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The impact of seawater temperature on coral growth parameters of the colonial coral Cladocora caespitosa (Anthozoa, Scleractinia) in the eastern Adriatic Sea

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Abstract

The scleractinian coral Cladocora caespitosa deserves a special place among the major carbonate bioconstructors of the Mediterranean Sea. Annual coral skeleton growth, coral calcification, and skeleton density of the colonial coral C. caespitosa taken from 25 locations in the eastern Adriatic Sea were analyzed and compared with annual sea surface temperatures (SST). The growth rates of the coral C. caespitosa from the 25 stations in the Adriatic Sea ranged from 1.92 to 4.19 mm per year, with higher growth rates of the investigated corallites in the southern part of the Adriatic Sea. These growth rates are similar to those measured in other areas of the Mediterranean Sea. The correlation between coral growth and sea temperatures in the Adriatic Sea is seen as follows: An X-radiograph analysis of coral growth in C. caespitosa colonies that are over 60 years old showed that higher growth rates of this coral coincided with a warmer period in the Mediterranean Sea. A positive significant correlation exists between corallite growth rates and SST and coral calcification and SST. A negative correlation exists between coral density and SST. Coral growth rates also showed a correlation with higher eutrophication caused by nearby fish farms, along with a greater depth of the investigated colonies and high bottom currents.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Dr. Helmut Zibrowius from Centre d’Océanologie de Marseille (France) and Dr. Andrea Peirano from ENEA Marine Environment Research Centre, La Spezia (Italy) for their helpful suggestions and support. Special thanks go to Dr. Kevin E. Kohler from the Oceanographic Center, Nova South-Eastern University, Dania Beach (USA) for help with Coral XDS Software. This manuscript was improved by constructive comments made by the anonymous reviewers. The author also thanks all colleagues from the Marine Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Science, Zagreb, and the Institute for Oceanography and Fisheries from Split for fieldwork and laboratory help.

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  1. Laboratory for Marine Biology, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Petar Kružić, Pavica Sršen & Laura Benković

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  1. Petar Kružić
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  2. Pavica Sršen
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Correspondence to Petar Kružić.

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Kružić, P., Sršen, P. & Benković, L. The impact of seawater temperature on coral growth parameters of the colonial coral Cladocora caespitosa (Anthozoa, Scleractinia) in the eastern Adriatic Sea. Facies 58, 477–491 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10347-012-0306-4

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