Laboratorio de Esclerocronología de Corales Arrecifales, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, México.
Tecnológico Nacional de México / IT Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit, México.
Geobiology. 2022 Jul;20(4):533-545. doi: 10.1111/gbi.12491. Epub 2022 Mar 31.
Hermatypic corals have the potential to construct calcium carbonate (CaCO ) reef-framework, maintain habitats tridimensionality and contribute to both the biogeochemical and the geo-ecological functionality of coral reefs. However, in the past decades, coral reef growth capacity has been affected by multiple and cumulative anthropogenic stressors, threating the reef functionality and their ecosystem goods and services provision to humankind. This study evaluated temporal changes in geobiological growth characteristics as a function of live coral cover, calcification rate (extension rate and skeletal density) and coral carbonate production at Islas Marias archipelago from the eastern tropical Pacific, using historical data obtained in 2007 (López-Pérez et al., 2015, Marine Ecology, 37, 679) and data obtained through field and laboratory research between 2015 and 2018. Overall, live coral cover decreased (82%), where Pocillopora spp. corals reduced from 26% in 2007 to 4% in 2018, in contrast, Pavona spp. declined from 4.1% to 3.7% over the same period. Coral carbonate production ranged between 1.78 and 10.65 kg CaCO m yr , with a significant difference (threefold) between reef zones (shallow vs deep), highlighting the higher carbonate production at deep-reef sites. Coral cover, carbonate production and sclerocronological characteristics showed a decrease rate (between 30 and 60%) associated with thermal anomaly events such as La Niña (2010-2011) and El Niño (2014-2016), with positive sights of recovery (twofold) during the following years 2017-2018. This study provides evidence that massive Pavona and branching Pocillopora corals are key reef-building species at Islas Marias archipelago, due to their capability of sustaining live coral coverage and carbonate through thermal disturbance periods. Revealing, that corals at mid-water depths (>10 m) may significantly contribute to the long-term stability of biogenic reef-framework, and geo-ecological functionality of the eastern tropical Pacific reefs.
造礁石珊瑚具有构建碳酸钙（CaCO3）礁架、维持三维生境的潜力，并为珊瑚礁的生物地球化学和地质生态功能做出贡献。然而，在过去几十年中，珊瑚礁的生长能力受到多种累积人为胁迫的影响，威胁到珊瑚礁的功能及其为人类提供的生态系统服务。本研究评估了时间变化的地质生物学生长特征，作为活珊瑚覆盖率、钙化率（延伸率和骨骼密度）和珊瑚碳酸盐产量的函数，这些数据来自东热带太平洋的马里亚斯群岛，使用了 2007 年获得的历史数据（López-Pérez 等人，2015 年，海洋生态学，37，679）和 2015 年至 2018 年期间通过实地和实验室研究获得的数据。总体而言，活珊瑚覆盖率下降了（82%），其中，2007 年的鹿角珊瑚属减少到 26%，而 2018 年减少到 4%，而滨珊瑚属同期从 4.1%下降到 3.7%。珊瑚碳酸盐产量范围在 1.78 至 10.65 公斤 CaCO3 米-1 年-1 之间，浅海和深海区之间存在显著差异（三倍），突出了深海珊瑚礁的更高碳酸盐产量。珊瑚覆盖率、碳酸盐产量和硬组织年代学特征与拉尼娜（2010-2011 年）和厄尔尼诺（2014-2016 年）等热异常事件相关，下降率为（30%至 60%），2017-2018 年出现了两倍的恢复迹象。本研究提供了证据表明，大型滨珊瑚属和分枝鹿角珊瑚属是马里亚斯群岛的关键造礁物种，因为它们有能力在热干扰期间维持活珊瑚覆盖率和碳酸盐。揭示了中水深（>10 米）的珊瑚可能对东热带太平洋珊瑚礁的生物礁架的长期稳定性和地质生态功能做出重大贡献。
