Caribbean-wide decline in carbonate production threatens coral reef growth

Chris T Perry1, Gary N Murphy, Paul S Kench

  • 1Geography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4RJ, UK. c.perry@exeter.ac.uk

Nature Communications
|January 31, 2013
PubMed

Related Concept Videos

Conservation of Declining Populations02:07

Conservation of Declining Populations

Conservation of declining population focuses on ways of detecting, diagnosing, and halting a population decline. The approach uses methods to prevent populations from going extinct.
Population Growth00:57

Population Growth

Population size is dynamic, increasing with birth rates and immigration, and decreasing with death rates and emigration. In ideal conditions with unlimited resources, populations can increase exponentially, which plots as a J-shaped growth rate curve of population size against time. This type of curve is characteristic of newly-introduced invasive species, or populations that have suffered catastrophic declines and are rebounding.
Primary Production01:06

Primary Production

The total amount of energy acquired by primary producers in an ecosystem is called gross primary production (GPP). However, of this energy, producers use some for metabolic processes, and some is lost as heat, decreasing the amount of energy available to the next trophic level. The remaining usable amount of energy is called the net primary productivity (NPP). In terrestrial ecosystems, NPP is driven by climate, while light penetration and nutrient availability drive NPP in aquatic ecosystems.
The Carbon Cycle01:14

The Carbon Cycle

Carbon is the basis of all organic matter on Earth, and is recycled through the ecosystem in two primary processes: one in which carbon is exchanged among living organisms, and one in which carbon is cycled over long periods of time through fossilized organic remains, weathering of rocks, and volcanic activity. Human activities, including increased agricultural practices and the burning of fossil fuels, has greatly affected the balance of the natural carbon cycle.
Marine Microbial Ecology01:30

Marine Microbial Ecology

Marine microbial ecosystems are shaped by distinct physicochemical limits, including high salinity, low nutrient availability, and fluctuating oxygen levels. These conditions favor smaller microbial cell sizes, which maximize their surface-to-volume ratio for efficient nutrient uptake.Microbial activity and community composition are closely linked to biogeochemical cycles, particularly in dynamic environments like estuaries, where halotolerant microbes thrive in response to variable salinity...
Carbonation Shrinkage01:24

Carbonation Shrinkage

Atmospheric CO2 penetrates the concrete's pores and, in the presence of moisture, forms carbonic acid, which then reacts with calcium hydroxide in the hydrated cement, forming calcium carbonate. This process reduces the concrete's volume and is termed carbonation shrinkage.
The concrete's permeability is slightly reduced as calcium carbonate produced during the reaction fills its pores. Furthermore, its strength is slightly enhanced as the water released during the reaction facilitates the...