Blooming of bacteria and algae is a biokiller for mass-extinction of Devonian coral-stromatoporoid reef ecosystems

Abstract

Studies of rock slices showed that there were many kinds of symbioses between bacteria and algae and corals-stromatoporoids in the coral-stromatoporoid reefs from the Devonian Ganxi section of Sichuan and the Dushan section of Guizhou in South China. They included encrustations, microborings, bioclaustration, etc. In the host corals-stromatoporoids invaded by bacteria and algae were many residues of dead soft issue in the infected parts, where the skeletal structures were injured. Therefore, we considered there were direct interactions between corals-stromatoporoids and bacteria and algae in coral-stromatoporoid reefs, which included that bacteria and algae blocked growth of corals-stromatoporoids and the latter had the ability of self-healing. And the bacteria and algae usually was the active side. In the Middle Devonian with normal seawater condition, corals and stromatoporoids had the ability to resist the invasion of bacteria and algae, and the host coral-stromatoporoids would not be killed; but in the Late Devonian with deterioration of seawater quality, the ability of bacteria and algae infection increased while corals-stromatoporoids’ ability to resist infection declined, and therefore the host corals-stromatoporoids would be dead. Hence we suggested that the invading of bacteria and algae was a possible biokiller for mass-extinction of the Devonian coralstromatoporoid reefs ecosystem. Beyond that, blooming of bacteria and algae and its triggering cumulative environmental effects played an important role in the reduction and extinction of metazoan in the Late Devonian. Furthermore, it can be used as a useful example to learn the trend and the reasons for the disease and decrease of modern coral reefs.