Coral reefs modify their seawater carbon chemistry – case study from a barrier reef (Moorea,French Polynesia)

Changes in the carbonate chemistry of coral reef waters are driven by carbon fluxes from two sources: concentrations of CO₂ in the atmospheric and source water, and the primary production/respiration and calcification/dissolution of the benthic community. Recent model analyses have shown that, depending on the composition of the reef community, the air‐sea flux of CO₂ driven by benthic community processes can exceed that due to increases in atmospheric CO₂ (ocean acidification). We field test this model and examine the role of three key members of benthic reef communities in modifying the chemistry of the ocean source water: corals, macroalgae, and sand. Building on data from previous carbon flux studies along a reef‐flat transect in Moorea (French Polynesia), we illustrate that the drawdown of total dissolved inorganic carbon (C_T) due to photosynthesis and calcification of reef communities can exceed the draw down of total alkalinity (A_T) due to calcification of corals and calcifying algae, leading to a net increase in aragonite saturation state (Ω_a). We use the model to test how changes in atmospheric CO₂ forcing and benthic community structure affect the overall calcification rates on the reef flat. Results show that between the preindustrial period and 1992, ocean acidification caused reef flat calcification rates to decline by an estimated 15%, but loss of coral cover caused calcification rates to decline by at least three times that amount. The results also show that the upstream–downstream patterns of carbonate chemistry were affected by the spatial patterns of benthic community structure. Changes in the ratio of photosynthesis to calcification can thus partially compensate for ocean acidification, at least on shallow reef flats. With no change in benthic community structure, however, ocean acidification depressed net calcification of the reef flat consistent with findings of previous studies.     

珊瑚共生体碳代谢特征研究进展

珊瑚礁作为一种典型的海洋生态系统,具有巨大的固碳和储碳潜力。然而,目前对于珊瑚礁的净碳能力(碳释放与碳吸收)仍存在争议,主要归因于珊瑚共生体碳代谢的多样性和复杂性。珊瑚礁在生物钙化、呼吸过程中向大气释放二氧化碳(CO₂);但在生物合成和沉积过程中却可以将碳进行固定与埋藏;为此,珊瑚礁的碳源碳汇身份还有待明确。现有部分研究表明,共生体通过碳代谢可以促进珊瑚礁吸收大气中的CO₂。此外,珊瑚礁和海岸带蓝碳生态系统通常表现出很强的连通性,珊瑚共生体碳代谢能有效提高海岸带盐沼植被、海草床、海洋浮游植物等生物的碳汇功能。为了加深对珊瑚礁碳源-碳汇功能的理解,综述了珊瑚共生体的碳代谢特征,梳理了共生体中碳的关键生态过程(有机碳的迁移、无机碳的转化、两者的赋存状态),总结了细菌-虫黄藻-病毒在共生体碳代谢中的作用,评述了珊瑚礁碳源-碳汇特征及影响因子。旨在阐明珊瑚共生体碳代谢的关键过程,并基于此寻求有效的珊瑚礁碳增汇技术,形成以碳增量为主的珊瑚保护与修复技术,提升珊瑚礁在蓝碳生态系统中的贡献。     

珊瑚礁区碳循环研究进展

珊瑚礁是海洋中生产力水平最高的生态系统之一,其碳循环受到有机碳代谢(光合作用/呼吸作用)和无机碳代谢(钙化/溶解)两大代谢过程的共同作用,过程十分复杂.珊瑚礁植物的光合作用保证了有机碳的有效补充,动物摄食及微生物降解等生物过程驱动了珊瑚礁区有机碳高效循环,只有不超过7％的有机碳进入沉积物,而向大洋区水平输出的有机碳通量变化幅度较大,主要受到水动力条件的影响.珊瑚礁区碳酸盐沉积(无机碳代谢)是全球碳酸盐库的重要组成部分,年累积量达到全球CaCO3年累积量的23%～26%,是影响大气CO2浓度的重要组成;珊瑚礁是大气CO2源或汇则取决于净有机生产力与净无机生产力的比值(ROI),当ROI <0.6时,珊瑚礁区是大气CO2的源,反之,则是大气CO2的汇.     

