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Northeastern Atlantic cold-water coral reefs and climate
Frank, N.; Freiwald, A.; Wienberg, C.; Van Rooij, D.; Colin, C.; de Haas, H.; Buhl-Mortensen, P.; Roberts, M. J.; De Mol, B.; HERMIONE partners Team (2011). Northeastern Atlantic cold-water coral reefs and climate. Geophys. Res. Abstr. 13(EGU2011-5486): 743-746
In: Geophysical Research Abstracts. Copernicus: Katlenburg-Lindau. ISSN 1029-7006; e-ISSN 1607-7962
Peer reviewed article  
Available in  Authors 
    Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee: Open access 229921 [ download pdf ]
Document type: Summary
Keyword
    Marine/Coastal
Authors  Top 
  • Frank, N.
  • Freiwald, A.
  • Wienberg, C.
  • Van Rooij, D.
  • Colin, C.
  • de Haas, H.
  • Buhl-Mortensen, P.
  • Roberts, M. J.
  • De Mol, B.
  • HERMIONE partners Team
Abstract
    U-series age patterns obtained on reef framework-forming cold-water corals collected over a nearly 6,000 km long continental margin sector, extending from off Mauritania to the south-western Barents Sea reveal strong climate influences on the geographical distribution and sustained development of these ecosystems. During glacial times densely populated cold-water coral reefs flourished in the temperate east Atlantic, where at present only scarce live coral occurrences exist. In contrast, climate warming induces a rapid northward colonization of cold-water coral reefs with the biogeographic limit advancing from ~45°N to ~70°N. Thus, we invoke here that north-south oscillations of the polar front during the past glacial-interglacial cycles and the consequent displacement of cold nutrient-rich intermediate waters and productivity drives the decline and expansion of cold-water coral ecosystems and its biogeographic limits in the northeast Atlantic.
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