Review
Geology
Jacek Raddatz, Andres Rueggeberg
Summary: Cold-water coral (CWC) reefs and mounds are biodiversity hotspots in the deep sea, and understanding their development requires insight into changing ocean conditions under ongoing climate change. Reconstructing paleoenvironments during periods of CWC mound growth is achieved through extracting geochemical proxies from biologically mediated carbonates. The focus is on calcareous archives such as cold-water Scleractinia and Foraminifera, and emphasizing the use of geochemical proxies for various environmental parameters.
DEPOSITIONAL RECORD
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Laurence Helene De Clippele, Anna-Selma van der Kaaden, Sandra Rosa Maier, Evert de Froe, J. Murray Roberts
Summary: This study utilized a novel approach to predictively map the distribution of cold-water coral carbonate mounds by combining biological, environmental, and ecosystem function data. The results showed that most of the area is covered by dead coral framework and fine sediments, with dead coral framework contributing significantly to nutrient turnover. The findings suggest that climate-induced changes, local hydrodynamical food supply, and the dissolution of coral framework could have significant implications for the survival and functioning of cold-water coral reefs.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lauren T. Toth, Travis A. Courtney, Michael A. Colella, Rob R. Ruzicka
Summary: SCTLD has had an unprecedented impact on the western Atlantic coral-reef ecosystems, causing a decline in reef-accretion potential and altering the composition of coral assemblages. The loss of reef-building corals has significantly decreased carbonate production, leading to a decline in their capacity for growth.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Ahmad Ramdani, Pankaj Khanna, Sander De Jong, Gaurav Siddharth Gairola, Sherif Hanafy, Volker Vahrenkamp
Summary: This study conducts a comprehensive three-dimensional outcrop investigation of the stromatoporoid/coral complex in the Late Jurassic Hanifa reservoir analog in Saudi Arabia. It identifies the morphology and distribution of the buildups and proposes their formation mechanism. The study also highlights the significant lateral heterogeneity of these facies, emphasizing the need to consider their subsurface implications in field development planning.
MARINE AND PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rodrigo Da Costa Portilho-Ramos, Juergen Titschack, Claudia Wienberg, Michael Georg Siccha Rojas, Yusuke Yokoyama, Dierk Hebbeln
Summary: Cold-water corals play an important role in complex ecosystems in the deep sea, and their sensitivity to environmental changes is still uncertain. Reconstructing paleoceanographic data has shown that food supply and turbulence at the seabed have the strongest influence on coral vitality, while low oxygen concentrations in the water can also be a relevant stressor. The fate of cold-water corals in a changing ocean will depend on how these oceanographic processes are modulated.
Review
Oceanography
Christian Mohn, Jorgen L. S. Hansen, Marina Carreiro-Silva, Stuart A. Cunningham, Evert de Froe, Carlos Dominguez-Carrio, Stefan Gary, Ronnie N. Glud, Cordula Goke, Clare Johnson, Telmo Morato, Eva Friis Moller, Lorenzo Rovelli, Kirstin Schulzi, Karline Soetaert, Anna van der Kaaden, Dick van Oevelen
Summary: Cold-water corals (CWCs) thrive in areas with complex and rough topography, but little is known about how basin-scale changes in the ocean climate affect their growth. In this study, high-resolution hydrodynamic models were used to investigate the impact of variations in basin-scale currents on local hydrodynamics and CWC communities. It was found that the variability of near-bottom currents and water mass properties at different AMOC states strongly influenced the CWC distribution. The kinetic energy dissipation rate was proposed as a mechanistic descriptor of CWC presence, providing insight into the hydrodynamics driving organic matter supply to these communities.