Net uptake of atmospheric CO2 by coastal submerged aquatic vegetation

‘Blue Carbon’, which is carbon captured by marine living organisms, has recently been highlighted as a new option for climate change mitigation initiatives. In particular, coastal ecosystems have been recognized as significant carbon stocks because of their high burial rates and long‐term sequestration of carbon. However, the direct contribution of Blue Carbon to the uptake of atmospheric CO₂ through air‐sea gas exchange remains unclear. We performed in situ measurements of carbon flows, including air‐sea CO₂ fluxes, dissolved inorganic carbon changes, net ecosystem production, and carbon burial rates in the boreal (Furen), temperate (Kurihama), and subtropical (Fukido) seagrass meadows of Japan from 2010 to 2013. In particular, the air‐sea CO₂ flux was measured using three methods: the bulk formula method, the floating chamber method, and the eddy covariance method. Our empirical results show that submerged autotrophic vegetation in shallow coastal waters can be functionally a sink for atmospheric CO_2. This finding is contrary to the conventional perception that most near‐shore ecosystems are sources of atmospheric CO₂. The key factor determining whether or not coastal ecosystems directly decrease the concentration of atmospheric CO₂ may be net ecosystem production. This study thus identifies a new ecosystem function of coastal vegetated systems; they are direct sinks of atmospheric CO₂.     

Budgets of organic and inorganic carbon in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon dominated by submerged vegetation

In this article, we studied the fluxes of organic and inorganic (DIC) carbon in a coastal lagoon dominated by highly productive macrophyte meadows (Albufera des Grau, Balearic Islands). Seasonal and annual carbon budgets were performed from estimates of whole-system fluxes, and the fate of organic matter production was evaluated through a stable isotope exploration of the food web. The results showed an extremely intense cycling of DIC, with a turnover between 65 and 13 times faster than water turnover. The metabolic fluxes were the main contributors to the seasonal and annual DIC budgets, which were secondarily affected by calcite precipitation, atmospheric exchange and hydrological fluxes. The inorganic carbon dynamics was strongly determined by the seasonal cycle of the meadows. Accordingly the air?Cwater CO₂ flux shifted seasonally, and the lagoon was a sink of atmospheric CO₂ during the vegetated period and a source during the period without macrophytes. The high macrophytic production played a minor role in the lagoon food web, which apparently relied on phytoplanktonic or allochthonous organic matter. A fast decomposition of macrophytic biomass appeared to be the main destiny of the annual macrophytic production, which was only secondarily buried in the sediments.     

Coral reefs modify their seawater carbon chemistry – implications for impacts of ocean acidification

Reviews suggest that that the biogeochemical threshold for sustained coral reef growth will be reached during this century due to ocean acidification caused by increased uptake of atmospheric CO₂. Projections of ocean acidification, however, are based on air‐sea fluxes in the open ocean, and not for shallow‐water systems such as coral reefs. Like the open ocean, reef waters are subject to the chemical forcing of increasing atmospheric pCO₂. However, for reefs with long water residence times, we illustrate that benthic carbon fluxes can drive spatial variation in pH, pCO₂ and aragonite saturation state (Ω_a) that can mask the effects of ocean acidification in some downstream habitats. We use a carbon flux model for photosynthesis, respiration, calcification and dissolution coupled with Lagrangian transport to examine how key groups of calcifiers (zooxanthellate corals) and primary producers (macroalgae) on coral reefs contribute to changes in the seawater carbonate system as a function of water residence time. Analyses based on flume data showed that the carbon fluxes of corals and macroalgae drive Ω_ain opposing directions. Areas dominated by corals elevate pCO₂ and reduce Ω_a, thereby compounding ocean acidification effects in downstream habitats, whereas algal beds draw CO₂ down and elevate Ω_a, potentially offsetting ocean acidification impacts at the local scale. Simulations for two CO₂ scenarios (600 and 900 ppm CO₂) suggested that a potential shift from coral to algal abundance under ocean acidification can lead to improved conditions for calcification in downstream habitats, depending on reef size, water residence time and circulation patterns. Although the carbon fluxes of benthic reef communities cannot significantly counter changes in carbon chemistry at the scale of oceans, they provide a significant mechanism of buffering ocean acidification impacts at the scale of habitat to reef.     

