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Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios of Porites coral skeleton: Evaluation of the effect of skeletal growth rate

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Abstract

We examined whether the Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios of Porites coral skeletons are influenced by skeletal growth rate. A colony of Porites australiensis was collected from the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, and analyzed for the elemental ratios along two synchronous growth axes with different extension/calcification rates. The results showed little difference in the Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca profiles between the two growth axes. The Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca profiles have synchronous annual cycles with a broad peak in summer and a narrow trough in winter. This shape suggests that skeletal extension is faster in summer than in winter. A detailed description of the skeletal growth is given in combination with (1) X-ray image of skeletal density banding, (2) skeletal density measurements, and (3) the depth of skeleton occupied by organic tissue layer (i.e., polyp layer). We concluded that both the Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios are independent of skeletal growth rate at least in the approximate range of 11–20 mm/year (skeletal extension rate) when bulk density of the skeleton is 1.1–1.2 mg/mm3, or 13–23 mg mm–2 year–1 (calcification rate). It is also concluded that the Mg/Ca ratio may be susceptible to biological/metabolic effect.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Osamu Abe for collecting the coral sample and Toru Nakamori for identification of coral species. The manuscript has benefited from constructive criticisms and suggestions by Janice Lough, Peter Swart, Andrea Grottoli, and two anonymous reviewers. This work was supported by a Grant-in-Aid from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (199803075) and by a Grant-in-Aid from the Japan Science and Technology Corporation (both to T.M.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Chemistry Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan

    T. Mitsuguchi

  2. Division of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan

    E. Matsumoto

  3. Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan

    T. Uchida

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  1. T. Mitsuguchi
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  2. E. Matsumoto
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  3. T. Uchida
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Correspondence to T. Mitsuguchi.

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Mitsuguchi, T., Matsumoto, E. & Uchida, T. Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios of Porites coral skeleton: Evaluation of the effect of skeletal growth rate. Coral Reefs 22, 381–388 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-003-0326-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-003-0326-1

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