Organisms Composing an Experimental Coral Reef Community from Mo'orea, French Polynesia, Exhibit Taxon-Specific Net Production: Net Calcification Ratios
title_full_unstemmed Organisms Composing an Experimental Coral Reef Community from Mo'orea, French Polynesia, Exhibit Taxon-Specific Net Production: Net Calcification Ratios
title_sort organisms composing an experimental coral reef community from mo'orea, french polynesia, exhibit taxon-specific net production: net calcification ratios
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
series Frontiers in Marine Science
issn 2296-7745
publishDate 2017-09-01
description Current research on coral reefs seeks to link the responses to anthropogenic stressors (such as global warming and ocean acidification [OA]) among differing functional levels of biological organization. While experimental studies have identified ex situ taxon-specific responses to OA and global warming, isolating and connecting these effects in situ at the community-level has proved difficult. The difficulties arise from the large number of naturally varying parameters affecting corals reefs, such as light intensity and seawater residence time that affect net community production and calcification. To control variation in seawater residence time and allow light intensity to vary naturally, experimental outer reef (17-m depth) benthic communities composed of calcified algae, corals, and reef pavement were constructed in large outdoor flumes in Mo'orea, French Polynesia. Net community production (P), net community calcification (G), the ratio of P/G (P/Gratio), and slope of P regressed on G (P/Gslope) were calculated for the communities, and concurrently for the constituent members under the same temperature, light, and flow conditions. P and G, for both the communities and constituent members, were correlated positively with light intensity, whereas P/Gratio and P/Gslope were unaffected by light intensity. P/Gratios and P/Gslopes exhibited values that were specific to each community member. These results suggest that the P/Gratio and P/Gslope may be unaffected by natural variability in light intensity and could serve as useful metrics to relate responses at the taxon and community level, which is an important step in assessing the effects of environmental changes on coral reefs.
topic ocean acidification
coral reef
calcification
photosynthesis
production:calcification ratio
url http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2017.00298/full
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