Marine Biology Commons^™

Species-Specific Coral Calcification Responses To The Extreme Environment Of The Southern Persian Gulf, Emily Howells, Glenn Dunshea, Dain Mcparland, Grace O. Vaughan, Scott F. Heron, Morgan S. Pratchett, John A. Burt, Andrew G. Bauman

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Sustained accretion of calcium carbonate (mostly by scleractinian corals) is fundamental for maintaining the structure and function of coral reef ecosystems, but may be greatly constrained by extreme and rapidly changing environmental conditions. Corals in the southern Persian Gulf already experience extreme temperature ranges (<20 to >34°C), chronic hypersalinity (>43 psu) and frequent light limitation (<100 μmol photons m−2 s−1). We compared annual rates of calcification for two of the most common coral species in the region (Platygyra daedalea and Cyphastrea microphthalma) along marked gradients in environmental conditions in the southern Persian Gulf and into the Oman Sea. Overall calcification rates were 32% higher in P. daedalea colonies (x = 1.103 g cm−2 y−1, n = 46) than in …