PROGRESS IN OCEANOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
C. Wienberg, T. Krengel, N. Frank, H. Wang, D. Van Rooij, D. Hebbeln
Summary: This study presents sediment cores collected from cold-water coral mounds in the western Mediterranean Sea and provides insights into the evolution and environmental controls on coral mound development. The study highlights the importance of past changes in continental hydroclimate and their impact on oceanic processes in understanding coral mound development.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
James A. Strong, Nils Piechaud, Laurence H. De Clippele, Brian J. Bett, Tammy Horton, Guillem Corbera, Veerle A. I. Huvenne
Summary: Cold-water corals are important species that provide habitat for other taxa but are sensitive to mechanical damage from bottom trawling. To gain insight into their recruitment and growth, small seabed moorings were deployed in a marine protected area hosting CWC mounds impacted by trawling. Coral recruits and diverse epifauna colonized the moorings, indicating favorable environmental conditions and larval supply. Seabed emplacement of high-relief artificial substrata is likely the most efficient and cost-effective restoration method for enhancing CWC recovery.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marzia Bo, Francesco Enrichetti, Federico Betti, Guido Gay, Gianluca Quarta, Lucio Calcagnile, Giorgio Bavestrello
Summary: This study identified potential cold-water coral habitats in the Ligurian Sea using maps, sonar profiles, historical charts, and trawling routes. Remotely operated vehicle video footage confirmed the presence of coral in four sub-areas, with radiocarbon dating tracing back their geological history. These findings support the existence of a distinct cold-water coral province in the Ligurian Sea.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ines D. Lange, Ana Molina-Hernandez, Francisco Medellin-Maldonado, Chris T. Perry, Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
Summary: Coral growth is vital for coral health and reef function, but there is limited data in most reef-building areas. This study used structure-from-motion photogrammetry to measure the growth of six coral species in the Mexican Caribbean and introduced a new workflow for measuring colony volume change. The results provided growth metrics for two major coral species in the Caribbean reefs and highlighted the differences in growth rates between back reef and fore reef environments for other common species. This non-invasive method allows for accurate calcification estimates and other growth metrics.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Guillem Corbera, Claudio Lo Iacono, Gonzalo Simarro, Jordi Grinyo, Stefano Ambroso, Veerle A. Huvenne, Furu Mienis, Marina Carreiro-Silva, Ines Martins, Beatriz Mano, Covadonga Orejas, Ann Larsson, Sebastian Hennige, Andrea Gori
Summary: Despite being biodiversity hotspots, there is a lack of quantitative experimental studies on the main processes driving the morphological development of cold-water coral reefs. In this study, a flume experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of unidirectional flow on the growth and physiological condition of Lophelia pertusa. The results showed that the presence of coral framework influenced water flow dynamics and significantly affected coral growth and stress-related enzyme expression. Further experiments are needed to fully understand how variations in water hydrodynamics impact particle encounter and ion intake rates by coral nubbins located in different parts of a reef.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yini Liu, Mingyi Hu, Sun Zhang
Summary: Based on drilling cores, thin sections, and 3D seismic data, this study investigates the types, features, and evolution processes of Cambrian-Ordovician carbonate platforms in the Gucheng and Xiaotang areas. It identifies two types of carbonate platforms, namely carbonate ramp and rimmed platforms, and reveals the different evolution processes in the two areas. The study also discusses favorable exploration zones in this area.
PETROLEUM EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Benjamin Petrick, Lars Reuning, Gerald Auer, Yige Zhang, Miriam Pfeiffer, Lorenz Schwark
Summary: Evidence suggests that coral reefs are disappearing due to climate change, but some reef systems may survive through adaptation. Investigating the long-term response of coral reefs to environmental changes and high sea-surface temperatures is important. However, incomplete understanding of how changes in SSTs affect reef systems limits our knowledge.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andrew W. Dale, David Clemens, Kirstin Dahnke, Frederike Korth, Scott D. Wankel, Ulrike Schroller-Lomnitz, Klaus Wallmann, Stefan Sommer
Summary: Benthic nitrogen cycling in the Mauritanian upwelling region was studied in 2014, revealing higher NH4+ and PO43- fluxes on the shelf possibly linked to declining bottom water O2 concentrations. The isotopic fractionation of nitrate uptake and elevated (18):(15) ratios on the shelf suggest aerobic ammonium oxidation and nitrite oxidation activities due to oxygen deficiency.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Luke O'Reilly, Robin Fentimen, Felix Butschek, Juergen Titschack, Aaron Lim, Niamh Moore, O. J. O'Connor, John Appah, Kimberley Harris, Torsten Vennemann, Andrew J. Wheeler
Summary: This study examines the formation and environmental conditions of cold-water coral mounds using a novel method. The results demonstrate the significant role that submarine canyons play in controlling the distribution of coral mounds and ecological hotspots.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rodrigo Da Costa Portilho-Ramos, Juergen Titschack, Claudia Wienberg, Michael Georg Siccha Rojas, Yusuke Yokoyama, Dierk Hebbeln
Summary: Cold-water corals play an important role in complex ecosystems in the deep sea, and their sensitivity to environmental changes is still uncertain. Reconstructing paleoceanographic data has shown that food supply and turbulence at the seabed have the strongest influence on coral vitality, while low oxygen concentrations in the water can also be a relevant stressor. The fate of cold-water corals in a changing ocean will depend on how these oceanographic processes are modulated.
Article
Geology
Shan Liu, F. Javier Hernandez-Molina, Chupeng Yang, Cuimei Zhang, Xiaoxia Huang, Shaoru Yin, Marga Garcia, David Van Rooij, Ce Wang, Haiteng Zhuo, Hui Chen, Yaping Lei, Zhixuan Lin, Kunwen Luo, Ming Su
Summary: The opening of the Bransfield Strait has had a significant impact on the deep-water circulation in Antarctica, creating new pathways influenced by past climate cycles.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Luke O'Reilly, Robin Fentimen, Felix Butschek, Juergen Titschack, Aaron Lim, Niamh Moore, O. J. O'Connor, John Appah, Kimberley Harris, Torsten Vennemann, Andrew J. Wheeler
Summary: This study examines the formation and environmental conditions of cold-water coral mounds using a novel method. The results demonstrate the significant role that submarine canyons play in controlling the distribution of coral mounds and ecological hotspots.
