African dust and the demise of Caribbean coral reefs

被引:253
作者
Shinn, EA [1 ]
Smith, GW
Prospero, JM
Betzer, P
Hayes, ML
Garrison, V
Barber, RT
机构
[1] US Geol Survey, St Petersburg, FL 33701 USA
[2] Univ S Carolina, Aiken, SC 29801 USA
[3] Univ Miami, Cooperat Inst Marine & Atmospher Studies, Miami, FL 33149 USA
[4] Univ S Florida, Dept Marine Sci, St Petersburg, FL 33701 USA
[5] Duke Univ, Marine Lab, Beaufort, NC 28516 USA
[6] US Geol Survey, St John, NB 00831, Canada
关键词
D O I
10.1029/2000GL011599
中图分类号
P [天文学、地球科学];
学科分类号
07 ;
摘要
The vitality of Caribbean coral reefs has undergone a continual state of decline since the late 1970s, a period of time coincidental with large increases in transatlantic dust transport. It is proposed that the hundreds of millions of tons/year of soil dust that have been crossing the Atlantic during the last 25 years could be a significant contributor to coral reef decline and may be affecting other ecosystems. Benchmark events, such as near synchronous Caribbean-wide mortalities of acroporid corals and the urchin Diadema in 1983, and coral bleaching beginning in 1987, correlate with the years of maximum dust flux into the Caribbean. Besides crustal elements, in particular Fe, Si, and aluminosilicate clays, the dust can serve as a substrate for numerous species of viable spores, especially the soil fungus Aspergillus. Aspergillus sydowii, the cause of an ongoing Caribbean-wide seafan disease, has been cultured from Caribbean air samples and used to inoculate sea fans.
引用
收藏
页码:3029 / 3032
页数:4
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