Preservation of organic matter in mound-forming coral skeletons

Ingalls, Anitra E.; Lee, Cindy; Druffel, Ellen R. M.

doi:10.1016/s0016-7037(03)00079-6

Cited by 86 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…The main constituents of the skeletal organic matter of Porites sp. are endolithic algae and an organic matrix composed of amino acids (e.g., aspartic acid and glutamic acid; Lukas, 1974;Ingalls et al, 2003). Furthermore, the nitrogen isotopic composition of the organic matrix is similar to that of endolithic algae, suggesting that the nitrogen isotope ratio of the organic matrix reflects that of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) assimilated by endolithic algae (Muscatine et al, 2005).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

High sensitivity measurements of nitrogen isotopic ratios in coral skeletons from Palau, western Pacific: Temporal resolution and seasonal variation of nitrogen sources

et al. 2008

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By using a step-wise heating method in conjunction with static vacuum mass spectrometry, we have measured at high temporal resolution (one month) the nitrogen isotopic ratio of a coral skeletal sample collected from Palau in the northern part of the Western Pacific. The δ 15 N value from the 900°C combustion step varies significantly, from +1.1‰ to +10.9‰ for the estimated time period from July 1995 to January 1998. The higher values occurred during winter and the lower values in summer. The δ 18 O and δ 13 C values of the skeleton were also analyzed for the same period, using conventional methods. The ranges of δ 18 O and δ 13 C variations are from -6.1‰ to -5.4‰ and from -1.6‰ to -0.9‰, respectively, which are significantly smaller than the δ 15 N variation. The δ 13 C change is possibly attributable to kinetic isotope effects, as deduced from a negative correlation between the δ 13 C value and mean sea surface temperature (SST) in the region. On the other hand, the δ 15 N variation could be derived from seasonal change of the relative ratio of two components utilized by symbiotic algae: a 15 N-depleted component from N 2 fixation and 15 N-enriched nitrate from the tropical oligotrophic open ocean.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

High sensitivity measurements of nitrogen isotopic ratios in coral skeletons from Palau, western Pacific: Temporal resolution and seasonal variation of nitrogen sources

et al. 2008

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“…Although the endoliths deep in coral skeletons are not living (e.g., Kanwischer and Wainwright 1967), organic material remains well preserved in massive coral skeletons and thus is clearly observable in these cores (Ingalls et al 2003).…”

Section: Dating and Isotopic Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Stable isotopic records of bleaching and endolithic algae blooms in the skeleton of the boulder forming coral Montastraea faveolata

et al. 2010

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Within boulder forming corals, fixation of dissolved inorganic carbon is performed by symbiotic dinoflagellates within the coral tissue and, to a lesser extent, endolithic algae within the coral skeleton. Endolithic algae produce distinctive green bands in the coral skeleton, and their origin may be related to periods of coral bleaching due to complete loss of dinoflagellate symbionts or ''paling'' in which symbiont populations are patchily reduced in coral tissue. Stable carbon isotopes were analyzed in coral skeletons across a known bleaching event and 12 blooms of endolithic algae to determine whether either of these types of changes in photosynthesis had a clear isotopic signature. Stable carbon isotopes tended to be enriched in the coral skeleton during the initiation of endolith blooms, consistent with enhanced photosynthesis by endoliths. In contrast, there were no consistent d 13 C patterns directly associated with bleaching, suggesting that there is no unique isotopic signature of bleaching. On the other hand, isotopic values after bleaching were lighter 92% of the time when compared to the bleaching interval. This marked drop in skeletal d 13 C may reflect increased kinetic fractionation and slow symbiont recolonization for several years after bleaching.

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“…The intracrystalline nature of total skeletal phosphorus makes P/Ca records amenable to rapid analysis in situ by LA-ICP-MS without the need for rigorous sample cleaning. Since bulk intracrystalline organic matter is preserved over at least century timescales in surface corals, and the skeletal incorporation of macromolecules responds to environmental conditions, there is strong potential for the application of this proxy to older and fossil coral skeletons [Gupta et al, 2007;Ingalls et al, 2003]. The use of coral skeletal P/Ca as a direct seawater nutrient proxy will be useful for studying past nutrient distributions, temporal dynamics, coastal eutrophication, and coral reef decline in the context of global changes in climate and marine biogeochemical processes.…”

Section: Skeletal Phosphorus Incorporation Mechanismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Skeletal P/Ca tracks upwelling in Gulf of Panamá coral: Evidence for a new seawater phosphate proxy

LaVigne

Field

Anagnostou

et al. 2008

Geophysical Research Letters

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[1] The supply of limiting nutrients to the low latitude ocean is controlled by physical processes linked to climate variations, but methods for reconstructing past nutrient concentrations in the surface ocean are few and indirect. Here, we present laser ablation mass spectrometry results that reveal annual cycles of P/Ca in a 4-year record from the scleractinian coral Pavona gigantea (mean P/Ca = 118 mmol mol À1 ). The P/Ca cycles track variations in past seawater phosphate concentration synchronously with skeletal Sr/Ca-derived temperature variations associated with seasonal upwelling in the Gulf of Panamá. Skeletal P/Ca varies seasonally by 2 -3 fold, reflecting the timing and magnitude of dissolved phosphate variations. Solution cleaning experiments on drilled coral powders show that over 60% of skeletal P occurs in intracrystalline organic phases. Coral skeleton P/Ca holds promise as a proxy record of nutrient availability on time scales of decades to millennia.

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Preservation of organic matter in mound-forming coral skeletons

Cited by 86 publications

References 77 publications

High sensitivity measurements of nitrogen isotopic ratios in coral skeletons from Palau, western Pacific: Temporal resolution and seasonal variation of nitrogen sources

High sensitivity measurements of nitrogen isotopic ratios in coral skeletons from Palau, western Pacific: Temporal resolution and seasonal variation of nitrogen sources

Stable isotopic records of bleaching and endolithic algae blooms in the skeleton of the boulder forming coral Montastraea faveolata

Skeletal P/Ca tracks upwelling in Gulf of Panamá coral: Evidence for a new seawater phosphate proxy

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