Geomorphology and community structure of Middle Reef, central Great Barrier Reef, Australia: an inner-shelf turbid zone reef subject to episodic mortality events

Middle Reef is an inshore turbid zone reef located 4 km offshore from Townsville, Queensland, Australia. The reef consists of four current-aligned, interconnected reef patches that have reached sea level and formed reef flats. It is regularly exposed to high turbidity (up to 50 mg l⁻¹) generated by wave-driven sediment resuspension or by episodic flood plumes. Middle Reef has a high mean hard coral cover (>39%), relatively low mean macro-algal cover (<15%) and a coral community comprising at least 81 hard coral species. Cluster analysis differentiated six benthic communities which were mapped onto the geomorphological structure of the reef to reveal a spatially patchy community mosaic that reflects hydrodynamic and sediment redistribution processes. Coral cover data collected annually from windward slope transects since 1993 show that coral cover has increased over the last ~15 years despite a history of episodic mortality events. Although episodic mortality may be interpreted as an indication of marginality, over decadal timescales, Middle Reef has recovered rapidly following mortality events and is clearly a resilient coral reef.     

Dissolved inorganic carbon and total alkalinity of a Hawaiian fringing reef: chemical techniques for monitoring the effects of ocean acidification on coral reefs

There is an interest in developing approaches to “ecosystem-based” management for coral reefs. One aspect of ecosystem performance is to monitor carbon metabolism of whole communities. In an effort to explore robust techniques to monitor the metabolism of fringing reefs, especially considering the possible effects of ocean acidification, a yearlong study of the carbonate chemistry of a nearshore fringing reef in Hawaii was conducted. Diurnal changes in seawater carbonate chemistry were measured once a week in an algal-dominated and a coral-dominated reef flat on the Waimanalo fringing reef, Hawaii, from April of 2010 until May of 2011. Calculated rates of gross primary production (GPP) and net community calcification (G) were similar to previous estimates of community metabolism for other coral reefs (GPP 971 mmol C m^?2 d^?1; G 186 mmol CaCO₃ m^?2 d^?1) and indicated that this reef was balanced in terms of organic metabolism, exhibited net calcification, and was a net source of CO₂ to the atmosphere. Average slopes of total alkalinity versus dissolved inorganic carbon (TA–DIC slope) for the coral-dominated reef flat exhibited a greater calcification-to-net photosynthesis ratio than for the algal-dominated reef flat (coral slope vs. algal slope). Over the course of the time series, TA–DIC slopes remained significantly different between sites and were not correlated with diurnal averages in reef-water residence time or solar irradiance. These characteristic slopes for each reef flat reflect the relationship between carbon and carbonate community metabolism and can be used as a tool to monitor ecosystem function in response to ocean acidification.     

Urea is a dynamic pool of bioavailable nitrogen in coral reefs

Urea may be an important source of nitrogen in low nutrient coral reef environments because corals and other organisms can assimilate it easily and it is found throughout ocean waters. We measured the distribution and concentrations of urea in seagrass beds, areas of schooling fish, coral formations and bottom sediments in the Upper Florida Keys Reef Tract. The flux of urea from bottom sediments was also measured. Ambient concentrations of urea in the offshore reefs were similar to the concentrations of nitrate and ammonium. Seagrass beds, areas of schooling fish and coral formations had elevated concentrations of urea that were up to eight times higher than nitrate in the system. Numerous ephemeral hotspots of urea that were 8–20 times the ambient urea concentration existed in seagrass beds, areas of schooling fish, and above sediments. Coastal areas and inland canals had high urea concentrations where urban runoff and septic effluents were prevalent, but there was no anthropogenic influence in the offshore habitats. Urea concentrations above bottom sediments were not different from ambient concentrations and benthic flux chamber incubations showed biological activity in carbonaceous sediments but no net urea production. The decrease in urea concentrations from coasts and inland waterways to a consistent ambient concentration in the offshore reef system and ephemeral hotspots of high urea concentration suggest that urea is a dynamic pool of bioavailable nitrogen in the reefs of the Upper Florida Keys.     

