Dolomite Found to be Key Coralline Building Element

Australian National University researchers have discovered ocean reefs are stronger than we once thought. Coralline algae acts as a bonding agent on reefs holding colonies together and creating shelves that protect more fragile species from the violent crashing of waves. The mineral structure of coralline was studied and published in Nature Climate Change and coauthored by a researcher at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. “A coral reef is like a house-the coral are the bricks, but the coralline algae are the cement that holds it all together,” explains Merinda Nash, lead author and Ph.D. candidate with the ANU Research School of Physics & Engineering.  Their discovery included an extra mineral in the structure of coralline, dolomite. This mineral makes the coralline less dissolvable in oceans waters that are rising in acidity.  “This newly found mechanism of ocean acidification resistance means corals of the future with healthy coralline algae can fight damage from high wave energy, tsunamis and other threats” said Davey Kline, a Scripps marine biologist and coauthor of the new paper. The basic components of a hard coral skeleton were previously thought to be simply calcium carbonate and magnesium calcite, but these findings “will help the management and preservation of coral reefs, with the data applied to protect the most vulnerable parts of the reefs.” said Kline. Read more here!