Publication:
Dynamics of seawater carbonate chemistry in a tropical coastal coral reef environment

dc.contributor.advisor Corredor, Jorge E.
dc.contributor.author Meléndez-Oyola, Melissa
dc.contributor.college College of Arts and Sciences - Sciences en_US
dc.contributor.committee Morell, Julio M.
dc.contributor.committee Ramirez, Wilson
dc.contributor.committee Kubaryk, John
dc.contributor.department Department of Marine Sciences en_US
dc.contributor.representative Grove, Kurt
dc.date.accessioned 2018-06-06T16:32:35Z
dc.date.available 2018-06-06T16:32:35Z
dc.date.issued 2013
dc.description.abstract Diverse forcing such as biogenic and abiogenic calcification, carbonate sediment dissolution or precipitation, and climate-related processes modulate seawater carbonate equilibrium and Ca2+ and Mg2+ proportions in near coastal coral reef environments. To this end, we characterized seasonal and inter-annual carbonate dynamics from 2009 to 2012 in the coral reef ecosystem of La Parguera, Puerto Rico. Additionally, we implemented a method for the quantification of seawater Ca2+ and Mg2+ concentrations using High Performance Chelation Ion Chromatography. The new method, as implemented, achieves a precision of 2 %. Although we have not yet achieved the chromatographic precision required for seawater calcification applications, the method was applied to marine sediment porewaters where acid dissolution results in excess Ca2+ and Mg2+ concentrations. Carbonate saturation state at the reef showed seasonal depressions. Differential total inorganic carbon and total alkalinity indicate that calcification and photosynthesis are thus the major processes controlling carbonate chemistry at Enrique reef. en_US
dc.description.abstract Diversos procesos tales como la calcificación, disolución o precipitación en los sedimentos marinos y procesos climáticos relacionados, modulan el equilibrio en la química de carbonatos y las proporciones de Ca2+/ Mg2+ en los ambientes de arrecife costeros. Se caracterizó la dinámica de carbonatos estacional e interanual desde el 2009 al 2012 en el ecosistema de arrecifes de coral en La Parguera, Puerto Rico. Además, se implementó un método para la cuantificación de las concentraciones de Ca2+/ Mg2+ en agua de mar utilizando cromatografía de quelación iónica de alta eficacia. El método se aplicó utilizando agua intersticial de sedimentos marinos en donde la disolución resulta en un exceso de Ca2+/ Mg2+. Se observaron disminuciones estacionales en el estado de saturación de carbonato. Cambios en carbono inorgánico total y alcalinidad total indican que la calcificación y la fotosíntesis son los principales procesos que controlan la química de carbonato de Cayo Enrique. en_US
dc.description.graduationSemester Fall en_US
dc.description.graduationYear 2013 en_US
dc.description.sponsorship Australian Centre for Research on Separation Science (ACROSS); NOAA IOOS Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing System (CariCOOS); NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP); Sea Grant Puerto Rico; ExonMobil; Department of Marine Science (DMS) UPR-M; University of Tasmania (UTAS), Australia; Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL); Atlantic Oceanography and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML); NOAA's Coral Health and Monitoring Program; Ocean Acidification Project en_US
dc.identifier.uri https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11801/725
dc.language.iso en en_US
dc.rights.holder (c) 2013 Melissa Meléndez Oyola en_US
dc.rights.license All rights reserved en_US
dc.subject La Parguera Natural Reserve (P.R.) en_US
dc.subject Coral reef ecology--Puerto Rico en_US
dc.subject Coral reef--Carbonate content--Puerto Rico en_US
dc.subject Chelation ion chromatography en_US
dc.subject.lcsh Pore water--Puerto Rico--Lajas en_US
dc.subject.lcsh Climatic changes--Effect of human beings on--Puerto Rico--Lajas en_US
dc.subject.lcsh Chemical oceanography--Puerto Rico--Lajas en_US
dc.title Dynamics of seawater carbonate chemistry in a tropical coastal coral reef environment en_US
dc.type Thesis en_US
dspace.entity.type Publication
thesis.degree.discipline Marine Sciences en_US
thesis.degree.level M.S. en_US
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