Effect of eutrophication on air–sea CO2 fluxes in the coastal Southern North Sea: a model study of the past 50 years

The RIVERSTRAHLER model, an idealized biogeochemical model of the river system, has been coupled to MIRO‐CO₂, a complex biogeochemical model describing diatom and Phaeocystis blooms and carbon and nutrient cycles in the marine domain, to assess the dual role of changing nutrient loads and increasing atmospheric CO₂ as drivers of air–sea CO₂ exchanges in the Southern North Sea with a focus on the Belgian coastal zone (BCZ). The whole area, submitted to the influence of two main rivers (Seine and Scheldt), is characterized by variable diatom and Phaeocystis colonies blooms which impact on the trophic status and air–sea CO₂ fluxes of the coastal ecosystem. For this application, the MIRO‐CO₂ model is implemented in a 0D multibox frame covering the eutrophied Eastern English Channel and Southern North Sea and receiving loads from the rivers Seine and Scheldt. Model simulations are performed for the period between 1951 and 1998 using real forcing fields for sea surface temperature, wind speed and atmospheric CO₂ and RIVERSTRAHLER simulations for river carbon and nutrient loads. Model results suggest that the BCZ shifted from a source of CO₂ before 1970 (low eutrophication) towards a sink during the 1970–1990 period when anthropogenic DIN and P loads increased, stimulating C fixation by autotrophs. In agreement, a shift from net annual heterotrophy towards autotrophy in BCZ is simulated from 1980. The period after 1990 is characterized by a progressive decrease of P loads concomitant with a decrease of primary production and of the CO₂ sink in the BCZ. At the end of the simulation period, the BCZ ecosystem is again net heterotroph and acts as a source of CO₂ to the atmosphere. R‐MIRO‐CO₂ scenarios testing the relative impact of temperature, wind speed, atmospheric CO₂ and river loads variability on the simulated air–sea CO₂ fluxes suggest that the trend in air–sea CO₂ fluxes simulated between 1951 and 1998 in the BCZ was mainly controlled by the magnitude and the ratio of inorganic nutrient river loads. Quantitative nutrient changes control the level of primary production while qualitative changes modulate the relative contribution of diatoms and Phaeocystis to this flux and hence the sequestration of atmospheric CO₂.     

Coral reef calcification: carbonate,bicarbonate and proton flux under conditions of increasing ocean acidification

Data on calcification rate of coral and crustose coralline algae were used to test the proton flux model of calcification. There was a significant correlation between calcification (G) and the ratio of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) to proton concentration ([DIC] : [H⁺] ratio). The ratio is tightly correlated with [CO₃²⁻] and with aragonite saturation state (Ω_a). An argument is presented that correlation does not prove cause and effect, and that Ω_a and [CO₃²⁻] have no basic physiological meaning on coral reefs other than a correlation with [DIC] : [H⁺] ratio, which is the driver of G.     

