Synonyms
Blue-green microborers/endoliths; Endolithic (euendolithic) cyanophyta/cyanobacteria; Rock-boring blue-green algae
Definition
The blue-green boring algae are filamentous, prokaryotic, mostly photosynthetic organisms that chemically bore into calcareous rock and limestone.
Penetrating or boring algae play important roles in the bioerosion of coral reefs; these filamentous microorganisms result in the breakdown of carbonate structure both directly and indirectly [see Tribollet (2008) for review]. They occur from the upper intertidal to abyssal depths (Golubic et al., 1984), but, in general, show a decrease with depth. The commonest are blue-green algae (Cyanophyta, Cyanobacteria) that attack calcareous substrates differentially; the aragonite skeletons of corals are most easily penetrated and the denser calcite deposits of coralline algae are most resistant. However, the mechanism of carbonate dissolution remains largely unknown and actually contradicts geochemical models that...
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Bibliography
Golubic, S., Campbell, S. E., Drobne, K., Cameron, B., Balsam, W. L., Cimerman, F., and Dubois, L., 1984. Microbial endoliths: a benthic overprint in the sedimentary record, and a paleobathymetric cross-reference with foraminifera. Journal of Paleontology, 58, 351–361.
Tribollet, A., 2008. The boring microflora in modern coral reef ecosystems: a review of its roles. In Wisshak, M., and Tapanila, L., (eds.), Current Developments in Bioerosion. Berlin: Springer.
Zhang, Y., and Golubic, S., 1987. Endolithic microfossils (Cyanophyta) from early Proterozoic stromatolites, Hebei, China. Acta Micropaleont Sinica, 4, 1–12.
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Littler, M.M., Littler, D.S. (2011). Algae, Blue-Green Boring. In: Hopley, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Modern Coral Reefs. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2639-2_173
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2639-2_173
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