[Coral-List] European Coral Reef Symposium-Mechanisms of Calcification (session 2)

Sylvie Tambutté stambutte at centrescientifique.mc
Wed Jun 7 10:18:16 EDT 2017


Dear colleagues,

 

We'd like to bring your attention to a session on “Mechanistic insights into coral calcification in the context of a global change environment" (session number 2 abstract below) that we're chairing during the ECRS 2017 in Oxford, December 13th-15th (http://www.reefconservationuk.co.uk/ecrs-2017.html). 

Abstract submission is open until June 30th and we're looking forward to contributions on the mechanistic aspects of calcification in coral reef calcifiers. Studies from diverse fields of research including skeletal geochemistry, chemistry, physiology and molecular biology are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your submission to this exciting meeting and to seeing you in Oxford in December!

Sylvie Tambutte, Alexander Venn, Tali Mass , Nicola Allison

 

Session number 2 abstract:

​Coral calcification is biologically controlled at the cellular and molecular levels. However it is well known that this biomineralization process is also influenced by environmental physico-chemical parameters. Indeed ocean acidification and increasing seawater temperatures affect coral biomineralization but how and why this happens isn’t well understood. Improving our understanding of the effects of these environmental parameters on corals relies on achieving a mechanistic understanding of the biomineralization process.  The biological control underlying coral biomineralization  is a key factor in determining the resistance/sensitivity of coral species to environmental parameters.  Data on the mechanisms of coral calcification come from diverse fields of research including skeletal geochemistry, chemistry, physiology and molecular biology. Such studies focus on different compartments such as the skeleton and the tissue, and may address different levels of biological organization from the molecule to the organism. Data from such studies are vital in working towards a more integrated picture of calcification.  The mechanisms involved in biomineralization have only been partly characterized such as various systems of ion transport, carbonate chemistry at the site of calcification and the role of organic matrix proteins. Many aspects of coral calcification mechanisms remain enigmatic or are still debated due to contradictory findings. Further mechanistic research is clearly needed. This session welcomes studies that improve current mechanistic understanding of coral calcification, including studies that examine the effect of defined environmental scenarios on the biomineralization process. Comparative interspecies studies are especially informative as they allow identification of common or species-specific toolkits used by corals to calcify and respond to environmental stressors.  

 



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