Global S&T Development Trend Analysis Platform of Resources and Environment
The Cement for Coral Reefs | |
admin | |
2020-11-03 | |
发布年 | 2020 |
语种 | 英语 |
国家 | 美国 |
领域 | 气候变化 |
正文(英文) | Coral reefs are hotspots of biodiversity. As they can withstand heavy storms, they offer many species a safe home, and at the same time, they protect densely populated coastal regions as they level out storm-driven waves. However, how can these reefs that are made up of often very fragile coral be so stable? A team of researchers from Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and the University of Bayreuth have now discovered that a very specific type of 'cement' is responsible for this -- by forming a hard calcareous skeleton, coralline red algae stabilise the reefs, and have been doing so for at least 150 million years. The wide variety of life they support is immediately apparent on images of tropical coral reefs. Their three-dimensional scaffolding provides a habitat for a large number of species. However, the skeletons of the coral are often so fragile that they would not be able to withstand heavy storms by themselves. Even if scientists have long suspected that coralline red algae provide support to reefs with their calcareous skeletons, this is the first time that this link has been proven. Coralline red algae have been supporting coral reefs for at least 150 million years The researchers from FAU and the University of Bayreuth were able to prove this supporting function by analysing more than 700 fossilised reefs from 150 million years of the Earth's history. 'The coralline red algae form a calcareous skeleton and cement the coral reefs together,' explains Dr. Sebastian Teichert from the Chair of Palaeoenvironmental Research at FAU. 'However, several crises over the course of millions of years have limited their capacity to do so.' Successful adaptive strategies against plant grazers These crises include the evolution of plant grazing marine animals such as sea urchins and parrot fishes who have repeatedly decimated populations of coralline red algae over the course of time. The algae, however, developed defence mechanisms such as special growth forms in order to defend themselves against their attackers. 'The algae have adapted so well that they now even benefit from these plant grazers,' says Teichert. 'They rid the coralline red algae of damaging growth such as green algae, allowing it to grow unhindered.' This means coralline red algae are more successful at supporting coral reefs today than ever before in the Earth's history. The extent to which climate change affects the supporting role of coralline red algae is not yet known. Any deterioration to their living conditions would not only affect the coral and other inhabitants of reefs, but also humans, as coral reefs level out storm-driven waves and make an important contribution to coastal protection. They also provide a nursery habitat for several fish and shellfish which are an important source of food.
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Story Source: Materials provided by University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. Note: Content may be edited for style and length. Journal Reference:
Cite This Page: University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. "The cement for coral reefs: Vital role of coralline red algae for coral reefs." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 November 2020.
University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. (2020, November 3). The cement for coral reefs: Vital role of coralline red algae for coral reefs. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 4, 2020 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201103115652.htm
University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. "The cement for coral reefs: Vital role of coralline red algae for coral reefs." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201103115652.htm (accessed November 4, 2020).
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URL | 查看原文 |
来源平台 | Science Daily |
文献类型 | 新闻 |
条目标识符 | http://119.78.100.173/C666/handle/2XK7JSWQ/300886 |
专题 | 气候变化 |
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714 | admin. The Cement for Coral Reefs. 2020. |
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