Current and sea level control the demise of shallow carbonate production on a tropical bank (Saya de Malha Bank, Indian Ocean)

Christian Betzler; Sebastian Lindhorst; Thomas Lüdmann; John J. Reijmer; Juan Carlos Braga; Or M. Bialik; Jesus Reolid; Jan Oliver Eisermann; Kay Emeis; Tim Rixen; Dass Bissessur

doi:10.1130/G49090.1

Current and sea level control the demise of shallow carbonate production on a tropical bank (Saya de Malha Bank, Indian Ocean)

Christian Betzler^*, Sebastian Lindhorst, Thomas Lüdmann, John J. Reijmer, Juan Carlos Braga, Or M. Bialik, Jesus Reolid, Jan Oliver Eisermann, Kay Emeis, Tim Rixen, Dass Bissessur

^*Corresponding author for this work

Earth Sciences

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Carbonate platforms are built mainly by corals living in shallow light-saturated tropical waters. The Saya de Malha Bank (Indian Ocean), one of the world’s largest carbonate platforms, lies in the path of the South Equatorial Current. Its reefs do not reach sea level, and all carbonate production is mesophotic to oligophotic. New geological and oceanographic data unravel the evolution and environment of the bank, elucidating the factors determining this exceptional state. There are no nutrient-related limitations for coral growth. A switch from a rimmed atoll to a current-exposed system with only mesophotic coral growth is proposed to have followed the South Equatorial Current development during the late Neogene. Combined current activity and sea-level fluctuations are likely controlling factors of modern platform configuration.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1431-1435
Number of pages	5
Journal	Geology
Volume	49
Issue number	12
Early online date	30 Jul 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1130/G49090.1
Publication status	Published - Dec 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the project MASCARA (grants 03G0270A and 03G0270B). We are grateful to Captain Mallon, the officers, and crew of R/V SONNE for their excellent support. Many thanks to the technicians of the cruise SO270 scientific party. The Joint Commission of the Extended Continental Shelf, Mas-carene Plateau Region, is thanked for allowing work in the Joint Management Area between Mauritius and Seychelles; and the Department for Continental Shelf, Maritime Zones Administration and Exploration (Mauritius) allowed work in the Republic of Mauritius Exclusive Economic Zone. Schlumberger is thanked for the grant to use Petrel software. We thank Sam Purkis, an anonymous reviewer, and editor Kathleen Benison for insightful and constructive comments.

Funding Information:
The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the project MASCARA (grants 03G0270A and 03G0270B). We are grateful to Captain Mallon, the officers, and crew of R/V SONNE for their excellent support. Many thanks to the technicians of the cruise SO270 scientific party. The Joint Commission of the Extended Continental Shelf, Mascarene Plateau Region, is thanked for allowing work in the Joint Management Area between Mauritius and Seychelles; and the Department for Continental Shelf, Maritime Zones Administration and Exploration (Mauritius) allowed work in the Republic of Mauritius Exclusive Economic Zone. Schlumberger is thanked for the grant to use Petrel software. We thank Sam Purkis, an anonymous reviewer, and editor Kathleen Benison for insightful and constructive comments.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021. The Authors.

Funding

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the project MASCARA (grants 03G0270A and 03G0270B). We are grateful to Captain Mallon, the officers, and crew of R/V SONNE for their excellent support. Many thanks to the technicians of the cruise SO270 scientific party. The Joint Commission of the Extended Continental Shelf, Mas-carene Plateau Region, is thanked for allowing work in the Joint Management Area between Mauritius and Seychelles; and the Department for Continental Shelf, Maritime Zones Administration and Exploration (Mauritius) allowed work in the Republic of Mauritius Exclusive Economic Zone. Schlumberger is thanked for the grant to use Petrel software. We thank Sam Purkis, an anonymous reviewer, and editor Kathleen Benison for insightful and constructive comments. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the project MASCARA (grants 03G0270A and 03G0270B). We are grateful to Captain Mallon, the officers, and crew of R/V SONNE for their excellent support. Many thanks to the technicians of the cruise SO270 scientific party. The Joint Commission of the Extended Continental Shelf, Mascarene Plateau Region, is thanked for allowing work in the Joint Management Area between Mauritius and Seychelles; and the Department for Continental Shelf, Maritime Zones Administration and Exploration (Mauritius) allowed work in the Republic of Mauritius Exclusive Economic Zone. Schlumberger is thanked for the grant to use Petrel software. We thank Sam Purkis, an anonymous reviewer, and editor Kathleen Benison for insightful and constructive comments.

