• Admin
    UC Research Repository
    View Item 
       
    • UC Home
    • Library
    • UC Research Repository
    • College of Science
    • Science: Journal Articles
    • View Item
       
    • UC Home
    • Library
    • UC Research Repository
    • College of Science
    • Science: Journal Articles
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Browse

    All of the RepositoryCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    Statistics

    View Usage Statistics

    Carbonate production of an emergent reef platform, Warraber Island, Torres Strait, Australia

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    12605139_Coral Reefs paper in press.pdf (2.382Mb)
    Author
    Hart, D.E.
    Kench, P.S.
    Date
    2007
    Permanent Link
    http://hdl.handle.net/10092/312

    Complex relationships exist between tropical reef ecology, carbonate (CaCO₃) production and carbonate sinks. This paper investigates census-based techniques for determining the distribution and carbonate production of reef organisms on an emergent platform in central Torres Strait, Australia, and compares the contemporary budget with geological findings to infer shifts in reef productivity over the late Holocene. Results indicate that contemporary carbonate production varies by several orders of magnitude between and within the different reef-flat sub-environments depending on cover type and extent. Average estimated reef flat production was 1.66 ±1.78 kg m² yr⁻¹ (mean ± SD) although only 23% of the area was covered by carbonate producers. Collectively, these organisms produce 17,399 ±18,618 t CaCO₃ yr⁻¹, with production dominated by coral (73%) and subordinate contributions by encrusting coralline algae (18%) articulated coralline algae, molluscs, foraminifera and Halimeda (<4%). Comparisons between these organisms production across the different reef flat zones, surface sediment composition and accumulation rates calculated from cores indicate that it is necessary to understand the spatial distribution, density and production of each major organism when considering the types and amounts of carbonate available for storage in the various reef carbonate sinks. These findings raise questions as to the reliability of using modal production rates in global models independent of ecosystem investigation, in particular, indicating that current models may overestimate reef productivity in emergent settings.

    Subjects
    calcification
     
    carbonate production
     
    reef flat
     
    Torres Strait
     
    coral
     
    coralline algae
     
    halimeda
     
    foraminifera
     
    molluscs
     
    Fields of Research::270000 Biological Sciences::270700 Ecology and Evolution::270702 Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology)
     
    Fields of Research::270000 Biological Sciences::270700 Ecology and Evolution::270709 Biogeography
    Collections
    • Science: Journal Articles [738]
    Rights
    https://canterbury.libguides.com/rights/ir

    UC Research Repository
    University Library
    University of Canterbury
    Private Bag 4800
    Christchurch 8140

    Phone
    364 2987 ext 8718

    Email
    ucresearchrepository@canterbury.ac.nz

    Follow us
    FacebookTwitterYoutube

    © University of Canterbury Library
    Send Feedback | Contact Us