Effect of elevated pCO 2 on photosynthesis and calcification of corals and interactions with seasonal change in temperature/irradiance and nutrient enrichment

An investigation was conducted to determine the effects of elevated pCO 2 on the net production and calcification of an assemblage of corals maintained under near‐natural conditions of temperature, light, nutrient, and flow. Experiments were performed in summer and winter to explore possible interactions between seasonal change in temperature and irradiance and the effect of elevated pCO 2 . Particular attention was paid to interactions between net production and calcification because these two processes are thought to compete for the same internal supply of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). A nutrient enrichment experiment was performed because it has been shown to induce a competitive interaction between…