Sea cucumbers: Dissolving coral reefs?

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Coral reefs are extremely diverse ecosystems that support enormous biodiversity. But they are at risk. Carbon dioxide emissions are acidifying the ocean, threatening reefs and other marine organisms. New research analyzed the role of sea cucumbers in portions of the Great Barrier Reef and determined that their dietary process of dissolving calcium carbonate (CaCO3) from the surrounding reef accounts for about half of at the total nighttime dissolution for the reef.

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[CJO]

Wow! This is something I never knew.

CJ

 

[nvdiz]

About half of the total night time dissolution?!?!? That's crazy!

 

[birdsnest]

The way I read that article is that cucumbers play a role in disolving the calcium carbonate bound up in the substrate with their digestive enzimes. Then the disolved carbonate minerals are released back into the water column after passing throught the digestive track. Those then can be taken back in by corals to build living skeleton. Kind of like a pooping alk/cal doser!!

 

[Joe S]

The way I read that article is that cucumbers play a role in disolving the calcium carbonate bound up in the substrate with their digestive enzimes. Then the disolved carbonate minerals are released back into the water column after passing throught the digestive track. Those then can be taken back in by corals to build living skeleton. Kind of like a pooping alk/cal doser!!

I actually think the article is saying the opposite: sea cucumbers contribute to the high rates of coral dissolution at night. Thus, it is not a good thing. It is important to note, however, that the sea cucumbers are providing other ecological services on coral reefs that may counteract their contribution to high coral dissolution, such as nutrient recycling.