Historical Trends in pH and Carbonate Biogeochemistry on the Belize Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System

A complex, non-linear relationship between seawater pH and coral calcification emerges from a 90-year reconstruction of biogeochemical trends on the Belize Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. Using paired boron (δ¹¹B) and carbon (δ¹³C) isotope measurements from the coral Siderastrea siderea, researchers parsed historical pH shifts into net ecosystem productivity and calcification changes, revealing that coral reef responses to acidification are more nuanced than previously assumed. This study highlights the potential of coupled isotopic analyses to unravel past biogeochemical dynamics in reef ecosystems, offering critical insights for predicting future coral health under anthropogenic stressors.

Fowell, S. E., Foster, G. L., Ries, J. B., Castillo, K. D., de la Vega, E., Tyrrell, T., Donald, H. K., & Chalk, T. B. (2018). Historical Trends in pH and Carbonate Biogeochemistry on the Belize Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. Geophysical Research Letters, 45(7), 3228–3237. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017gl076496