鹿角杯形珊瑚骨骼构造和显微结构的研究

Skeletal architecture and microstructure of calcifying coral pocillopora damicornis

石珊瑚骨骼对重建古海洋古气候环境,评估珊瑚礁对未来气候变化、海洋酸化的响应和反馈,辨识现存造礁石珊瑚种属及其演化途径有着十分重要的作用和意义。为了更好地认知造礁石珊瑚骨骼特征,在三亚海域采集了常见的造礁石珊瑚——鹿角杯形珊瑚Pocillopora damicornis,通过扫描电镜(结合EDS能谱仪)、红外分光显微镜分析其碳酸钙骨骼结构和成分的特征,结果表明鹿角杯形珊瑚骨骼主要成分为文石,少数骨骼样品的空腔中发育有极少量方解石矿物。虽然鹿角杯形珊瑚骨骼宏观架构和中观架构在群体间和单体间存在诸多差异,但不同形态的骨骼样品具有基本相同的发育模式和基础结构单元。同时,发现鹿角杯形珊瑚骨骼内部空腔存在有次生文石沉积发育现象,同时常伴生着水镁石矿物的发育,而且这与骨骼中的钻孔穴居动物有很大关联。

Scleractinian coral skeleton is one of the central keys to determining scleractinian evolution and classification. And it is increasingly applied to reconstructing past ocean and climate histories and to predicting future impacts of climate change and ocean acidification on coral reefs. To better understand skeletogenesis and microstructure in extant scleractinian corals, we analyzed the microstructure and composition of common reef-building coral Pocillopora damicornisfrom Sanya using Scanning Electron Microscope （SEM） and infrared spectroscopic methods. The results revealed that the skeletons were predominantly comprised of aragonite, with limited calcite. The macro- and meso-architectures varied between colonies and corallites. There were several types of skeletons, which had distinct morphology but shared the same basic structure and growth pattern. The occurrence of cements, which combined with the secondary aragonite and brucite in the inter-septal zone, were associated with habitats and micoborings.