Low calcification rates and calcium carbonate production in Porites panamensis at its northernmost geographic distribution |
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| Authors: | Carlos Orión Norzagaray‐López Luis Eduardo Calderon‐Aguilera José Martín Hernández‐Ayón Héctor Reyes‐Bonilla Juan P Carricart‐Ganivet Rafael Andrés Cabral‐Tena Eduardo Francisco Balart |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Facultad de Ciencias Marinas and Instituto de Investigaciones Oceanológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Ensenada, Baja California, México;2. Laboratorio de Ecología y Pesquerías de la Zona Costera, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Baja California, México;3. Departamento de Biología Marina, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, La Paz, Baja California Sur, México;4. Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, México;5. Laboratorio de Necton y Ecología de Arrecifes, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, La Paz, Baja California Sur, México |
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| Abstract: | Porites panamensis is a hermatypic coral present in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Skeletal growth parameters have been reported, but studies of the relationship between annual calcification rates and environmental controls are scarce. In this study, we investigated three aspects of the annual calcification rates of P. panamensis: growth parameters among three P. panamensis populations; the sea surface temperature as a calcification rate control spanning a latitudinal gradient; and calcium carbonate production among three sites. Growth parameters varied among the sites due to the colony growth form. Massive colonies in the north showed a higher calcification rate than encrusting colonies in the south (mean: 1.22–0.49 g CaCO3 · cm?2 · yr?1), where variations in calcification rates were related to growth rate (0.91–0.38 cm · yr?1) rather than to skeletal density differences (overall mean ± SD, 1.31 ± 0.04 g CaCO3 · cm?3). Our results showed a positive linear relationship between annual calcification rates and sea surface temperatures within these P. panamensis populations. Differences were related to distinct oceanographic environments (within and at the entrance of the Gulf of California) with different sea surface temperature regimes and other chemical properties. Different populations calcified under different environmental conditions. Calcium carbonate production was dependent upon the calcification rate and coral cover and so carbonate production was higher in the north (coral cover 12%) than in the south (coral cover 3.5). Thus, the studied sites showed low calcium carbonate production (0.25–0.43 kg CaCO3 · m?2 · yr?1). Our results showed reduced calcification rates, regional temperature regime control over calcification rates, different growth forms, low coral cover and low calcium carbonate production rates in P. panamensis. |
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| Keywords: | Calcification rate carbonate production Mexican Pacific
Porites
SST
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