“Pink power”—the importance of coralline algal beds in the oceanic carbon cycle

Abstract Current evidence suggests that macroalgal-dominated habitats are important contributors to the oceanic carbon cycle, though the role of those formed by calcifiers remains controversial. Globally distributed coralline algal beds, built by pink coloured rhodoliths and maerl, cover extensive c...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Nadine Schubert, Fernando Tuya, Viviana Peña, Paulo A. Horta, Vinícius W. Salazar, Pedro Neves, Cláudia Ribeiro, Francisco Otero-Ferrer, Fernando Espino, Kathryn Schoenrock, Federica Ragazzola, Irene Olivé, Thalassia Giaccone, Matteo Nannini, M. Cristina Mangano, Gianluca Sará, Francesco Paolo Mancuso, Mario Francesco Tantillo, Mar Bosch-Belmar, Sophie Martin, Line Le Gall, Rui Santos, João Silva
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-09-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52697-5
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850217105840930816
author Nadine Schubert
Fernando Tuya
Viviana Peña
Paulo A. Horta
Vinícius W. Salazar
Pedro Neves
Cláudia Ribeiro
Francisco Otero-Ferrer
Fernando Espino
Kathryn Schoenrock
Federica Ragazzola
Irene Olivé
Thalassia Giaccone
Matteo Nannini
M. Cristina Mangano
Gianluca Sará
Francesco Paolo Mancuso
Mario Francesco Tantillo
Mar Bosch-Belmar
Sophie Martin
Line Le Gall
Rui Santos
João Silva
author_facet Nadine Schubert
Fernando Tuya
Viviana Peña
Paulo A. Horta
Vinícius W. Salazar
Pedro Neves
Cláudia Ribeiro
Francisco Otero-Ferrer
Fernando Espino
Kathryn Schoenrock
Federica Ragazzola
Irene Olivé
Thalassia Giaccone
Matteo Nannini
M. Cristina Mangano
Gianluca Sará
Francesco Paolo Mancuso
Mario Francesco Tantillo
Mar Bosch-Belmar
Sophie Martin
Line Le Gall
Rui Santos
João Silva
author_sort Nadine Schubert
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Current evidence suggests that macroalgal-dominated habitats are important contributors to the oceanic carbon cycle, though the role of those formed by calcifiers remains controversial. Globally distributed coralline algal beds, built by pink coloured rhodoliths and maerl, cover extensive coastal shelf areas of the planet, but scarce information on their productivity, net carbon flux dynamics and carbonate deposits hampers assessing their contribution to the overall oceanic carbon cycle. Here, our data, covering large bathymetrical (2–51 m) and geographical ranges (53°N–27°S), show that coralline algal beds are highly productive habitats that can express substantial carbon uptake rates (28–1347 g C m−2), which vary in function of light availability and species composition and exceed reported estimates for other major macroalgal habitats. This high productivity, together with their substantial carbonate deposits (0.4–38 kilotons), renders coralline algal beds as highly relevant contributors to the present and future oceanic carbon cycle.
