Carbon cycle in coral reefs and its change with environment

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Coral reefs are related with global carbon cycles through photosynthesis and calcification. The mode of carbon cycles in reefs have been changed with formation of reef geomorphology accompanying with environmental changes for the last several thousand years. We have made researches on reef geomorphological/biological zonations and production rates, sea water and carbon fluxes across ocean-reef-lagoon system and formation of coral reefs for the last 10,000 years in the Great Barrier Reef and Palau Islands-typical continental and oceanic barrier reef systems. We have obtained the following results : 1) Barrier reef system is divided into the barrier reef flat and lagoon : the barrier reef flat is subdivided into reef front, reef crest, aligned coral pavement and sand flat from sea to ocean with geomorphological features and coral community structure ; 2) These reef zonation can be identified by satellite and aerial remote sensing data ; 3) The barrier reef systems have been formed with the rising sea from 8,000 to 4,000 years ago and reef zonation have been formed with the stabilized sea since 4,000 years ago ; 4) Net organic production 167 mmol C m^<-2> day^<-1>, which exceeds net calcium carbonate production 130 mmol C m^<-2> day^<-1>, exists on barrier reef flat ; 5) Organic products are delivered to outer ocean as dissolved and particulate forms accompanying with tidal currents.