Effects of High Dissolved Inorganic and Organic Carbon Availability on the Physiology of the Hard Coral Acropora millepora from the Great Barrier Reef

Coral reefs are facing major global and local threats due to climate change-induced increases in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and because of land-derived increases in organic and inorganic nutrients. Recent research revealed that high availability of labile dissolved organic carbon (DOC) negatively affects scleractinian corals. Studies on the interplay of these factors, however, are lacking, but urgently needed to understand coral reef functioning under present and near future conditions. This experimental study investigated the individual and combined effects of ambient and high DIC (pCO₂ 403 μatm/ pH_Total 8.2 and 996 μatm/pH_Total 7.8) and DOC (added as Glucose 0 and 294 μmol L^-1, background DOC concentration of 83 μmol L^-1) availability on the physiology (net and gross photosynthesis, respiration, dark and light calcification, and growth) of the scleractinian coral Acropora millepora (Ehrenberg, 1834) from the Great Barrier Reef over a 16 day interval. High DIC availability did not affect photosynthesis, respiration and light calcification, but significantly reduced dark calcification and growth by 50 and 23%, respectively. High DOC availability reduced net and gross photosynthesis by 51% and 39%, respectively, but did not affect respiration. DOC addition did not influence calcification, but significantly increased growth by 42%. Combination of high DIC and high DOC availability did not affect photosynthesis, light calcification, respiration or growth, but significantly decreased dark calcification when compared to both controls and DIC treatments. On the ecosystem level, high DIC concentrations may lead to reduced accretion and growth of reefs dominated by Acropora that under elevated DOC concentrations will likely exhibit reduced primary production rates, ultimately leading to loss of hard substrate and reef erosion. It is therefore important to consider the potential impacts of elevated DOC and DIC simultaneously to assess real world scenarios, as multiple rather than single factors influence key physiological processes in coral reefs.     

Nutrient availability affects the response of the calcifying chlorophyte Halimeda opuntia (L.) J.V. Lamouroux to low pH

Atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions cause a decrease in the pH and aragonite saturation state of surface ocean water. As a result, calcifying organisms are expected to suffer under future ocean conditions, but their physiological responses may depend on their nutrient status. Because many coral reefs experience high inorganic nutrient loads or seasonal changes in nutrient availability, reef organisms in localized areas will have to cope with elevated carbon dioxide and changes in inorganic nutrients. Halimeda opuntia is a dominant calcifying primary producer on coral reefs that contributes to coral reef accretion. Therefore, we investigated the carbon and nutrient balance of H. opuntia exposed to elevated carbon dioxide and inorganic nutrients. We measured tissue nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon content as well as the activity of enzymes involved in inorganic carbon uptake and nitrogen assimilation (external carbonic anhydrase and nitrate reductase, respectively). Inorganic carbon content was lower in algae exposed to high CO₂, but calcification rates were not significantly affected by CO₂ or inorganic nutrients. Organic carbon was positively correlated to external carbonic anhydrase activity, while inorganic carbon showed the opposite correlation. Carbon dioxide had a significant effect on tissue nitrogen and organic carbon content, while inorganic nutrients affected tissue phosphorus and N:P ratios. Nitrate reductase activity was highest in algae grown under elevated CO₂ and inorganic nutrient conditions and lowest when phosphate was limiting. In general, we found that enzymatic responses were strongly influenced by nutrient availability, indicating its important role in dictating the local responses of the calcifying primary producer H. opuntia to ocean acidification.     

Habitat-dependent growth in a Caribbean sea urchin <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tripneustes ventricosus</Emphasis>: the importance of food type

The sea urchin Tripneustes ventricosus is a common, yet relatively poorly known, grazer of seagrass beds and coral reefs throughout the Caribbean. We compared the size and abundance of urchins between adjacent seagrass and coral reef habitats (where macroalgae are the dominant primary producers). We also conducted a laboratory experiment comparing the growth rate of juvenile urchins fed a diet of either macroalgae or seagrass. Reef urchins had significantly larger test diameter than those in the seagrass on some sampling dates. This size difference may be at least partially explained by diet, because laboratory-reared urchins fed macroalgae grew significantly faster than those fed seagrass. The seagrass population, however, was stable over time, whereas the reef population exhibited strong fluctuations in abundance. Overall, our study indicates that both the seagrass and coral reef habitats are capable of supporting healthy, reproductive populations of T. ventricosus. Each, however, appears to offer a distinct advantage: faster growth on the reef and greater population stability in the seagrass.     

