{"id":27791,"date":"2021-10-13T12:08:59","date_gmt":"2021-10-13T10:08:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.coralguardian.org\/?p=27791"},"modified":"2021-11-15T12:52:54","modified_gmt":"2021-11-15T11:52:54","slug":"do-corals-store-carbon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.coralguardian.org\/en\/do-corals-store-carbon\/","title":{"rendered":"Do corals store carbon?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Carbon storage <\/b>in ecosystems is increasingly presented as a way to <\/span>fight climate change<\/b>. But the storage and release of carbon by coral skeletons is a complex subject. We will publish several articles in the coming months to explain the debate in detail, starting with this one which is an introduction to the biological <\/span>process behind the formation of a coral skeleton.<\/b><\/p>\n

The <\/span>three-dimensional architecture of coral skeletons<\/b> allows coral ecosystems to provide habitat, refuge and food for <\/span>marine species<\/b>. It also <\/span>protects coastlines from erosion<\/b> by mitigating the force of waves, to the benefit of human communities around the world. Thus, by the very shape of their skeleton, corals are invaluable to the marine ecosystem, but also to coastal communities.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Coral skeletons\u2019 formation<\/b><\/p>\n

Hermatypic corals (also known as <\/span>reef-building corals<\/b>) are at the origin of the reefs\u2019 limestone framework, the biomineral structure on which the entire ecosystem rests. Unlike soft corals (Gorgonians, Antipatharians, Alcyonacea corals) whose calcium carbonate skeleton is in the form of calcite, the rigidity of the <\/span>aragonite-shape limestone skeleton of reef-building corals<\/b> makes them perfect reef engineers (Allemand <\/span>et al.<\/span><\/i>, 2004).<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The limestone skeleton is responsible for the various shapes of corals. It also contributes to the spread and absorption of light within corals that live in symbiosis with microalgae (also called <\/span>zooxanthellae<\/b>) (Enriquez <\/span>et al<\/span><\/i>., 2005). <\/span>Calcification<\/b>, or <\/span>biomineralization<\/b>, is the rate at which corals produce their skeleton. Through this process, the <\/span>calcium carbonate skeleton<\/b> (CaCO<\/b>3<\/b>)<\/b> is crystallized in the form of <\/span>aragonite<\/b> (Courtial <\/span>et al<\/span><\/i>., 2021). This, thanks to the accumulation and transformation of calcium and carbon.<\/span><\/p>\n