Corals concentrate dissolved inorganic carbon to facilitate calcification

Nicola Allison; I. Cohen; Adrian Anthony Finch; J. Erez; A.W. Tudhope; Edinburgh Ion Microprobe Facility

doi:10.1038/ncomms6741

Corals concentrate dissolved inorganic carbon to facilitate calcification

Nicola Allison, I. Cohen, Adrian Anthony Finch, J. Erez, A.W. Tudhope, Edinburgh Ion Microprobe Facility

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The sources of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) used to produce scleractinian coral skeletons are not understood. Yet this knowledge is essential for understanding coral biomineralization and assessing the potential impacts of ocean acidification on coral reefs. Here we use skeletal boron geochemistry to reconstruct the DIC chemistry of the fluid used for coral calcification. We show that corals concentrate DIC at the calcification site substantially above seawater values and that bicarbonate contributes a significant amount of the DIC pool used to build the skeleton. Corals actively increase the pH of the calcification fluid, decreasing the proportion of DIC present as CO₂ and creating a diffusion gradient favouring the transport of molecular CO₂ from the overlying coral tissue into the calcification site. Coupling the increases in calcification fluid pH and [DIC] yields high calcification fluid [CO₃^2-] and induces high aragonite saturation states, favourable to the precipitation of the skeleton.

Original language	English
Article number	5741
Pages (from-to)	1-6
Number of pages	6
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms6741
Publication status	Published - 22 Dec 2014

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1038/ncomms6741

Allison, Nat Comms, 2014
Copyright 2014 the Authors. This work is made available online in accordance with the publisher’s policies. This is the author created, accepted version manuscript following peer review and may differ slightly from the final published version. The final published version of this work is available at https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms6741
Accepted author manuscript, 2.53 MB

Accurate Climate reconstruction: Accurate climate recontruction from fossil corals: The impact of seawater carbonate chemistry on the Sr/Ca, d180 and d11B of coral aragonite
Finch, A. A. (PI)
NERC
17/02/12 → 16/11/15
Project: Standard
Accurate reconstruction of SSTs: Accurate reconstruction of SSTs from coral skeletal Sr/Ca: understanding Sr and Ca transport across coral tissues
Finch, A. A. (PI) & Allison, N. (CoI)
NERC
15/07/09 → 31/03/12
Project: Standard

Nicola Allison
- na9st-andrews.acuk
Person: Academic, Academic - Research

Cite this

@article{71a285d5cd22479792889709bab6c3a6,

title = "Corals concentrate dissolved inorganic carbon to facilitate calcification",

abstract = "The sources of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) used to produce scleractinian coral skeletons are not understood. Yet this knowledge is essential for understanding coral biomineralization and assessing the potential impacts of ocean acidification on coral reefs. Here we use skeletal boron geochemistry to reconstruct the DIC chemistry of the fluid used for coral calcification. We show that corals concentrate DIC at the calcification site substantially above seawater values and that bicarbonate contributes a significant amount of the DIC pool used to build the skeleton. Corals actively increase the pH of the calcification fluid, decreasing the proportion of DIC present as CO2 and creating a diffusion gradient favouring the transport of molecular CO2 from the overlying coral tissue into the calcification site. Coupling the increases in calcification fluid pH and [DIC] yields high calcification fluid [CO32-] and induces high aragonite saturation states, favourable to the precipitation of the skeleton.",

author = "Nicola Allison and I. Cohen and Finch, {Adrian Anthony} and J. Erez and A.W. Tudhope and {Edinburgh Ion Microprobe Facility}",

note = "This work was supported by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (awards NER/A/S/2003/00473 and NE/G015791/1 to N.A. and A.A.F.; NER/GR3/12021 to A.W.T.). Participation of J.E. and I.C. in this study was supported by DFG project Trion and the Israel Science Foundation (grants 870/05 and 551/10).",

year = "2014",

month = dec,

day = "22",

doi = "10.1038/ncomms6741",

language = "English",

volume = "5",

pages = "1--6",

journal = "Nature Communications",

issn = "2041-1723",

publisher = "Nature publishing group",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Corals concentrate dissolved inorganic carbon to facilitate calcification

AU - Allison, Nicola

AU - Cohen, I.

AU - Finch, Adrian Anthony

AU - Erez, J.

AU - Tudhope, A.W.

AU - Edinburgh Ion Microprobe Facility

N1 - This work was supported by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (awards NER/A/S/2003/00473 and NE/G015791/1 to N.A. and A.A.F.; NER/GR3/12021 to A.W.T.). Participation of J.E. and I.C. in this study was supported by DFG project Trion and the Israel Science Foundation (grants 870/05 and 551/10).

PY - 2014/12/22

Y1 - 2014/12/22

N2 - The sources of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) used to produce scleractinian coral skeletons are not understood. Yet this knowledge is essential for understanding coral biomineralization and assessing the potential impacts of ocean acidification on coral reefs. Here we use skeletal boron geochemistry to reconstruct the DIC chemistry of the fluid used for coral calcification. We show that corals concentrate DIC at the calcification site substantially above seawater values and that bicarbonate contributes a significant amount of the DIC pool used to build the skeleton. Corals actively increase the pH of the calcification fluid, decreasing the proportion of DIC present as CO2 and creating a diffusion gradient favouring the transport of molecular CO2 from the overlying coral tissue into the calcification site. Coupling the increases in calcification fluid pH and [DIC] yields high calcification fluid [CO32-] and induces high aragonite saturation states, favourable to the precipitation of the skeleton.

AB - The sources of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) used to produce scleractinian coral skeletons are not understood. Yet this knowledge is essential for understanding coral biomineralization and assessing the potential impacts of ocean acidification on coral reefs. Here we use skeletal boron geochemistry to reconstruct the DIC chemistry of the fluid used for coral calcification. We show that corals concentrate DIC at the calcification site substantially above seawater values and that bicarbonate contributes a significant amount of the DIC pool used to build the skeleton. Corals actively increase the pH of the calcification fluid, decreasing the proportion of DIC present as CO2 and creating a diffusion gradient favouring the transport of molecular CO2 from the overlying coral tissue into the calcification site. Coupling the increases in calcification fluid pH and [DIC] yields high calcification fluid [CO32-] and induces high aragonite saturation states, favourable to the precipitation of the skeleton.

U2 - 10.1038/ncomms6741

DO - 10.1038/ncomms6741

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84923300937

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 5

SP - 1

EP - 6

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 5741

ER -

Corals concentrate dissolved inorganic carbon to facilitate calcification

Abstract

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Projects

Accurate Climate reconstruction: Accurate climate recontruction from fossil corals: The impact of seawater carbonate chemistry on the Sr/Ca, d180 and d11B of coral aragonite

Accurate reconstruction of SSTs: Accurate reconstruction of SSTs from coral skeletal Sr/Ca: understanding Sr and Ca transport across coral tissues

Profiles

Nicola Allison

Cite this