Fore-reef carbonate production: development of a regional census-based method and first estimates

Fore-reef carbonate production is important but is poorly known as a result of methodological limitations. This paper reports on the development of a regional census-based method to calculate the average carbonate production of tropical–subtropical, coral-dominated fore-reefs. The estimates are based on coral cover and extension rates by growth form of fore-reefs with framework and biodetrital facies. Ecological data from many parts of the Indopacific and procedures to evaluate ramose coral data are most needed to further develop the method. The first estimates suggest that the common production in very shallow fore-reefs with dense ramose coral framework is around 10 kg CaCO3 m−2 yr−1 or more. An analogous estimation suggests that shallow biodetrital fore-reefs produce around 1.5 kg m−2 yr−1. The production rates decrease exponentially with depth. Fore-reef production is an important component of the global carbonate budget, but remains difficult to assess.