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Significance of Halimeda bioherms to the global carbonate budget based on a geological sediment budget for the Northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Significance of Halimeda bioherms to the global carbonate budget based on a geological sediment budget for the Northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Significance of Halimeda bioherms to the global carbonate budget based on a geological sediment budget for the Northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Since the correlation between carbon dioxide (CO2) levels and global temperatures was established in the ice core records, quantifying the components of the global carbon cycle has become a priority with a view to constraining models of the climate system. The marine carbonate budget is still not adequately constrained and the quantitative significance of the calcareous green alga Halimeda still remains particularly poorly understood. Previously, it has been suggested that Halimeda bioherms on the shelf of the Great Barrier Reef may contain a volume of carbonate equal to or greater than that contained within the shelf edge coral reefs. This study uses published datasets to test this hypothesis in the Northern Great Barrier Reef (NGBR) province. It is estimated that Halimeda bioherms on the outer shelf of the NGBR contain at least as much (and up to four times more) CaCO3 sediment as the adjacent ribbon reef facies. Globally, if these findings are even only partially applicable, the contribution of shallow water carbonate sediments to the global carbon budget based on coral reefs alone is currently substantially underestimated.
Halimeda bioherms - Holocene - Calcium carbonate budget
0722-4028
177-188
Rees, S.A.
191f2872-7427-4d95-a339-95284fb4b75b
Opdyke, B.N.
f6f156b3-114a-41ec-b72d-1cbe1ae424d1
Wilson, P.A.
f940a9f0-fa5a-4a64-9061-f0794bfbf7c6
Henstock, T.J.
27c450a4-3e6b-41f8-97f9-4e0e181400bb
Rees, S.A.
191f2872-7427-4d95-a339-95284fb4b75b
Opdyke, B.N.
f6f156b3-114a-41ec-b72d-1cbe1ae424d1
Wilson, P.A.
f940a9f0-fa5a-4a64-9061-f0794bfbf7c6
Henstock, T.J.
27c450a4-3e6b-41f8-97f9-4e0e181400bb

Rees, S.A., Opdyke, B.N., Wilson, P.A. and Henstock, T.J. (2007) Significance of Halimeda bioherms to the global carbonate budget based on a geological sediment budget for the Northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Coral Reefs, 26 (1), 177-188. (doi:10.1007/s00338-006-0166-x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Since the correlation between carbon dioxide (CO2) levels and global temperatures was established in the ice core records, quantifying the components of the global carbon cycle has become a priority with a view to constraining models of the climate system. The marine carbonate budget is still not adequately constrained and the quantitative significance of the calcareous green alga Halimeda still remains particularly poorly understood. Previously, it has been suggested that Halimeda bioherms on the shelf of the Great Barrier Reef may contain a volume of carbonate equal to or greater than that contained within the shelf edge coral reefs. This study uses published datasets to test this hypothesis in the Northern Great Barrier Reef (NGBR) province. It is estimated that Halimeda bioherms on the outer shelf of the NGBR contain at least as much (and up to four times more) CaCO3 sediment as the adjacent ribbon reef facies. Globally, if these findings are even only partially applicable, the contribution of shallow water carbonate sediments to the global carbon budget based on coral reefs alone is currently substantially underestimated.

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More information

Published date: March 2007
Keywords: Halimeda bioherms - Holocene - Calcium carbonate budget

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 49851
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/49851
ISSN: 0722-4028
PURE UUID: 0e10e7a8-aa9a-4c55-834c-805f9fcd45f2
ORCID for P.A. Wilson: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-6425-8906
ORCID for T.J. Henstock: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2132-2514

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 05 Dec 2007
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:13

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Contributors

Author: S.A. Rees
Author: B.N. Opdyke
Author: P.A. Wilson ORCID iD
Author: T.J. Henstock ORCID iD

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