Fluvial transport of carbon along the river-to-ocean continuum and its potential impacts on a brackish water food web in the Iwaki River watershed, northern Japan

Riverine transport of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) from land to the ocean is an important carbon flux that influences the carbon budget at the watershed scale. However, the dynamics of DIC in an entire river network has remained unknown, especially in mountainous Japanese watersheds. We examined the effects of watershed land use and geology on the transports of inorganic carbon as well as weathered silica (Si) and calcium (Ca) in the Iwaki River system where agricultural and residential areas have developed in the middle and lower parts of the watershed. The concentration and stable carbon isotope ratios (δ¹³C) of DIC showed the longitudinal increase of ¹³C-depleted inorganic carbon along the river. As a result, most streams and rivers were supersaturated in dissolved CO₂ that will eventually be emitted to the atmosphere. The possible origin of ¹³C-depleted carbon is CO₂ derived from the decomposition of organic matter in agricultural and urban landscapes, as well as from in-stream respiration. In addition, agricultural and urban areas, respectively, exported the large amount of dissolved Si and Ca to the rivers, suggesting that CO₂ increased by respiration accelerates the chemical weathering of silicate and carbonate materials in soils, river sediments, and/or urban infrastructure. Furthermore, riverine bicarbonate flux is likely to enter shell carbonates of Corbicula japonica, an aragonitic bivalve, in the downstream brackish lake (Lake Jusan). These results revealed that the flux of DIC from the human-dominated watersheds is a key to understanding the carbon dynamics and food-web structure along the land-to-river-to-ocean continuum.     

Coral reefs: sources or sinks of atmospheric CO2?

Because the precipitation of calcium carbonate results in the sequestering of carbon, it frequently has been thought that coral reefs functions as sinks of global atmospheric CO₂. However, the precipitation of calcium carbonate is accompanied by a shift of pH that results in the release of CO₂. This release of CO₂ is less in buffered sea water than fresh water systems; nevertheless, coral reefs are sources, not sinks, of atmospheric carbon. Using estimated rates of coral reef carbonate production, we compute that coral reefs release 0.02 to 0.08 Gt C as CO₂ annually. This is approximately 0.4% to 1.4% of the current anthropogenic CO₂ production due to fossil fuel combustion.     

Carbon flux between an estuary and the ocean: a case for outwelling

The classical outwelling hypothesis states that small coastal embayments (e.g. estuaries, wetlands) export their excess production to inshore marine waters. In line with this notion, the present study tested whether the Swartkops estuary acts as source or sink for carbon. To this end, concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) were determined hourly during the first monthly spring and neap tides over one year in the tidal waters entering and leaving the estuary. Each sampling session spanned a full tidal cycle, yielding a total of 936 concentration estimates. Carbon fluxes were calculated by integrating concentrations with water flow rates derived from a hydrodynamic model calibrated for each sampling datum. Over the year, exports to marine waters markedly exceeded imports to the estuary for all carbon species: on the basis of total spring tidal drainage area, 1083 g m^–2 of DIC, 103 g m^–2 of DOC, and 123 g m^–2 of POC left the estuary annually. Total carbon export from the estuary to the ocean amounted to 4755 tonnes, of which 83% was in the inorganic form (DIC). Thus, the bulk of carbon moving in the water column is inorganic - yet, DIC seems to be measured only rarely in most flux studies of this nature. Salt marshes cover extensive areas in this estuary and produce some carbon, particularly DOC, but productivity of the local Spartina species is low (P:B=1.1). Consequently, the bulk of carbon exported from the estuary appears to originate from the highly productive macroinvertebrate and the phytoplankton component and not from the salt marsh plants.     

