Gas hydrate crystals may help build reefs

Henriet, J.-P.; Mol, Ben De; Pillen, S.; Vanneste, Maarten; Rooij, David Van; Versteeg, W.; Croker, Peter F.; Shannon, Patrick M.; Unnithan, Vikram; Bouriak, S.; Chachkine, P.

doi:10.1038/35530

Cited by 130 publications

(68 citation statements)

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“…Low methane concentrations (<1 µM) at all investigated sediment depths in both coral reefs (data not shown) do not provide evidence for a coupling of cold-water coral reef distribution and the appearance of hydrocarbon seepage at the Mid-Norwegian cold-water coral reefs as previously suggested (Henriet et al, 1998;Hovland et al, 1998;Hovland and Risk, 2003;Hovland and Thomsen, 1997). The reefs are also underlain by very compact glacial clays, which inhibit the flux of deeper seated hydrocarbons into the post-glacial deposits.…”

Section: Microbial-mediated Organic Carbon Mineralizationmentioning

confidence: 57%

Carbon mineralization and carbonate preservation in modern cold-water coral reef sediments on the Norwegian shelf

et al. 2009

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Abstract. Cold-water coral ecosystems are considered hotspots of biodiversity and biomass production and may be a regionally important contributor to carbonate production. The impact of these ecosystems on biogeochemical processes and carbonate preservation in associated sediments were studied at Røst Reef and Traenadjupet Reef, two modern (post-glacial) cold-water coral reefs on the MidNorwegian shelf. Sulfate and iron reduction as well as carbonate dissolution and precipitation were investigated by combining pore-water geochemical profiles, steady state modeling, as well as solid phase analyses and sulfate reduction rate measurements on gravity cores of up to 3.25 m length. Low extents of sulfate depletion and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) production, combined with sulfate reduction rates not exceeding 3 nmol S cm −3 d −1 , suggested that overall anaerobic carbon mineralization in the sediments was low. These data showed that the coral fragment-bearing siliciclastic sediments were effectively decoupled from the productive pelagic ecosystem by the complex reef surface framework. Organic matter being mineralized by sulfate reduction was calculated to consist of 57% carbon bound in CH 2 O groups and 43% carbon in -CH 2 -groups. Methane concentrations were below 1 µM, and failed to support the hypothesis of a linkage between the distribution of coldwater coral reefs and the presence of hydrocarbon seepage. Reductive iron oxide dissolution linked to microbial sulfate reduction buffered the pore-water carbonate system and inhibited acid-driven coral skeleton dissolution. A large pool of reactive iron was available leading to the formation of iron

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Section: Microbial-mediated Organic Carbon Mineralizationmentioning

confidence: 57%

Carbon mineralization and carbonate preservation in modern cold-water coral reef sediments on the Norwegian shelf

et al. 2009

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“…Additional mud volcanoes were discovered during the TTR-14 campaign between the northern and southern mud-volcano fields (Comas et al, , 2003aSautkin et al, 2003;Talukder et al, 2003;Comas and Ivanov, 2006). In 2007, a cruise of the R/V Hesperides focusing on mud volcanoes in the Alboran Sea (Comas and Pinheiro, 2007) unveiled an outcropping mound province off Melilla, which displays striking affinities with the Cadiz cold-water coral carbonate mounds and with those discovered in the North Atlantic (e.g., Henriet et al, 1998). The Melilla field was cored for the first time in June 2008 during the TTR-17 cruise (Comas and the SAGAS08-TTR17, Leg 1-Scientific Party, unpublished).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Growth and demise of cold-water coral ecosystems on mud volcanoes in the West Alboran Sea: The messages from the planktonic and benthic foraminifera

