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