Anthropogenic pressures are restructuring coral reefs globally. Sound predictions of the expected changes in key reef functions require adequate knowledge of their drivers. Here we investigate the determinants of a poorly-studied yet relevant biogeochemical function sustained by marine bony fishes: the excretion of intestinal carbonates. Compiling carbonate excretion rates and mineralogical composition from 382 individual coral reef fishes (85 species and 35 families), we identify the environmental factors and fish traits that predict them. We find that body mass and relative intestinal length (RIL) are the strongest predictors of carbonate excretion. Larger fishes and those with longer intestines excrete disproportionately less carbonate per unit mass than smaller fishes and those with shorter intestines. The mineralogical composition of excreted carbonates is highly conserved within families, but also controlled by RIL and temperature. These results fundamentally advance our understanding of the role of fishes in inorganic carbon cycling and how this contribution will change as community composition shifts under increasing anthropogenic pressures.
Ghilardi M., Salter M.A., Parravicini V., Ferse S., Rixen T., Wild C., Birkicht M., Perry C.T., Berry A., Wilson R.W., Mouillot D. and Bejarano S. (2023) Temperature, species identity and morphological traits predict carbonate excretion and mineralogy in tropical reef fishes. Nature Communications 14: 985. 10.1038/s41467-023-36617-7
@article{Ghilardi2023,
Title = {Temperature, species identity and morphological traits predict carbonate excretion and mineralogy in tropical reef fishes},
Author = {Ghilardi, Mattia and Salter, Michael A. and Parravicini, Valeriano and Ferse, Sebastian and Rixen, Tim and Wild, Christian and Birkicht, Matthias and Perry, Chris T. and Berry, Alex and Wilson, Rod W. and Mouillot, David and Bejarano, Sonia},
Editor = {},
Journal = {Nature Communications},
Year = {2023},
Pages = {985},
Volume = {14},
Doi = {10.1038/s41467-023-36617-7},
Abstract = {Anthropogenic pressures are restructuring coral reefs globally. Sound predictions of the expected changes in key reef functions require adequate knowledge of their drivers. Here we investigate the determinants of a poorly-studied yet relevant biogeochemical function sustained by marine bony fishes: the excretion of intestinal carbonates. Compiling carbonate excretion rates and mineralogical composition from 382 individual coral reef fishes (85 species and 35 families), we identify the environmental factors and fish traits that predict them. We find that body mass and relative intestinal length (RIL) are the strongest predictors of carbonate excretion. Larger fishes and those with longer intestines excrete disproportionately less carbonate per unit mass than smaller fishes and those with shorter intestines. The mineralogical composition of excreted carbonates is highly conserved within families, but also controlled by RIL and temperature. These results fundamentally advance our understanding of the role of fishes in inorganic carbon cycling and how this contribution will change as community composition shifts under increasing anthropogenic pressures.},
}
TY - JOUR
AU - Ghilardi, Mattia
AU - Salter, Michael A.
AU - Parravicini, Valeriano
AU - Ferse, Sebastian
AU - Rixen, Tim
AU - Wild, Christian
AU - Birkicht, Matthias
AU - Perry, Chris T.
AU - Berry, Alex
AU - Wilson, Rod W.
AU - Mouillot, David
AU - Bejarano, Sonia
TI - Temperature, species identity and morphological traits predict carbonate excretion and mineralogy in tropical reef fishes
T2 - Nature Communications
PY - 2023
SP - 985
VL - 14
DO - 10.1038/s41467-023-36617-7
AB - Anthropogenic pressures are restructuring coral reefs globally. Sound predictions of the expected changes in key reef functions require adequate knowledge of their drivers. Here we investigate the determinants of a poorly-studied yet relevant biogeochemical function sustained by marine bony fishes: the excretion of intestinal carbonates. Compiling carbonate excretion rates and mineralogical composition from 382 individual coral reef fishes (85 species and 35 families), we identify the environmental factors and fish traits that predict them. We find that body mass and relative intestinal length (RIL) are the strongest predictors of carbonate excretion. Larger fishes and those with longer intestines excrete disproportionately less carbonate per unit mass than smaller fishes and those with shorter intestines. The mineralogical composition of excreted carbonates is highly conserved within families, but also controlled by RIL and temperature. These results fundamentally advance our understanding of the role of fishes in inorganic carbon cycling and how this contribution will change as community composition shifts under increasing anthropogenic pressures.
ER -
