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The relationship between the concentration of heavy elements with bioerosion, macrobioeroders and skeletal density in coral reefs: A case study in Kharg and Khargo islands
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Yamin Pouryousef   , Jafar Seyfabadi * , Mohammad Reza Shokri |
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Abstract: (299 Views) |
Introduction: Coral reefs form dynamic systems caused by the alignment between reef growth and physical and biological erosion, which results in the chemical balance of ocean water, and about half of the calcium entering the seas is precipitated as calcium carbonate annually. The structure of coral reefs depends on the balance between reef growth and physical and biological erosion, which can be disrupted by environmental disturbances. The role and importance of coral reefs ecologically and economically make their research and protection necessary.
Material & Methods: In this study, the effect of some concentration of heavy elements on bioerosion, macrobioeroders and skeletal density in four dominant hard coral species (Porites harrisoni, Platygyra daedalea, Cyphastrea microphtalma, Dipsastraea pallida) was investigated. Sampling was performed in 5 replicates with similar sizes in three stations of Kharg and Khargo islands in 2021. Each sample was placed individually in a ziploc with a specific code, then transferred to the laboratory and kept in a freezer with a temperature of -20 degrees Celsius.
Results: The results showed that some elements can have a significant positive effect on bioerosion and skeletal density. The results of Spearman's correlation test between the ratio of skeletal elements and bioerosion measure in different stations and coral species showed that between the bioerosion and the abundance of burrowing bivalves and polychaetes with the ratio of elements Cu/Ca, Ba/Ca, Zn/Ca and Mg/Ca there is a significant positive correlation. On the other hand, the results of this test showed a significant positive correlation between the abundance of burrowing sponges with the ratio of Mn/Ca and Cu/Ca elements. Finally, the results of the Spearman correlation test between the ratio of skeletal elements and skeletal density in different stations and coral species showed that there is a significant negative and positive correlation between skeletal density and the ratio of Mn/Ca and Ba/Ca elements, respectively.
Conclusion: According to the present study, it can be concluded that some elements can have a significant effect on the bioerosion intensity, the abundance of macroborers and the skeletal density of hard corals, although the accurate proof of this issue requires conducting more detailed tests in a laboratory over a certain period of time. |
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| Keywords: Macrobioeroders, keletal density, Bioerosion, Coral reefs, Heavy elements |
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Full-Text [PDF 837 kb]
(98 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2026/06/1 | Accepted: 2025/08/1 | Published: 2025/08/1
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