The origin of variations in the isotopic record of scleractinian corals: II. Carbon

Swart, Peter K.; Leder, J. J.; Szmant, Alina M.; Dodge, Richard E.

doi:10.1016/0016-7037(96)00119-6

Cited by 159 publications

(129 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…These include seasonal changes in DIC of the surrounding seawater (Swart et al 1996); the isotopic composition of heterotrophically acquired energy sources (e.g., zooplankton; Grottoli 2002; Grottoli et al 2006;Rodrigues and Grottoli 2006); and selective sequestration of 12 C in gametes (summarized by Swart et al 1996). Relevant to the issue examined here is evidence that corals can respond to bleaching by increasing heterotrophic carbon acquisition .…”

Section: Long-term Trendsmentioning

confidence: 83%

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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Section: Long-term Trendsmentioning

confidence: 83%

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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“…As the factors controlling Mg/Ca and d 13 C in corals remain to be fully quantified (McConnaughey 1989;Swart et al 1996;McConnaughey et al 1997;McConnaughey 2003;Mitsuguchi et al 2003;Meibom et al 2004), their climatic significance will not be discussed here. Instead, we focus on the annual resolution Sr/Ca, d 18 O, and Dd 18 O series as their climatic and environmental significance is more straightforward.…”

Section: Relationship Between Coral Geochemistry and Climatic Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of annual resolution coral geochemical records as climate proxies in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia

et al. 2014

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Sampling of annually banded massive coral skeletons at annual (or higher) resolutions is increasingly being used to obtain replicate long-term time series of changing seawater conditions. However, few of these studies have compared and calibrated the lower annual resolution records based on coral geochemical tracers with the corresponding instrumental climate records, although some studies have inferred the climatic significance of annual coral series derived from averages of monthly or sub-annual records. Here, we present annual resolution analysis of coral records of elemental and stable isotopic composition that are approximately 70 years long. These records were preserved in two coexisting colonies of Porites sp. from Arlington Reef, on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and are used to evaluate the climatic significance of annually resolved coral geochemical proxies. The geochemical records of coral sample ''10AR2,'' with its faster and relatively constant annual growth rate, appear to have been independent of skeletal growth rate and other vital effects. The annual resolution of Sr/Ca and Dd 18 O time series was shown to be a good proxy for annual sea surface temperature (SST; r = -0.67, n = 73, p \ 0.0000001) and rainfall records (r = -0.34, n = 67, p \ 0.01). However, a slower growing coral sample, ''10AR1'' showed significantly lower correlations (r = -0.20, n = 71, p = 0.05 for Sr/Ca and SST; r = -0.19, n = 67, p = 0.06 for Dd 18 O and rainfall), indicating its greater susceptibility to biological/metabolic effects. Our results suggest that while annually resolved coral records are potentially a valuable tool for determining, in particular, long timescale climate variability such as Pacific Decadal Oscillation, Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation, and other climatic factors, the selection of the coral sample is important, and replication is essential.

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“…In oceanic settings where the oxygen isotopic composition of seawater is constant, coral skeletal O records SST variability, usually according to the standard paleotemperature relationship for carbonates (Epstein et al, 1953). The isotopic composition is o!set by a biological non-equilibrium component that appears to be stable through time, as long as a consistent, maximum growth axis is sampled within a coral colony (Weber and Woodhead, 1972;Dunbar and Wellington, 1981; Winter et al, 1991;Shen et al, 1992;Gagan et al, 1994;Leder et al, 1996;Swart et al, 1996;Wellington et al, 1996;Cohen and Hart, 1997). When seawater O varies in response to changes in the balance between precipitation, evaporation, and water advection, the coral O changes accordingly (Swart and Coleman, 1980;Dunbar and Wellington, 1981;Cole et al, 1993;Gagan et al, 1994;Linsley et al, 1994).…”

Section: Tropical Climate Over the Past Several Centuriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

New views of tropical paleoclimates from corals

Gagan

Ayliffe

Beck

et al. 2000

Quaternary Science Reviews

453

287

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Corals o!er a rich archive of past climate variability in tropical ocean regions where instrumental data are limited and where our knowledge of multi-decadal climate sensitivity is incomplete. In the eastern equatorial Paci"c, coral isotopic records track variations in ENSO-related changes in sea-surface temperature; further west, corals record variability in sea-surface temperature and rainfall that accompanies zonal displacement of the Indonesian Low during ENSO events. These multi-century records reveal previously unrecognised ENSO variability on time scales of decades to centuries. Outside the ENSO-sensitive equatorial Paci"c, long-term trends towards recent warmer/wetter conditions suggest the tropics respond to global forcings. New coral paleothermometers indicate that surface-ocean temperatures in the tropical southwestern Paci"c were depressed by 4}63C during the Younger Dryas climatic event and rose episodically during the next 4000 yr. High temporal-resolution measurements of Sr/Ca and O in corals provide information about the surface-ocean hydrologic balance and can resolve the seasonal balance between precipitation and evaporation. Radiocarbon measurements in corals, coupled with ocean circulation models, may be used to reconstruct near-surface ocean circulation, past mixing rates, and the distribution of fossil fuel CO in the upper ocean. Most recently, seasonal to interannual variations in the radiocarbon of corals from the equatorial Paci"c have been linked to the redistribution of surface waters associated with the ENSO.

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The origin of variations in the isotopic record of scleractinian corals: II. Carbon

Cited by 159 publications

References 31 publications

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

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

Evaluation of annual resolution coral geochemical records as climate proxies in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia

New views of tropical paleoclimates from corals

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