Funders	Funder number
Department for Continental Shelf
Mauritius and Seychelles
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung	03G0270A, 03G0270B
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1130/G49090.1

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Cite this

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title = "Current and sea level control the demise of shallow carbonate production on a tropical bank (Saya de Malha Bank, Indian Ocean)",

abstract = "Carbonate platforms are built mainly by corals living in shallow light-saturated tropical waters. The Saya de Malha Bank (Indian Ocean), one of the world{\textquoteright}s largest carbonate platforms, lies in the path of the South Equatorial Current. Its reefs do not reach sea level, and all carbonate production is mesophotic to oligophotic. New geological and oceanographic data unravel the evolution and environment of the bank, elucidating the factors determining this exceptional state. There are no nutrient-related limitations for coral growth. A switch from a rimmed atoll to a current-exposed system with only mesophotic coral growth is proposed to have followed the South Equatorial Current development during the late Neogene. Combined current activity and sea-level fluctuations are likely controlling factors of modern platform configuration.",

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note = "Funding Information: The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the project MASCARA (grants 03G0270A and 03G0270B). We are grateful to Captain Mallon, the officers, and crew of R/V SONNE for their excellent support. Many thanks to the technicians of the cruise SO270 scientific party. The Joint Commission of the Extended Continental Shelf, Mas-carene Plateau Region, is thanked for allowing work in the Joint Management Area between Mauritius and Seychelles; and the Department for Continental Shelf, Maritime Zones Administration and Exploration (Mauritius) allowed work in the Republic of Mauritius Exclusive Economic Zone. Schlumberger is thanked for the grant to use Petrel software. We thank Sam Purkis, an anonymous reviewer, and editor Kathleen Benison for insightful and constructive comments. Funding Information: The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the project MASCARA (grants 03G0270A and 03G0270B). We are grateful to Captain Mallon, the officers, and crew of R/V SONNE for their excellent support. Many thanks to the technicians of the cruise SO270 scientific party. The Joint Commission of the Extended Continental Shelf, Mascarene Plateau Region, is thanked for allowing work in the Joint Management Area between Mauritius and Seychelles; and the Department for Continental Shelf, Maritime Zones Administration and Exploration (Mauritius) allowed work in the Republic of Mauritius Exclusive Economic Zone. Schlumberger is thanked for the grant to use Petrel software. We thank Sam Purkis, an anonymous reviewer, and editor Kathleen Benison for insightful and constructive comments. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021. The Authors.",

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AU - Lüdmann, Thomas

AU - Reijmer, John J.

AU - Braga, Juan Carlos

AU - Bialik, Or M.

AU - Reolid, Jesus

AU - Eisermann, Jan Oliver

AU - Emeis, Kay

AU - Rixen, Tim

AU - Bissessur, Dass

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PY - 2021/12

Y1 - 2021/12

N2 - Carbonate platforms are built mainly by corals living in shallow light-saturated tropical waters. The Saya de Malha Bank (Indian Ocean), one of the world’s largest carbonate platforms, lies in the path of the South Equatorial Current. Its reefs do not reach sea level, and all carbonate production is mesophotic to oligophotic. New geological and oceanographic data unravel the evolution and environment of the bank, elucidating the factors determining this exceptional state. There are no nutrient-related limitations for coral growth. A switch from a rimmed atoll to a current-exposed system with only mesophotic coral growth is proposed to have followed the South Equatorial Current development during the late Neogene. Combined current activity and sea-level fluctuations are likely controlling factors of modern platform configuration.

AB - Carbonate platforms are built mainly by corals living in shallow light-saturated tropical waters. The Saya de Malha Bank (Indian Ocean), one of the world’s largest carbonate platforms, lies in the path of the South Equatorial Current. Its reefs do not reach sea level, and all carbonate production is mesophotic to oligophotic. New geological and oceanographic data unravel the evolution and environment of the bank, elucidating the factors determining this exceptional state. There are no nutrient-related limitations for coral growth. A switch from a rimmed atoll to a current-exposed system with only mesophotic coral growth is proposed to have followed the South Equatorial Current development during the late Neogene. Combined current activity and sea-level fluctuations are likely controlling factors of modern platform configuration.

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ER -

Current and sea level control the demise of shallow carbonate production on a tropical bank (Saya de Malha Bank, Indian Ocean)

Abstract

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