et al. 2011

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The Dhaka and Maya mud volcanoes (MVs), located in the Mud Diapir Province in the Western Alboran Basin along the Moroccan Coasts, were cored during the TTR-17, Leg 1 cruise. Cores were taken on the top of the volcanoes at a water depth of 370 m on the Dhaka MV (core TTR17-MS411G) and at 410 m water depth on the Maya MV (core TTR17-MS419G), respectively. On both mud volcanoes the extruded mud breccia provides the nucleation point for the colonization and development of cold-water corals and associated ecosystems. Two phases of cold-water coral growth are observed: (1) between slightly older than 4175± 62 years BP and around 2230± 59 years BP at Dhaka, and (2) between slightly older than 15583 ± 185 years BP and around 7613 ± 38 years BP at Maya MV. On the top of the Maya MV only a small patch reef and/or isolated corals proliferated, whereas a more extended patch reef colonized the top of the Dhaka MV. At both sites the cold-water coral development was triggered by the availability of a suitable substrate for initial coral settling, provided either as a firm ground or as single clasts. Subsequently coral growth was supported by enhanced nutrient flux possibly related to upwelling and/or strong currents. During the intervals of coral growth planktonic foraminiferal assemblages were dominated by Neogloboquadrina incompta. The decline of coral ecosystems on the mud volcanoes is accompanied at surface by a shift from the N. incompta dominated assemblage to a Globorotalia inflata dominated assemblage, possibly reflecting more oligotrophic conditions. This shift is coeval to the passage from wet to arid conditions at the end of the African Humid Period at Maya MV. It is interpreted as an effect of an early human impact on a fragile environment, which was already stressed by desiccation at the time of the development of complex human society along the Mediterranean coasts, at Dhaka MV.

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“…Since about a decade these deep-water coral reefs are subject to extensive European research efforts to better constrain ecosystem functioning and coral reef development (Henriet et al, 1998;Hovland et al, 1998;de Mol et al, 2002;Dorschel et al, 2005;Freiwald and Roberts, 2005;White et al, 2005;Roberts et al, 2006;van Rooij et al, 2006;Dorschel et al, 2007;Mienis et al, 2007;Wheeler et al, 2007). These mounds can achieve a height of several hundred meters and measure several square kilometres at the base (Hovland et al, 1994;de Mol et al, 2002;Huvenne et al, 2003;Kenyon et al, 2003;van Weering et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Holocene occurrence of cold water corals in the NE Atlantic: Implications for coral carbonate mound evolution

et al. 2009

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U-series dating of constructional cold-water corals is a powerful tool to reconstruct the evolution of corals on carbonate mounds. Here we have investigated the time framework of corals such as Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata on five different mound settings of the eastern North Atlantic (on Rockall Bank and in Porcupine Seabight), sampled at variable depth and location (610-880 m water depth). We have found that the past 11 ka reflect a period generally favourable for coral development. We further determined local mound growth rates and identified mound surface erosion (framework collapse) during times of active coral framework construction. "Local" vertical mound growth rates vary between less than 5 cm ka − 1 and up to 220 cm ka − 1 . We interpret rates exceeding 15 cm ka − 1 as representative of densely populated coral reefs. During times of reduced or absent coral development, mound evolution rates are by far smaller (0 to < 5 cm ka − 1 ). The time resolution achieved here furthermore provides first evidence for reduced coral (ecosystem) activity at 1.8-2.0 ka, 4.2-4.8 ka and between 6 and 8.2 ka within the Holocene that may be related to climate driven changes of the coral growth environments. During Glacial periods coral growth in those areas seems apparently extremely reduced or is even absent on mounds.

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Gas hydrate crystals may help build reefs

Cited by 130 publications

References 1 publication

Carbon mineralization and carbonate preservation in modern cold-water coral reef sediments on the Norwegian shelf

Carbon mineralization and carbonate preservation in modern cold-water coral reef sediments on the Norwegian shelf

Growth and demise of cold-water coral ecosystems on mud volcanoes in the West Alboran Sea: The messages from the planktonic and benthic foraminifera

The Holocene occurrence of cold water corals in the NE Atlantic: Implications for coral carbonate mound evolution

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