Controls on Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca in scleractinian corals: The effects of Ca-ATPase and transcellular Ca channels on skeletal chemistry

EMIF, Nicola Allison*, Itay Cohen, Adrian A. Finch, Jonathan Erez

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

The Sr/Ca of aragonitic coral skeletons is a commonly used palaeothermometer. However skeletal Sr/Ca is typically dominated by weekly-monthly oscillations which do not reflect temperature or seawater composition and the origins of which are currently unknown. To test the impact of transcellular Ca(2+) transport processes on skeletal Sr/Ca, colonies of the branching coral, Pocillopora damicornis, were cultured in the presence of inhibitors of Ca-ATPase (ruthenium red) and Ca channels (verapamil hydrochloride). The photosynthesis, respiration and calcification rates of the colonies were monitored throughout the experiment. The skeleton deposited in the presence of the inhibitors was identified (by (42)Ca spike) and analysed for Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca by secondary ion mass spectrometry. The Sr/Ca of the aragonite deposited in the presence of either of the inhibitors was not significantly different from that of the solvent (dimethyl sulfoxide) control, although the coral calcification rate was reduced by up to 66% and 73% in the ruthenium red and verapamil treatments, respectively. The typical precision (95% confidence limits) of mean Sr/Ca determinations within any treatment was

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)6350-6360
Number of pages11
JournalGeochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
Volume75
Issue number21
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2011

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • SEA-SURFACE TEMPERATURES
  • STYLOPHORA-PISTILLATA
  • GALAXEA-FASCICULARIS
  • TRACE-ELEMENTS
  • CALCIUM
  • CALCIFICATION
  • PHOTOSYNTHESIS
  • ARAGONITE
  • TRANSPORT
  • RECORDS

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