Growth Rates of Florida Corals from 1937 to 1996 and Their Response to Climate Change

Authors

Kevin P. Helmle, Nova Southeastern University; University of Miami; National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministationFollow
Richard E. Dodge, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
Peter K. Swart, University of Miami
Dwight K. Gledhill, University of Miami; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
C. Mark Eakin, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

ResearcherID

B-5241-2011

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Nature Communications

ISSN

2041-1723

Publication Date

3-1-2011

Keywords

Climate change, Coral reefs, Physical oceanography, Florida

Abstract

Ocean acidification causes declines in calcification rates of corals because of decreasing aragonite saturation states (Ωarag). Recent evidence also indicates that increasing sea surface temperatures may have already reduced growth and calcification rates because of the stenothermic threshold of localized coral populations. Density banding in coral skeletons provides a record of growth over the coral's lifespan. Here we present coral extension, bulk density and calcification master chronologies from seven subtropical corals (Montastraea faveolata) located in the Florida Keys, USA with a 60-year common period, 1937–1996. Linear trends indicate that extension increased, density decreased and calcification remained stable while the most recent decade was not significantly different than decadal averages over the preceding 50 years for extension and calcification. The results suggest that growth rates in this species of subtropical coral have been tolerant to recent climatic changes up to the time of collection (1996).

DOI

10.1038/ncomms1222

Volume

2

Issue

215

First Page

1

Last Page

6

Comments

©2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

NSUWorks Citation

Helmle, Kevin P., Richard E. Dodge, Peter K. Swart, Dwight K. Gledhill, and C. Mark Eakin. "Growth rates of Florida corals from 1937 to 1996 and their response to climate change." Nature communications 2 (2011): 215.