Abstract
Global warming and ocean acidification affect coral calcification. Nevertheless, there is not enough information regarding the growth parameters of the main reef-building coral species in marginal growth areas such as the Pacific coast of southern Mexico. In order to fill this gap, coral growth parameters of 8 hermatypic coral species (massive species: Porites panamensis, Porites lobata, Pavona gigantea, and Pavona varians; branching species: Pocillopora meandrina, Pocillopora damicornis, Pocillopora verrucosa, and Pocillopora capitata) were estimated in 2 areas of the southern Mexican Pacific. Branching coral species had a higher calcification rate (2.99–5.23 g CaCO3 cm–2 yr–1) than massive species (0.34–1.13 g CaCO3 cm–2 yr–1). A significant relation between sea surface temperature (SST) and skeletal density was observed in all massive coral species. Also, 2 massive species (P. gigantea and P. varians) showed a significant relation between SST and calcification rate. Upwelling in the Gulf of Tehuantepec transports deep water with low pH and low aragonite saturation, and may be affecting the calcification rate of stony corals in the studied area.
Highlights
Pocillopora damicornis (La Entrega, Oaxaca) had the highest density value (1.78 ± 0.31 g CaCO3 cm–3) and an extension rate of 2.94 ± 0.32 cm yr–1, resulting in a calcification rate of 5.23 ± 1.03 g CaCO3 cm–2 yr–1, the highest calcification rate value recorded for the genus
At Zacatoso (Guerrero), Pavona gigantea had the highest values of all 3 growth parameters, whereas Porites lobata had a mean density of 1.20 ± 0.07 g CaCO3 cm–3, extension of 0.60 ± 0.16 cm yr–1, and calcification rate of 0.72 ± 0.22 g CaCO3 cm–2 yr–1
At La Entrega (Oaxaca), Porites panamensis had the lowest values of all 3 growth parameters, and Pavona varians had a mean density of 1.04 ± 0.07 g CaCO3 cm–3, extension rate of
Summary
Ciencias Marinas, Vol 42, No 3, 2016 pairs of high- and low-density skeletal growth bands that represent the seasons when the calcification rates are higher and lower. This coral banding pattern provides a means of analyzing, retrospectively, the growth parameters of coralline skeleton based on three variables containing complementary information: (1) skeletal extension rate, (2) skeletal density (which depends directly on the density of aragonite [2.94 g cm–3], the pores in the skeleton being responsible for affecting this value [Hughes 1987]), and (3) calcification rate (Dodge and Brass 1984, Carricart-Ganivet et al 2000). Skeletal bands are associated with the prevailing environmental conditions where corals develop, and are an important tool for reconstructing the environmental conditions at coral reef locations (Knutson et al 1972, Buddemeier 1974, Chalker et al 1985)
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