ABSTRACT: The production and accumulation of carbonate reef framework is the positive component of reef development. The main organisms participating in this process are corals and crustose coralline algae (CCA) because their combined calcareous skeletons construct and help to consolidate reef frameworks. We assessed the contribution (i.e. gross production) of corals and CCA to the calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) budget of the 2 largest and most developed reefs of Gorgona Island (Pacific coast of Colombia). On each zone (back reef [BR], reef flat [RP], reef front [RF], and reef slope [RS]) of these reefs, we measured substrate rugosity, coral (Pocillopora spp.) and CCA cover, colony density for corals, skeletal density for CCA, and growth rates for the estimation of CaCO₃ production rates. Pocillopora spp. corals contributed 93.1% of the total carbonate production, while CCA supplied the remaining 6.9%. CaCO₃ production was higher at Playa Blanca reef, although CaCO₃ production in the RF of La Azufrada (12.31 kg m^-2 yr^-1) was higher in comparison to the RF at Playa Blanca (8.45 kg m^-2 yr^-1). Otherwise, CaCO₃ production was higher in all other reef zones (BR, RP, RS) of Playa Blanca, although only significantly higher in the BR (2.25 kg m^-2 yr^-1 at Playa Blanca against 0.29 kg m^-2 yr^-1 at La Azufrada). The RF contributed the most CaCO₃, mainly due to its high live coral cover and rapid coral growth. Although the contribution of CCA is low, they are key for reef stability. CaCO₃ production rates reported here (2.86 and 3.80 kg m^-2 yr^-1 in La Azufrada and Playa Blanca, respectively) are within the limits reported for Eastern Tropical Pacific reefs, and raise hope for the continued existence of coral reefs in an era of increasing threats to this ecosystem.

中文翻译：

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东部热带太平洋珊瑚礁（哥伦比亚戈尔戈纳岛）的总碳酸钙生产

摘要：碳酸盐礁构架的产生和积累是礁石发育的积极组成部分。参与此过程的主要生物是珊瑚和rust壳珊瑚藻（CCA），因为它们结合的钙质骨架构成并有助于巩固礁石框架。我们评估了珊瑚和CCA对Gorgona岛（哥伦比亚太平洋海岸）两个最大，最发达的珊瑚礁的碳酸钙（CaCO ₃）预算的贡献（即总产值）。在这些珊瑚礁的每个区域（后礁[BR]，礁平坦[RP]，礁前[RF]和礁坡度[RS]）上，我们测量了基质的褶皱度，珊瑚（Pocillopora spp。）和CCA覆盖度，菌落密度珊瑚的骨密度，CCA的骨密度以及估计CaCO _3的增长率生产率。Pocillopora spp。珊瑚贡献了碳酸盐总产量的93.1％，而CCA提供了剩余的6.9％。布兰卡滩珊瑚礁的CaCO ₃产量较高，尽管拉阿祖夫拉达河RF（12.31 kg m ^-2 yr ^-1）的CaCO ₃产量高于布兰卡滩（8.45 kg m ^-2 yr ^-1）的CaCO ₃产量。。否则，碳酸钙₃产量为在所有其他礁区普拉亚布兰卡的（BR，RP，RS）更高，虽然在仅BR更高显著（2.25公斤米^-2年^-1在Playa Blanca的针对0.29千克米^-2年^{- 1个}在La Azufrada）。RF对CaCO _3的贡献最大，这主要是由于其高活珊瑚覆盖率和快速的珊瑚生长。尽管CCA的贡献很低，但它们对于珊瑚礁的稳定性至关重要。此处报告的CaCO ₃生产率（分别在La Azufrada和Playa Blanca分别为2.86和3.80 kg m ^-2 yr ^-1）在报告的东部热带太平洋礁石的极限范围内，并为一个时代继续存在珊瑚礁增加了希望对这个生态系统的威胁越来越大。