Abstract
Biominerals and metals of intertidal corals of two species (Heliofungia actiniformis, Quoy and Gaimard;Galaxea fascicularis, Linnaeus), collected from the Iriomote Island of Ryukyu, were examined with an inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES). Twelve elements were detectable in the coralline skeletons dissected radially along the growth axis. The relative content (RC) of Hg periodically fluctuated and was minimum at the hollow sites of the coralline slab ofHeliofungia sp., corresponding to the cyclic growth. There were two types of elements: constant elements and variable elements along the growth axis. RCs of Ca, Mg, A1, Si, and P were nearly constant. RCs of Fe, Mn, Cu, and Ba were variable, but not as regularly changed as Hg. There were positive mass correlations of Hg to Mn, Cu and Zn, but not to Ba and Fe. In contrast, these relationships were not prominent and were likely degraded by aging in the skeleton ofGalaxea sp., suggesting a different mode from that of theHeliofungia sp.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.
References
- 1.
G. T. Shen, E. A. Boyle, and D. W. Lea, Cadmium in corals as a tracer of historical upwelling and industrial fallout,Nature 328, 794–796 (1987).
- 2.
D. W. Lea, G.T. Shen, and E. A. Boyle, Coralline barium records temporal variability in equatorial Pacific upwelling,Nature 340, 373–376 (1989).
- 3.
B. E. Brown, A.W. Tudhope, M. D. A. Le Tissier, and T. P. Scottin, A novel mechanism for iron incorporation into coral skeletons,Coral Reefs 10, 211–215 (1991).
- 4.
K. Fujimori, G. Yamada, M-o. Yamada, T. Minami, S. Tohno, and Y. Tohno, A periodical change of mercury in the coral reef, Heliofungia species obtained from the Okinawa sea,Cell. Mol. Biol. 43, 809–811 (1997).
- 5.
L. A. Barnard, I. G. Macintyre, and J. W. Pierce, Possible environmental index in tropical reef corals,Nature 252, 219–220 (1974).
- 6.
T. Mitsuguchi, E. Matsumoto, O. Abe, T. Uchida, and P. J. Isdale, Mg/Ca thermometry in coral skeletons,Science 274, 961–963 (1996).
- 7.
M-o. Yamada, T. Minami, M. Ichii, Y. Okazaki, M. Utsumi, S. Tohno, et al., An improved method for estimating original mineral contents in excavated bones using sulfur,Biol. Trace Element Res. 52, 155–161 (1996).
- 8.
M-o. Yamada, S. Tohno, Y. Tohno, T. Minami, M. Ichii, and Y. Okazaki, Accumulation of mercury in excavated bones of two natives in Japan,Sci. Total Environ. 162, 253–256 (1995).
- 9.
M-o. Yamada, T. Minami, G. Yamada, Y. Tohno, S. Tohno, Y. Ikeda, et al., Different element ratios of red cosmetics excavated from ancient burials of Japan,Sci. Total Environ. 199, 293–298 (1997).
- 10.
A. Tokuyama, Y. Kitano, and K. Kanemisha, Geochemical behavior of chemical species in the processes of limestone formation, Part 1 Chemical composition of corals and limestones in the Ryukyu Islands,Geochem. J. 6, 83–92 (1972).
- 11.
R. B. Greegor, Jr., N. E. Fingitore, and F. W. Lytle, Strontianite in coral skeletal aragonite,Science 275, 1452–1454 (1997).
- 12.
K. E. Clifton, Mass spawning by green algae on coral reefs,Science 275, 1116–1118 (1997).
Author information
Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yamada, G., Fujimori, K., Yamada, Mo. et al. Trace elements found to be variable in two coral reef species,Heliofungia actiniformis andGalaxea fascicularis, collected from the ryukyu islands. Biol Trace Elem Res 65, 167–180 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02784268
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
Index entries
- Coral elements
- coral metals
- coral Hg
- coral Ba
- Heliofungia
- Galaxea