format Article
id doaj-art-0cd429097e594d43be4bbcb4c8291d08
institution OA Journals
issn 2041-1723
language English
publishDate 2024-09-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-0cd429097e594d43be4bbcb4c8291d082025-08-20T02:08:09ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232024-09-0115111310.1038/s41467-024-52697-5“Pink power”—the importance of coralline algal beds in the oceanic carbon cycleNadine Schubert0Fernando Tuya1Viviana Peña2Paulo A. Horta3Vinícius W. Salazar4Pedro Neves5Cláudia Ribeiro6Francisco Otero-Ferrer7Fernando Espino8Kathryn Schoenrock9Federica Ragazzola10Irene Olivé11Thalassia Giaccone12Matteo Nannini13M. Cristina Mangano14Gianluca Sará15Francesco Paolo Mancuso16Mario Francesco Tantillo17Mar Bosch-Belmar18Sophie Martin19Line Le Gall20Rui Santos21João Silva22Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR/CIMAR LA), Campus de Gambelas, Universidade do AlgarveGrupo en Biodiversidad y Conservación (IU-ECOAQUA), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran CanariaBioCost Research Group, Departamento de Bioloxía, Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade da CoruñaLaboratório de Ficologia, Departamento de Botânica, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa CatarinaLaboratório de Ficologia, Departamento de Botânica, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa CatarinaCentre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR/CIMAR LA), Campus de Gambelas, Universidade do AlgarveCentre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR/CIMAR LA), Campus de Gambelas, Universidade do AlgarveGrupo en Biodiversidad y Conservación (IU-ECOAQUA), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran CanariaGrupo en Biodiversidad y Conservación (IU-ECOAQUA), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran CanariaDepartment of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, The Ryan Institute for Environmental, Marine and Energy Research, University of GalwayDepartment of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Genoa Marine CentreDepartment of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton DohrnNBFC, National Biodiversity Future CenterDepartment of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Genoa Marine CentreNBFC, National Biodiversity Future CenterNBFC, National Biodiversity Future CenterNBFC, National Biodiversity Future CenterLaboratory of Ecology, Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, DiSTeM, University of PalermoNBFC, National Biodiversity Future CenterUMR 7144 Adaptation et Diversité en Milieu Marin, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Station Biologique de RoscoffInstitut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des AntillesCentre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR/CIMAR LA), Campus de Gambelas, Universidade do AlgarveCentre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR/CIMAR LA), Campus de Gambelas, Universidade do AlgarveAbstract Current evidence suggests that macroalgal-dominated habitats are important contributors to the oceanic carbon cycle, though the role of those formed by calcifiers remains controversial. Globally distributed coralline algal beds, built by pink coloured rhodoliths and maerl, cover extensive coastal shelf areas of the planet, but scarce information on their productivity, net carbon flux dynamics and carbonate deposits hampers assessing their contribution to the overall oceanic carbon cycle. Here, our data, covering large bathymetrical (2–51 m) and geographical ranges (53°N–27°S), show that coralline algal beds are highly productive habitats that can express substantial carbon uptake rates (28–1347 g C m−2), which vary in function of light availability and species composition and exceed reported estimates for other major macroalgal habitats. This high productivity, together with their substantial carbonate deposits (0.4–38 kilotons), renders coralline algal beds as highly relevant contributors to the present and future oceanic carbon cycle.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52697-5
spellingShingle Nadine Schubert
Fernando Tuya
Viviana Peña
Paulo A. Horta
Vinícius W. Salazar
Pedro Neves
Cláudia Ribeiro
Francisco Otero-Ferrer
Fernando Espino
Kathryn Schoenrock
Federica Ragazzola
Irene Olivé
Thalassia Giaccone
Matteo Nannini
M. Cristina Mangano
Gianluca Sará
Francesco Paolo Mancuso
Mario Francesco Tantillo
Mar Bosch-Belmar
Sophie Martin
Line Le Gall
Rui Santos
João Silva
“Pink power”—the importance of coralline algal beds in the oceanic carbon cycle
Nature Communications
title “Pink power”—the importance of coralline algal beds in the oceanic carbon cycle
title_full “Pink power”—the importance of coralline algal beds in the oceanic carbon cycle
title_fullStr “Pink power”—the importance of coralline algal beds in the oceanic carbon cycle
title_full_unstemmed “Pink power”—the importance of coralline algal beds in the oceanic carbon cycle
title_short “Pink power”—the importance of coralline algal beds in the oceanic carbon cycle
title_sort pink power the importance of coralline algal beds in the oceanic carbon cycle
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52697-5
work_keys_str_mv AT nadineschubert pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle
AT fernandotuya pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle
AT vivianapena pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle
AT pauloahorta pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle
AT viniciuswsalazar pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle
AT pedroneves pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle
AT claudiaribeiro pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle
AT franciscooteroferrer pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle
AT fernandoespino pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle
AT kathrynschoenrock pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle
AT federicaragazzola pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle
AT ireneolive pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle
AT thalassiagiaccone pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle
AT matteonannini pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle
AT mcristinamangano pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle
AT gianlucasara pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle
AT francescopaolomancuso pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle
AT mariofrancescotantillo pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle
AT marboschbelmar pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle
AT sophiemartin pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle
AT linelegall pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle
AT ruisantos pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle
AT joaosilva pinkpowertheimportanceofcorallinealgalbedsintheoceaniccarboncycle