Tidal downwelling and implications for the carbon biogeochemistry of cold-water corals in relation to future ocean acidification and warming

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Bibliographische Detailangaben
Veröffentlicht in:Global change biology. - 1999. - 19(2013), 9 vom: 24. Sept., Seite 2708-19
1. Verfasser: Findlay, Helen S (VerfasserIn)
Weitere Verfasser: Artioli, Yuri, Moreno Navas, Juan, Hennige, Sebastian J, Wicks, Laura C, Huvenne, Veerle A I, Woodward, E Malcolm S, Roberts, J Murray
Format: Online-Aufsatz
Sprache:English
Veröffentlicht: 2013
Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk:Global change biology
Schlagworte:Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) biogeochemistry climate change cold-water corals ecologically and biologically significant Areas (EBSAs) hydrography ocean acidification Acids mehr... Sodium Chloride 451W47IQ8X
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:© 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Cold-water coral (CWC) reefs are recognized as ecologically and biologically significant areas that generate habitats and diversity. The interaction between hydrodynamics and CWCs has been well studied at the Mingulay Reef Complex, a relatively shallow area of reefs found on the continental shelf off Scotland, UK. Within 'Mingulay Area 01' a rapid tidal downwelling of surface waters, brought about as an internal wave, is known to supply warmer, phytoplankton-rich waters to corals growing on the northern flank of an east-west trending seabed ridge. This study shows that this tidal downwelling also causes short-term perturbations in the inorganic carbon (CT ) and nutrient dynamics through the water column and immediately above the reef. Over a 14 h period, corresponding to one semi-diurnal tidal cycle, seawater pH overlying the reef varied by ca. 0.1 pH unit, while pCO2 shifted by >60 μatm, a shift equivalent to a ca. 25 year jump into the future, with respect to atmospheric pCO2 . During the summer stratified period, these downwelling events result in the reef being washed over with surface water that has higher pH, is warmer, nutrient depleted, but rich in phytoplankton-derived particles compared to the deeper waters in which the corals sit. Empirical observations, together with outputs from the European Regional Shelf Sea Ecosystem Model, demonstrate that the variability that the CWC reefs experience changes through the seasons and into the future. Hence, as ocean acidification and warming increase into the future, the downwelling event specific to this site could provide short-term amelioration of corrosive conditions at certain times of the year; however, it could additionally result in enhanced detrimental impacts of warming on CWCs. Natural variability in the CT and nutrient conditions, as well as local hydrodynamic regimes, must be accounted for in any future predictions concerning the responses of marine ecosystems to climate change
Beschreibung:Date Completed 19.09.2013
Date Revised 19.11.2015
published: Print-Electronic
Citation Status MEDLINE
ISSN:1365-2486
DOI:10.1111/gcb.12256