Efficient carbon recycling between calcification and photosynthesis in red coralline algae

Red coralline algae create abundant, spatially vast, reef ecosystems throughout our coastal oceans with significant ecosystem service provision, but our understanding of their basic physiology is lacking. In particular, the balance and linkages between carbon-producing and carbon-sequestering processes remain poorly constrained, with significant implications understanding their role in carbon sequestration and storage. Using a dual radioisotope tracing, we provide evidence for coupling between photosynthesis (which requires CO2) and calcification (which releases CO2) in the red coralline alga Boreolithothamnion soriferum (previously Lithothamnion soriferum) – a marine ecosystem engineer widely distributed across Atlantic mid-high latitudes. Of the sequestered HCO3-, 38±22% was deposited as carbonate skeleton whilst 39±14% was incorporated into organic matter via photosynthesis. Only 38±2% of the sequestered HCO3- was transformed into CO2, and almost 40% of that was internally recycled a..., These data are from an algal incubation dual radioisotope tracers (14C and 45Ca) experiment to resolve the the relationship between calcification and photosynthesis in the red coralline alga Boreolithothamnion soriferum, identifying the inorganic carbon source and the degree of CO2 recycling, and estimating the organismal-scale ratio between released CO2 and precipitated CO32- (ψ)., , # Efficient carbon recycling between calcification and photosynthesis in red coralline algae

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.2z34tmptx](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.2z34tmptx)

## Description of the data and file structure

The incubation experiment used the red coralline alga species Boreolithothamnion glaciale. There were two treatments - control and +EZ (= ethoxyzolamide, a membrane-permeable internal+external carbonic anhydrase inhibitor). Data were collected after 0.5, 1.5, 3 and 5 hours of incubation from each treatment. N = 8 per treatment per time point.

There are four tabs in the data file, related to:

1. Oxygen production rate (related paper Figure 1a)
2. 45Ca incorporation amount and rate, inorganic 14C incorporation amount and rate (related paper Figure 1b-g)
3. Organic 14C fixation amount and rate (related paper Figure 1h-i)
4.  Organismal-scale ratio between released CO2 and precipitated CO32- (ψ) (related paper Table 1)

Units are provided in the data file. 

Abbre...