Abstract
The export of carbon and carbonate from coral reefs was investigated through a multidisciplinary investigation of the hydrological, geochemical, sedimentological and biological features of Tiahura reef on the northwestern coast of Moorea Island (French Polynesia). The hydrology of the fore-reef is characterised by prevailing longshore western currents and a strong thermocline. As revealed by turbidity structures (benthic and intermediate nepheloid layers) and by the amount of particles collected by near-bottom sediment traps, horizontal and downslope advections of particles dominate over offshore vertical transport. The exported material is rich in carbonate (ca. 80%) and poor in organic matter (ca. 4%). Sedimentation rates at 430 m depth, i.e. definitive export, reached 209.6 mg m-2 d-1 (dry weight). Estimates of carbon and carbonates export for Tiahura reef also reported here represent respectively 47% and 21% of the organic and inorganic carbon produced within the reef.
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Delesalle, B., Buscail, R., Carbonne, J. et al. Direct measurements of carbon and carbonate export from a coral reef ecosystem (Moorea Island , French Polynesia). Coral Reefs 17, 121–132 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/s003380050106
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s003380050106