[Coral-List] Geology article
Pam Hallock-Muller
pmuller at marine.usf.edu
Fri Dec 4 10:57:39 EST 2009
All:
Thank you Gene, David and Mark.
Is it hardly a surprise that different organisms respond to an
environmental gradient differently. Isn't that what happens in any
estuary? [familiar example] An equally important question is, what is
the preservation potential of shells and skeletons that are precipitated
under rapidly increasing pCO2 and rapidly declining carbonate saturation?
The late Norman Newell (eminent paleontologist and member of the
National Academy of Sciences) told me many years ago that a unifying
characteristic of the major mass extinction events in the fossil record
was "carbonate depositional hiatus".
So for me an important question is not only what organisms can build
their shells/skeletons under elevated pCO2, but also how much faster
will we lose carbonate structures? This is not an insignificant issue
for the organisms, calcified or not, that depend upon topographic
structure for habitat. [This is also not an insignificant question for
humans living in low lying carbonate areas - not only is sea level
rising and production rates decreasing, but dissolution/degradation
rates are likely increasing.] Throw in the likelihood of increased
bioerosion rates with decreased coral cover and anthropogenic doubling
of nutrient input to coastal systems and it isn't hard to understand
Newell's observation.
PHM
Pamela Hallock Muller, Ph.D., Professor
College of Marine Science
University of South Florida
140 Seventh Ave. S.
St.Petersburg, FL 33701-5016
Phone: 727-553-1567
FAX: 727-553-1189
e-mail: pmuller at marine.usf.edu
Website: http://www.marine.usf.edu/reefslab
Mark A. Albins wrote:
> Coral List,
>
> Here's a quote from the abstract of the paper that is referred to in
> Gene's message. Just for clarification...
>
> "We show that 10 of the 18 species studied exhibited
> reduced rates of net calcification and, in some cases, net dissolution
> under elevated pCO2. However, in seven species, net calcification
> increased under the intermediate and/or highest levels of pCO2, and
> one species showed no response at all."
>
> Mark
>
>
> Eugene Shinn wrote:
>
> Those into ocean acidification will appreciate this. And yes GEOLOGY
> is a peer reviewed journal. Gene
> http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/12/01/oh-snap-co2-causes-ocean-critters-to-build-more-shells/#more-13543
>
>
> **************************************************
> Mark A. Albins
> Department of Zoology
> Oregon State University
> 3029 Cordley Hall
> Corvallis, OR 97331-2914
> phone: (541) 740-7747
> fax: (541) 737-0501
> **************************************************
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
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