Mineral Components of Scleractinian Coral Skeletons Cultured Without Symbionts

Abstract

AbstractSkeletons of contemporary reef‐building scleractinian corals are formed of aragonite, a polymorph of the calcium carbonate (CaCO3), notwithstanding calcite being a more stable phase under the condition of coral habitats. Circumstances developing aragonite in coral calcification have been addressed currently. Considering that the symbiotic relationship between the coral host and dinoflagellate algae (zooxanthellae) is perhaps relevant to coral calcification, we studied the impact of these symbiotic relationships on CaCO3 polymorph selection. Juvenile scleractinian corals (Acropora tenuis and Acropora digitifera) absent symbionts were cultured in seawaters with varied Mg/Ca molar ratios (mMg/Ca), and the mineral phases of the skeletons were detected employing X‐ray diffraction. The findings revealed that diminutive quantities of calcite precipitated as coral skeleton in Acropora digitifera surprisingly in pseudo‐present seawater (mMg/Ca∼5). Additionally, coral developed skeletons from only calcite in seawater with an mMg/Ca < 1. The evidence gathered in this investigation suggests that the symbiotic relationship affects the establishment of aragonite skeletons in the course of coral calcification.