Coral reefs: sources or sinks of atmospheric CO2? (original) (raw)
Abstract
Because the precipitation of calcium carbonate results in the sequestering of carbon, it frequently has been thought that coral reefs functions as sinks of global atmospheric CO2. However, the precipitation of calcium carbonate is accompanied by a shift of pH that results in the release of CO2. This release of CO2 is less in buffered sea water than fresh water systems; nevertheless, coral reefs are sources, not sinks, of atmospheric carbon. Using estimated rates of coral reef carbonate production, we compute that coral reefs release 0.02 to 0.08 Gt C as CO2 annually. This is approximately 0.4% to 1.4% of the current anthropogenic CO2 production due to fossil fuel combustion.
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Authors and Affiliations
- Atlantic Research Corporation, 1375 Piccard Drive, 20850, Rockville, Maryland, USA
John R. Ware - Department of Zoology, University of Maryland, 20742, College Park, Maryland, USA
John R. Ware - Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii, 96822, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Stephen V. Smith - Department of Zoology, University of Maryland, 20742, College Park, Maryland, USA
Marjorie L. Reaka-Kudla
Authors
- John R. Ware
- Stephen V. Smith
- Marjorie L. Reaka-Kudla
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Ware, J.R., Smith, S.V. & Reaka-Kudla, M.L. Coral reefs: sources or sinks of atmospheric CO2?.Coral Reefs 11, 127–130 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00255465
- Accepted: 10 February 1992
- Issue date: September 1992
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00255465