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JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH,
VOL. 112,
G01001,
10 PP., 2007
doi:10.1029/2006JG000242
Endolithic aspartic acid as a proxy of fluctuations in coral growth
Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
Coral skeleton has been widely studied for monitoring past fluctuations in marine environment. Although stable carbon isotope (δ 13C) data appear to reflect coral metabolism, their interpretations differ from place to place and are sometimes controversial, because they are also affected by carbon isotopic composition of dissolved inorganic carbon in seawater. Association of an organic matrix with biological carbonates has been reported in many previous studies. With the help of high-resolution microsampling of coral skeleton and advanced technique for amino acid (AA) quantification in low-volume sample, we show that aspartic acid (Asp) in coral skeleton varies with distinct seasonal pattern, and is useful in understanding why corals calcify faster in summer than in winter. Since Asp containing organic matrix in the skeleton is synthesized by the coral, changes in mole concentration of Asp relative to other AAs of the skeleton make it a potential indicator for monitoring fluctuations in coral physiology in the past.
Received 7 June 2006; accepted 6 September 2006; published 11 January 2007.
Citation: (2007), Endolithic aspartic acid as a proxy of fluctuations in coral growth, J. Geophys. Res., 112, G01001, doi:10.1029/2006JG000242.
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