In-situ incubation of a coral patch for community-scale assessment of metabolic and chemical processes on a reef slope.

摘要: Anthropogenic pressures threaten the health of coral reefs globally. Some these directly affect functioning, while others are indirect, for example by promoting capacity bioeroders to dissolve aragonite. To assess reef status, it is necessary validate community-scale measurements metabolic and geochemical processes in field, determining fluxes from enclosed patches. Here, we investigate diurnal trends carbonate chemistry, dissolved organic carbon, oxygen, nutrients on a 20 m deep patch offshore island Saba, Dutch Caribbean means tent incubations. The obtained related benthic carbon quantifying net community calcification (NCC) production (NCP). relatively strong currents swell-induced near-bottom surge at this location caused minor seawater exchange between incubated ambient water. Employing compensating interpretive model, used our advantage as maintains reasonably ventilated conditions, which conceivably prevents arrest during incubation periods multiple hours. No chemistry were detected all rates strongly skewed towards respiration suggesting heterotrophy NCC inferred incubations ranges -0.2 1.4 mmol CaCO3 m-2 h-1 (-0.2 1.2 kg year-1) NCP varies -9 -21.7 (net respiration). When comparing consensus-based ReefBudget approach, estimated rate full planar area (0.36 was lower, but still within range different Field trials indicate that tent-based presented here, coupled with an appropriate effective tool investigate, situ, state patches even when located hydrodynamic environment.