Food strengthens coral skeletons and survival in an acid ocean

PUBLICATION — Gothmann, A.M., Daniel, J., Chan, Y., Diaz, P., Cliff, J.B., Polerecky, L., Granger, J.,  Mottram, J.L., Prokopenko, M., Boehm Vock, L., Logan, A., Mersy, N., Smith, T., Stolarski, J. 2025. NanoSIMS mapping of skeletal organic matrix and aragonite formation in a scleractinian cold-water coral. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 408:116-131, doi: 10.1016/j.gca.2025.09.025.

Figure: Cold-water, non-symbiotic coral Balanophyllia elegans (left) and the relationship between successive feeding pulses (letter F on the graph) and skeleton formation along with the incorporation of organic matter (OM), visualized by NanoSIMS mapping of the skeleton (bottom right).

What corals eat today may determine their survival tomorrow

Deep ocean waters are seen as refugia that can protect cold-water, non-symbiotic corals from warming and acidification. Research on Balanophyllia elegans, conducted using NanoSIMS imaging, revealed that nutrition not only supplies energy but also supports formation of organic matrix essential for skeletal growth. Food availability may thus shape their chances of survival in an acidifying ocean.