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Temperature-controlled culture experiments with primary polyps of coral Acropora digitifera: Calcification rate variations and skeletal Sr/Ca, Mg/Ca, and Na/Ca ratios.
- Source :
-
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology . Oct2017, Vol. 484, p129-135. 7p. - Publication Year :
- 2017
-
Abstract
- Coral skeletons preserve useful archival indicators from which to reconstruct past environments. We conducted temperature-controlled culture experiments (20, 22, 27, and 31 °C) with primary polyps of Acropora digitifera to accurately assess the impact of a wide range of temperatures on the calcification rate and to methodically evaluate the skeletal trace elements (Sr/Ca, Mg/Ca, and Na/Ca ratios). Water temperatures positively affected the calcification rate up to 31 °C, which exceeds the temperature threshold for this species. The calcification rates also varied widely (> 20%) during each of the four temperature treatments. The skeletal Sr/Ca ratio was most strongly correlated with water temperature ( R 2 = 0.68, p < 0.001), whereas the Mg/Ca and Na/Ca ratios showed lower correlations ( R 2 = 0.53, p < 0.001; R 2 = 0.34, p = 0.011, respectively). The variations in the skeletal Sr/Ca, Mg/Ca, and Na/Ca ratios at the four different temperatures were 0.36%–1.20%, 0.83%–3.76%, and 0.52%–3.24%, respectively. Thus, the Sr/Ca ratio showed the least variation, despite the wide variations in the calcification rate. We confirm that the Sr/Ca ratio of A. digitifera juveniles is a robust proxy of temperature, regardless of variations in the calcification rate and the wide range of ambient temperatures. In addition, our results regarding skeletal Mg/Ca and Na/Ca ratios further our understanding of coral calcification processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00310182
- Volume :
- 484
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 124820692
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.03.016