Coral reef aerosol emissions in response to irradiance stress in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Cropp, Roger Allan; Gabric, Albert Jerome; Tran, Dien van; Jones, Graham B; Swan, Hilton B.; Butler, Harry

doi:10.1007/s13280-018-1018-y

Cited by 22 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 73 publications

(111 reference statements)

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“…We have investigated the variability in a satellite decadal time series of fine‐mode AOD over the GBR (Cropp et al, ). A coral stress metric was formulated as a function of irradiance (photosynthetically active radiation), water clarity, and low tide, at Heron Island in the southern GBR over the period 2000–2015.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Benthic coral reefs produce appreciable quantities of dimethylsulfide (DMS), a trace sulfur gas that is thought to be involved in climate regulation of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) of coral reefs (Cropp et al, ; Fischer & Jones, ; Jones, ; Jones et al, ; Leahy et al, ). This potential coral reef‐climate feedback is similar to the well‐known global ocean‐climate feedback that involves production of DMS from pelagic phytoplankton, oxidation in the atmosphere to sulfate aerosols, formation of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), and low level clouds, which in turn lower solar radiation and SSTs, thereby keeping ocean temperatures stable (Charlson et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Flux and Emission of Dimethylsulfide From the Great Barrier Reef Region and Potential Influence on the Climate of NE Australia

et al. 2018

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Concentrations of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), dimethylsulfide (DMS), and DMS flux are reported for the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Great Barrier Reef Lagoon (GBRL), and Coral Sea. Generally higher concentrations of dimethylsulfoniopropionate and DMS occurred in coral reef waters, compared with GBRL concentrations. DMS flux from GBR coral reefs in summer ranged from nondetectable to 153 μmol m−2 d−1 (mean 6.4), while winter fluxes ranged from 0.02 to 15 μmol m−2 d−1 (mean 2.4). No significant seasonal difference in DMS flux occurred for the GBRL. High DMSw concentrations and DMS fluxes periodically occur at coral reefs during very low tides and elevated sea surface temperatures (SSTs). For the GBRL and GBR coral reefs there was a significant correlation between seawater DMSw concentrations and SST (p < 0.001), up to temperatures of 30 °C. During coral bleaching DMS flux from reefs almost completely shuts down when SSTs are >30 °C. The GBRL and associated coral reefs emit 439 and 32 MmolS per year, respectively. Cyclones on average produce 170 MmolS to the GBR atmosphere in summer. This amount can markedly increase during severe cyclones such as severe tropical Cyclone Debbie in March 2017. Overall, the annual DMS emission estimate from the GBRL and coral reefs in the GBR is 0.64 GmolS, with cyclones contributing 27% or greater of the annual emission estimate, depending on the cyclone intensity. Oxidation of atmospheric DMS can potentially affect solar radiation, SSTs, low‐level cloud cover, and rainfall causing cooling and warming of the climate in the GBR region as recent modeling predicts.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Flux and Emission of Dimethylsulfide From the Great Barrier Reef Region and Potential Influence on the Climate of NE Australia

et al. 2018

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“…Marine aerosols may therefore contribute to the formation of a negative local climatic feedback over the coral reef, reducing solar irradiance and SST, thereby mitigating coral physiological stress. Other recent work has identified potential feedbacks between PAR, SST, AOD, and LLC in the GBR over several days using remotely sensed data (Cropp et al, 2018; Jackson et al, 2018; Leahy et al, 2013). Similarly, this study demonstrates that a short‐term (< 1 day), local feedback may exist between atmospheric particles, SST and PAR over the southern GBR.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coral Reef Emissions of Atmospheric Dimethylsulfide and the Influence on Marine Aerosols in the Southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia

et al. 2020

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Variability in atmospheric dimethylsulfide (DMSa) and the potential influence on atmospheric aerosols was investigated at Heron Island in the southern Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia. This work compiles previously published DMSa data (reported in Swan, Jones, Deschaseaux, & Eyre, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-017-0385-8), with additional surveys of DMSa, atmospheric particle number concentration, and other oceanic and atmospheric data sets. DMSa was higher in summer (mean 3.2 nmol m−3/78 ppt) than winter (mean 1.3 nmol m−3/32 ppt), reflective of seasonal shifts in phytoplankton biomass and emissions from corals in the southern GBR. Seasonally extreme spikes in DMSa were detected during low tide and low wind speed, supporting findings that the coral reef can be an important source of DMSa above background oceanic emissions. A significant link was present between DMSa and aerosol concentration (ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 μm) during calm, daylight hours, when conditions were optimal for the local oxidation of DMSa to sulfate aerosol precursors. This link may reflect condensational growth of existing fine particles (< 0.5 μm), which is the dominant pathway by which biogenic trace gases influence aerosols in the marine boundary layer. Aerosol concentration significantly correlated with reduced surface solar irradiance and sea surface temperature, which is potential evidence of a local negative feedback mitigating coral physiological stress. These findings provide a step toward a better understanding of the processes influencing DMSa and aerosol concentrations and of the consequences for the local radiative balance over coral reefs; an increasingly important topic with ongoing ocean warming and coral bleaching.

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“…The establishment of an au-tonomous system (e.g. Dacey, 2010) would alleviate some of these caveats and greatly benefit this field of research. These data would allow diel and seasonal changes in DMS emissions from coral reefs to be investigated more thoroughly and allow long-term changes in emissions strength with ongoing climate change to be determined.…”

Section: Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dimethylsulfide (DMS), marine biogenic aerosols and the ecophysiology of coral reefs

et al. 2020

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Abstract. Global climate change and the impacts of ocean warming, ocean acidification and declining water quality are adversely affecting coral-reef ecosystems. This is of great concern, as coral reefs provide numerous ecosystem, economic and social services. Corals are also recognised as being amongst the strongest individual sources of natural atmospheric sulfur, through stress-induced emissions of dimethylsulfide (DMS). In the clean marine boundary layer, biogenic sulfates contribute to new aerosol formation and the growth of existing particles, with important implications for the radiative balance over the ocean. Evidence suggests that DMS is not only directly involved in the coral stress response, alleviating oxidative stress, but also may create an “ocean thermostat” which suppresses sea surface temperature through changes to aerosol and cloud properties. This review provides a summary of the current major threats facing coral reefs and describes the role of dimethylated sulfur compounds in coral ecophysiology and the potential influence on climate. The role of coral reefs as a source of climatically important compounds is an emerging topic of research; however the window of opportunity to understand the complex biogeophysical processes involved is closing with ongoing degradation of the world's coral reefs. The greatest uncertainty in our estimates of radiative forcing and climate change is derived from natural aerosol sources, such as marine DMS, which constitute the largest flux of oceanic reduced sulfur to the atmosphere. Given the increasing frequency of coral bleaching events, it is crucial that we gain a better understanding of the role of DMS in local climate of coral reefs.

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Coral reef aerosol emissions in response to irradiance stress in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Cited by 22 publications

References 73 publications

The Flux and Emission of Dimethylsulfide From the Great Barrier Reef Region and Potential Influence on the Climate of NE Australia

The Flux and Emission of Dimethylsulfide From the Great Barrier Reef Region and Potential Influence on the Climate of NE Australia

Coral Reef Emissions of Atmospheric Dimethylsulfide and the Influence on Marine Aerosols in the Southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Dimethylsulfide (DMS), marine biogenic aerosols and the ecophysiology of coral reefs

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