Calcification trends in long-lived corals across the Indo-Pacific during the industrial era

Abstract Skeletal cores from massive, long-lived coral colonies provide a unique approach to investigating the chronic effects of climate change on coral calcification across decadal to centennial timescales. Here, we show an overall decline in calcification rates during the industrial era, broadly...

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Main Authors: Thomas M. DeCarlo, Jordyn Cotton, Allyndaire Whelehan, Madison Gramse, Michael L. Berumen, Hugo B. Harrison, Malcolm M. McCulloch, Hannah V. Whitaker, Tori Falk, Ellen Groenvall, Kathleen Matthews
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-12-01
Series:Communications Earth & Environment
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01904-8
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author Thomas M. DeCarlo
Jordyn Cotton
Allyndaire Whelehan
Madison Gramse
Michael L. Berumen
Hugo B. Harrison
Malcolm M. McCulloch
Hannah V. Whitaker
Tori Falk
Ellen Groenvall
Kathleen Matthews
author_facet Thomas M. DeCarlo
Jordyn Cotton
Allyndaire Whelehan
Madison Gramse
Michael L. Berumen
Hugo B. Harrison
Malcolm M. McCulloch
Hannah V. Whitaker
Tori Falk
Ellen Groenvall
Kathleen Matthews
author_sort Thomas M. DeCarlo
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Skeletal cores from massive, long-lived coral colonies provide a unique approach to investigating the chronic effects of climate change on coral calcification across decadal to centennial timescales. Here, we show an overall decline in calcification rates during the industrial era, broadly consistent with other studies, based on 148 skeletal cores from ten reef locations throughout the Indo-Pacific. However, these declines are region-specific, modulated by the opposing influences of density and linear extension (the product of which equals calcification), and superimposed on multi-decadal oscillations. The main drivers of declines in calcification were recent marine heatwaves that induced reductions in linear extension, rather than decreasing skeletal density. Our findings contrast with some regional studies that show growth declines beginning only in recent decades, which in some cases may be the most recent troughs of multi-decadal oscillations in calcification.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2662-4435
language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
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record_format Article
series Communications Earth & Environment
spelling doaj-art-9e0efea3d73a4f2fb63c1a7bdc7efd6e2024-12-08T12:46:55ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352024-12-01511910.1038/s43247-024-01904-8Calcification trends in long-lived corals across the Indo-Pacific during the industrial eraThomas M. DeCarlo0Jordyn Cotton1Allyndaire Whelehan2Madison Gramse3Michael L. Berumen4Hugo B. Harrison5Malcolm M. McCulloch6Hannah V. Whitaker7Tori Falk8Ellen Groenvall9Kathleen Matthews10Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Tulane UniversityHawai‘i Pacific UniversityHawai‘i Pacific UniversityHawai‘i Pacific UniversityRed Sea Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)School of Biological Sciences, University of BristolThe University of Western AustraliaHawai‘i Pacific UniversityHawai‘i Pacific UniversityHawai‘i Pacific UniversityHawai‘i Pacific UniversityAbstract Skeletal cores from massive, long-lived coral colonies provide a unique approach to investigating the chronic effects of climate change on coral calcification across decadal to centennial timescales. Here, we show an overall decline in calcification rates during the industrial era, broadly consistent with other studies, based on 148 skeletal cores from ten reef locations throughout the Indo-Pacific. However, these declines are region-specific, modulated by the opposing influences of density and linear extension (the product of which equals calcification), and superimposed on multi-decadal oscillations. The main drivers of declines in calcification were recent marine heatwaves that induced reductions in linear extension, rather than decreasing skeletal density. Our findings contrast with some regional studies that show growth declines beginning only in recent decades, which in some cases may be the most recent troughs of multi-decadal oscillations in calcification.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01904-8
spellingShingle Thomas M. DeCarlo
Jordyn Cotton
Allyndaire Whelehan
Madison Gramse
Michael L. Berumen
Hugo B. Harrison
Malcolm M. McCulloch
Hannah V. Whitaker
Tori Falk
Ellen Groenvall
Kathleen Matthews
Calcification trends in long-lived corals across the Indo-Pacific during the industrial era
Communications Earth & Environment
title Calcification trends in long-lived corals across the Indo-Pacific during the industrial era
title_full Calcification trends in long-lived corals across the Indo-Pacific during the industrial era
title_fullStr Calcification trends in long-lived corals across the Indo-Pacific during the industrial era
title_full_unstemmed Calcification trends in long-lived corals across the Indo-Pacific during the industrial era
title_short Calcification trends in long-lived corals across the Indo-Pacific during the industrial era
title_sort calcification trends in long lived corals across the indo pacific during the industrial era
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01904-8
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