A new study comparing data from Heron Reef and the Middle East’s Gulf of Aqaba has disproved the long-held theory that coral reefs only have the capacity to emit CO2.

The first-of-its-kind discovery is the result of an international study that found that dust blown in from nearby deserts can convert coral reefs into CO2 sinks.

Professor Hamish McGowan from the University of Queensland’s School of Earth and Environmental Sciences says the discovery was made after researchers observed a correlation between influxes of CO2 and periods of increased dust concentrations in the atmosphere around the reefs.

“We were surprised at how significant a role dust accumulation played in switching coral reefs from a CO2 source to a CO2 sink,” McGowan says.

“This process was previously thought to be impossible, but our research proves otherwise.

“We found that the build-up of dust in the traditionally low-nutrient and low-chlorophyll waters of the Gulf of Aqaba actually fertilizes and improves coral-growing conditions and photosynthesis in reef ecosystems.”

McGowan says the results will allow for the development of more accurate carbon budgets for the world’s oceans.

“The process we have identified in this study actually contributes to more accurate accounting of carbon around the globe,” McGowan says.

“This informs predictions of the impact of atmospheric carbon on climate and climate sensitive ecosystems such as coral reefs.”

Professor Nadav Lensky from Geological Survey Israel says these improved conditions mean desert reefs have the potential to act as a place of refuge for coral.

Read the full article about coral reefs at Futurity.