title: Calcium carbonate production, coral reef growth, and sea level change.
abstract: Shallow, seaward portions of modern coral reefs produce about 4 kilograms of calcium carbonate per square meter per year, and protected areas produce about 0.8 kilogram per square meter per year. The difference is probably largely a function of water motion. The more rapid rate, equivalent to a maximum vertical accretion of 3 to 5 millimeters per year, places an upper limit on the potential of modern coral reef communities to create a significant vertical structure on a rising sea.
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Kinsey