Uptake of atmospheric CO2 is the dominant driver of ocean acidification (OA) in the open ocean, which is lowering the pH of seawater at an unprecedented rate. However, multiple processes can influence the CO2 of coral reef ecosystems on diel and seasonal timescales, potentially masking or intensifying any effects of increasing atmospheric CO2. Therefore, it is important to quantify any biogeochemical drivers of CO2 variability in coral reefs that could act as feedbacks to OA. This thesis focuses on how permeable sediment metabolism and submarine groundwater discharge affect the carbonate system of coral reefs and, subsequently, the dissolution of sediments.
Cyronak T., 2014. The changing carbonate chemistry of coral reefs : ocean acidification, submarine groundwater discharge, and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) sediment dissolution. PhD thesis, Southern Cross University, 233 pp. Thesis.
