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Description:
Title:
Low net carbonate accretion characterizes Florida’s coral reef
Author(s):
Morris, John T.
Enochs, Ian C.
Besemer, Nicole
Viehman, T. Shay
Groves, Sarah H.
Blondeau, Jeremiah
Ames, Cory
Towle, Erica K.
Grove, Laura Jay W.
Manzello, Derek P.
Dates of Publication:
2022
Abstract:
Coral reef habitat is created when calcium carbonate production by calcifiers exceeds removal by physical and biological erosion. Carbonate budget surveys provide a means of quantifying the framework-altering actions of diverse assemblages of marine species to determine net carbonate production, a single metric that encapsulates reef habitat persistence. In this study, carbonate budgets were calculated for 723 sites across the Florida Reef Tract (FRT) using benthic cover and parrotfish demographic data from NOAA’s National Coral Reef Monitoring Program, as well as high-resolution LiDAR topobathymetry. Results highlight the erosional state of the majority of the study sites, with a trend towards more vulnerable habitat in the northern FRT, especially in the Southeast Florida region (− 0.51 kg CaCO3 m−2 year−1), which is in close proximity to urban centers. Detailed comparison of reef types reveals that mid-channel reefs in the Florida Keys have the highest net carbonate production (0.84 kg CaCO3 m−2 year−1) and indicates that these reefs may be hold-outs for reef development throughout the region. This study reports that Florida reefs, specifically their physical structure, are in a net erosional state. As these reefs lose structure, the ecosystem services they provide will be diminished, signifying the importance of increased protections and management efforts to offset these trends.
Keywords:
Calcium carbonate
Coral reefs and islands
Erosion
Place Keywords:
Florida Keys (Fla.)
Local Corporate Name:
CoRIS (Coral Reef Information System)
OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research)
AOML (Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory)
NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service)
SEFSC (Southeast Fisheries Science Center)
NOS (National Ocean Service)
NCCOS (National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science)
NESDIS (National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service)
STAR (Center for Satellite Applications and Research)
CIMAS (Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies)
Type of Resource:
Journal Article
Note:
Coral reef habitat is created when calcium carbonate production by calcifiers exceeds removal by physical and biological erosion. Carbonate budget surveys provide a means of quantifying the framework-altering actions of diverse assemblages of marine species to determine net carbonate production, a single metric that encapsulates reef habitat persistence. In this study, carbonate budgets were calculated for 723 sites across the Florida Reef Tract (FRT) using benthic cover and parrotfish demographic data from NOAA’s National Coral Reef Monitoring Program, as well as high-resolution LiDAR topobathymetry. Results highlight the erosional state of the majority of the study sites, with a trend towards more vulnerable habitat in the northern FRT, especially in the Southeast Florida region (− 0.51 kg CaCO3 m−2 year−1), which is in close proximity to urban centers. Detailed comparison of reef types reveals that mid-channel reefs in the Florida Keys have the highest net carbonate production (0.84 kg CaCO3 m−2 year−1) and indicates that these reefs may be hold-outs for reef development throughout the region. This study reports that Florida reefs, specifically their physical structure, are in a net erosional state. As these reefs lose structure, the ecosystem services they provide will be diminished, signifying the importance of increased protections and management efforts to offset these trends.
URL:
DOI:
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