The future of coral reefs in an age of global change (original) (raw)

Abstract

Coral reefs are the only ecosystem that is strongly defined by a geological component – most definitions require that the biological community produces its own build-up of calcium carbonate. In terms of "reef-building," the geological record reveals that coral reefs have flourished over the past few million years, particularly during interglacial periods. Based on our observations of modern-day reefs, which are limited to the past few centuries, we tend to link "coral reef health" to carbonate production; however, reef ecosystems face future global-scale environmental changes that may decrease their reef-building capacity. In contrast to past discussions of the factors which determine reef-building potential by a coral reef community, the essential question that arises from this review is: How important is reef building to a coral reef community?

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oceanography Section, National Center for Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307, USA
    Joan A. Kleypas
  2. Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA
    Robert W. Buddemeier
  3. Observatoire Océanologique, ESA 7076 CNRS-UPMC, B.P. 28, 06234 Villefranche-sur-mer Cedex, France
    Jean-Pierre Gattuso

Authors

  1. Joan A. Kleypas
  2. Robert W. Buddemeier
  3. Jean-Pierre Gattuso

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Kleypas, J.A., Buddemeier, R.W. & Gattuso, JP. The future of coral reefs in an age of global change.Int J Earth Sci 90, 426–437 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s005310000125

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