Photosynthetic response to globally increasing CO2 of co‐occurring temperate seagrass species

Photosynthesis of most seagrass species seems to be limited by present concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). Therefore, the ongoing increase in atmospheric CO₂ could enhance seagrass photosynthesis and internal O₂ supply, and potentially change species competition through differential responses to increasing CO₂ availability among species. We used short‐term photosynthetic responses of nine seagrass species from the south‐west of Australia to test species‐specific responses to enhanced CO₂ and changes in HCO₃^?. Net photosynthesis of all species except Zostera polychlamys were limited at pre‐industrial compared to saturating CO₂ levels at light saturation, suggesting that enhanced CO₂ availability will enhance seagrass performance. Seven out of the nine species were efficient HCO₃^? users through acidification of diffusive boundary layers, production of extracellular carbonic anhydrase, or uptake and internal conversion of HCO₃^?. Species responded differently to near saturating CO₂ implying that increasing atmospheric CO₂ may change competition among seagrass species if co‐occurring in mixed beds. Increasing CO₂ availability also enhanced internal aeration in the one species assessed. We expect that future increases in atmospheric CO₂ will have the strongest impact on seagrass recruits and sparsely vegetated beds, because densely vegetated seagrass beds are most often limited by light and not by inorganic carbon.     

The Net Landscape Carbon Balance—Integrating terrestrial and aquatic carbon fluxes in a managed boreal forest landscape in Sweden

The boreal biome exchanges large amounts of carbon (C) and greenhouse gases (GHGs) with the atmosphere and thus significantly affects the global climate. A managed boreal landscape consists of various sinks and sources of carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and dissolved organic and inorganic carbon (DOC and DIC) across forests, mires, lakes, and streams. Due to the spatial heterogeneity, large uncertainties exist regarding the net landscape carbon balance (NLCB). In this study, we compiled terrestrial and aquatic fluxes of CO₂, CH₄, DOC, DIC, and harvested C obtained from tall‐tower eddy covariance measurements, stream monitoring, and remote sensing of biomass stocks for an entire boreal catchment (~68 km²) in Sweden to estimate the NLCB across the land–water–atmosphere continuum. Our results showed that this managed boreal forest landscape was a net C sink (NLCB = 39 g C m^?2 year^?1) with the landscape–atmosphere CO₂ exchange being the dominant component, followed by the C export via harvest and streams. Accounting for the global warming potential of CH₄, the landscape was a GHG sink of 237 g CO₂‐eq m^?2 year^?1, thus providing a climate‐cooling effect. The CH₄ flux contribution to the annual GHG budget increased from 0.6% during spring to 3.2% during winter. The aquatic C loss was most significant during spring contributing 8% to the annual NLCB. We further found that abiotic controls (e.g., air temperature and incoming radiation) regulated the temporal variability of the NLCB whereas land cover types (e.g., mire vs. forest) and management practices (e.g., clear‐cutting) determined their spatial variability. Our study advocates the need for integrating terrestrial and aquatic fluxes at the landscape scale based on tall‐tower eddy covariance measurements combined with biomass stock and stream monitoring to develop a holistic understanding of the NLCB of managed boreal forest landscapes and to better evaluate their potential for mitigating climate change.     

Formalising a mechanistic linkage between heterotrophic feeding and thermal bleaching resistance

In this paper, I utilise the CO₂ (sink) limitation model of coral bleaching to propose a new biochemical framework that explains how certain (well-adapted) coral species can utilise heterotrophic carbon acquisition to combat the damaging algal photoinhibition response sequence that underpins thermal bleaching, thereby increasing thermal bleaching resistance. This mechanistic linkage helps to clarify a number of previously challenging experimental responses arising from feeding (versus starved) temperature stress experiments, and isotope labelling (tracer) experiments with heterotrophic carbon sources (e.g., zooplankton). In an era of rapidly warming surface ocean temperatures, the conferred fitness benefits arising from such a mechanistic linkage are considerable. Yet, various ecological constraints are outlined which caution against the ultimate benefit of the mechanism for raising bleaching thresholds at the coral community (reef) scale. Future experiments are suggested that can strengthen these proposed arguments.