Mediterranean cold-water coral measurements

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Hauptverfasser: Titschack, Jürgen, Fink, Hiske G, Baum, Daniel, Wienberg, Claudia, Hebbeln, Dierk, Freiwald, André
Format: Dataset Open Access
Sprache:en
Veröffentlicht: PANGAEA 2016
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author Titschack, Jürgen
Fink, Hiske G
Baum, Daniel
Wienberg, Claudia
Hebbeln, Dierk
Freiwald, André
author_facet Titschack, Jürgen
Fink, Hiske G
Baum, Daniel
Wienberg, Claudia
Hebbeln, Dierk
Freiwald, André
collection Datos científicos de ciencias marinas y ambientales
contents This study presents aggradation rates supplemented for the first time by carbonate accumulation rates from Mediterranean cold-water coral sites considering three different regional and geomorphological settings: (i) a cold-water coral ridge (eastern Melilla coral province, Alboran Sea), (ii) a cold-water coral rubble talus deposit at the base of a submarine cliff (Urania Bank, Strait of Sicily) and (iii) a cold-water coral deposit rooted on a predefined topographic high overgrown by cold-water corals (Santa Maria di Leuca coral province, Ionian Sea). The mean aggradation rates of the respective cold-water coral deposits vary between 10 and 530 cm kyr-1 and the mean carbonate accumulation rates range between 8 and 396 g cm-2 kyr-1 with a maximum of 503 g cm-2 kyr-1 reached in the eastern Melilla coral province. Compared to other deep-water depositional environments the Mediterranean cold-water coral sites reveal significantly higher carbonate accumulation rates that were even in the range of the highest productive shallow-water Mediterranean carbonate factories (e.g. Cladocora caespitosa coral reefs). Focusing exclusively on cold-water coral occurrences, the carbonate accumulation rates of the Mediterranean cold-water coral sites are in the lower range of those obtained for the prolific Norwegian coral occurrences, but exhibit much higher rates than the cold-water coral mounds off Ireland. This study clearly indicates that cold-water corals have the potential to act as important carbonate factories and regional carbonate sinks within the Mediterranean Sea. Moreover, the data highlight the potential of cold-water corals to store carbonate with rates in the range of tropical shallow-water reefs. In order to evaluate the contribution of the cold-water coral carbonate factory to the regional or global carbonate/carbon cycle, an improved understanding of the temporal and spatial variability in aggradation and carbonate accumulation rates and areal estimates of the respective regions is needed.
format Dataset Open Access
id pangaea_https___doi_org_10_1594_PANGAEA_867277
institution PANGAEA
language en
publishDate 2016
publisher PANGAEA
record_format pangaea
spellingShingle Mediterranean cold-water coral measurements
Titschack, Jürgen
Fink, Hiske G
Baum, Daniel
Wienberg, Claudia
Hebbeln, Dierk
Freiwald, André
Center for Marine Environmental Sciences; GeoB; Geosciences, University of Bremen; MARUM
This study presents aggradation rates supplemented for the first time by carbonate accumulation rates from Mediterranean cold-water coral sites considering three different regional and geomorphological settings: (i) a cold-water coral ridge (eastern Melilla coral province, Alboran Sea), (ii) a cold-water coral rubble talus deposit at the base of a submarine cliff (Urania Bank, Strait of Sicily) and (iii) a cold-water coral deposit rooted on a predefined topographic high overgrown by cold-water corals (Santa Maria di Leuca coral province, Ionian Sea). The mean aggradation rates of the respective cold-water coral deposits vary between 10 and 530 cm kyr-1 and the mean carbonate accumulation rates range between 8 and 396 g cm-2 kyr-1 with a maximum of 503 g cm-2 kyr-1 reached in the eastern Melilla coral province. Compared to other deep-water depositional environments the Mediterranean cold-water coral sites reveal significantly higher carbonate accumulation rates that were even in the range of the highest productive shallow-water Mediterranean carbonate factories (e.g. Cladocora caespitosa coral reefs). Focusing exclusively on cold-water coral occurrences, the carbonate accumulation rates of the Mediterranean cold-water coral sites are in the lower range of those obtained for the prolific Norwegian coral occurrences, but exhibit much higher rates than the cold-water coral mounds off Ireland. This study clearly indicates that cold-water corals have the potential to act as important carbonate factories and regional carbonate sinks within the Mediterranean Sea. Moreover, the data highlight the potential of cold-water corals to store carbonate with rates in the range of tropical shallow-water reefs. In order to evaluate the contribution of the cold-water coral carbonate factory to the regional or global carbonate/carbon cycle, an improved understanding of the temporal and spatial variability in aggradation and carbonate accumulation rates and areal estimates of the respective regions is needed.
title Mediterranean cold-water coral measurements
topic Center for Marine Environmental Sciences; GeoB; Geosciences, University of Bremen; MARUM
url https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.867277