Noonan et al early successional coral reef communities and their metabolism under ocean acidification

Succession changes and metabolic rates from settlement tiles deployed along gradients of CO2 exposure at seep sites in PNG. The data is being used to predict the development of benthic coral reef communities under increasing ocean acidification. In December 2011, we deployed settlement tiles along gradients of CO2 exposure at seep and control reefs in Milne Bay, PNG, and monitored the developing communities on them. Successional changes were captured at two time points over 13 months, and whole-tile community meatbolism (photosynthesis, respiration, and light and dark calcification) was also measured after 13 months.