Article
Geography, Physical
C. Wienberg, T. Krengel, N. Frank, H. Wang, D. Van Rooij, D. Hebbeln
Summary: This study presents sediment cores collected from cold-water coral mounds in the western Mediterranean Sea and provides insights into the evolution and environmental controls on coral mound development. The study highlights the importance of past changes in continental hydroclimate and their impact on oceanic processes in understanding coral mound development.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Leonardo Tamborrino, Jurgen Titschack, Claudia Wienberg, Sam Purkis, Gregor P. Eberli, Dierk Hebbeln
Summary: This study analyzed the spatial distribution and morphological characteristics of coral mounds that developed on the Namibian shelf during an early period. Three hierarchical patterns were identified, and key steps in the development of early-stage mounds were identified. The study provides valuable information for understanding the formation of coral mounds.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geology
Thomas Vandorpe, Stanislas Delivet, Dominique Blamart, Claudia Wienberg, Frank Bassinot, Furu Mienis, Jan-Berend W. Stuut, David Van Rooij
Summary: This study combines various measurements to decipher past oceanographic conditions based on a piston core recovered from the Pen Duick drift. The data suggests that the Azores Front and Antarctic Intermediate Water play significant roles in the palaeoclimatology of the region. The study also reveals that drift formation is influenced not only by bottom currents and internal tides, but also by sediment supply. Additionally, periods characterized by increased aeolian dust supply and higher bottom currents coincide with prolific cold-water coral growth and mound formation.
DEPOSITIONAL RECORD
(2023)
Article
Geology
Alvaro Carrion-Torrente, Francisco Jose Lobo, Angel Puga-Bernabeu, Isabel Mendes, Susana Lebreiro, Marga Garcia, David Van Rooij, Maria Lujan, Maria Isabel Reguera, Laura Anton
Summary: This study conducted a high-resolution seismic stratigraphic interpretation and sedimentological analysis on data from the northern Gulf of Cadiz continental shelf to understand the sedimentary processes during each shelf flooding episode and explore the significance of variable rates of sea-level rise, sediment fluxes, and climatic conditions on the development of postglacial deposits. The results reveal the history of sedimentary response to postglacial sea-level rise and the importance of different factors in sediment development.
JOURNAL OF SEDIMENTARY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Robin Fentimen, Eline J. Feenstra, Andres Ruggeberg, Efraim Hall, Antonietta Rosso, Irka Hajdas, David Jaramillo-Vogel, Bernard Grobety, Thierry Adatte, David Van Rooij, Norbert Frank, Anneleen Foubert
Summary: This study investigates the process of mound build-up in a cold-water coral mound system by comparing multiple core samples taken from different locations. The results show that the timing and rate of mound formation vary under cold conditions, possibly due to environmental factors.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chelsea A. Korpanty, Leon Hoffman, Rodrigo da Costa Portilho-Ramos, Juergen Titschack, Claudia Wienberg, Dierk Hebbeln
Summary: Framework-forming scleractinian corals in cold-water areas are important for supporting biodiversity hotspots. This study investigated the impact of habitat variability on diversity over geologic time using sediment cores from a coral reef in the Alboran Sea. It was found that habitat spatial patterns had a significant influence on molluscan diversity.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nore Praet, Tim Collart, Anouk Ollevier, Marc Roche, Koen Degrendele, Maarten De Rijcke, Peter Urban, Thomas Vandorpe
Summary: Monitoring turbidity is crucial for sustainable coastal management due to its negative impact on water clarity and ecological systems. Current monitoring techniques focus mainly on the surface layer, but a 3D monitoring approach is needed for coastal areas due to the dynamic nature of suspended particulate matter. Multibeam echosounders show promise as a tool for 3D turbidity and SPM monitoring.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Robin Fentimen, Eline Feenstra, Andres Ruggeberg, Efraim Hall, Valentin Rime, Torsten Vennemann, Irka Hajdas, Antonietta Rosso, David Van Rooij, Thierry Adatte, Hendrik Vogel, Norbert Frank, Anneleen Foubert
Summary: This study provides a detailed reconstruction of cold-water coral mound build-up within the East Melilla Coral Province (southeastern Alboran Sea) over the last 300 kyr. The investigation reveals that mound build-up occurred during both interglacial and glacial periods, with average aggradation rates ranging between 1 and 10 cm kyr(-1). Coral growth during this time period was influenced by stressful environmental conditions.
CLIMATE OF THE PAST
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Olga Sanchez-Guillamon, Jose L. Rueda, Claudia Wienberg, Gemma Ercilla, Juan Tomas Vazquez, Maria Gomez-Ballesteros, Javier Urra, Elena Moya-Urbano, Ferran Estrada, Dierk Hebbeln
Summary: “The study found that these carbonate mounds may have formed during the favorable climatic conditions for cold-water corals in the late Pleistocene. They are currently covered with typical bathyal sedimentary habitat species, but remains of potential mound-forming species were also detected in the form of fossils.”