About ERRINA:

The general objective is to improve the understanding of the ecology of unique Patagonian cold-water coral reefs and their resilience to climate change. Specific objectives:

1. Errina antarctica reefs provide a three-dimensional habitat for many organisms. Quantitative community data are, however, lacking. Thus, abundance of the main taxonomic groups will be assessed.
2. Trophic interactions of both, the E. antarctica colonies individually and the whole E. antarctica reef with the surrounding pelagial (total carbon ingestion, total excretion and thus fertilization) will be quantified.
3. Growth and mortality rates of E. antarctica colonies will be assessed experimentally to provide basic ecological info and prime parameters to analyze the population dynamics.
4. Since rapidly increasing atmospheric CO₂ equilibrates with the surface ocean, seawater pH decreases. This impacts carbonate skeleton formation as lower pH values decrease the availability of bicarbonate and carbonate ions and lower the saturation state of skeleton forming carbonate minerals. Thus we will assess effects on fitness and survival of calcifying E. antarctica under different pH and saturation values.