Reefs.org Forums

[mkirda]

Two points, really...

1) Organic biofilms also inhibit the formation of calcite on aragonite crystals. This is the #1 point most people seem to miss in their calcium/alkalinity vs. aragonite comments.
2) Bring it on home. Summarize the article w/o all the equations, along with the relevant points. You don't need equations to tell people that heat sources tend to accumulate calcium carbonate.

Otherwise, quite the nice article.
Regards.
Mike Kirda

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Mike:

Thanks for the feedback.

"Bring it on home. Summarize the article w/o all the equations, along with the relevant points. You don't need equations to tell people that heat sources tend to accumulate calcium carbonate."

You mean summarize at the end without equations, or leave the equations out altogether? I agree that I could have done a better job on the summary.

"Organic biofilms also inhibit the formation of calcite on aragonite crystals. This is the #1 point most people seem to miss in their calcium/alkalinity vs. aragonite comments."

I'm not sure what you are saying. Do you really mean that it just inhibits calcite formation on aragonite, or that it also inhibits continued aragonite precipitation? Also, are you distinguishing biofilms from organics? I've not seen papers that describe specific effects of biofilms, but I have seen them for soluble organics, phosphate, and magnesium.. If you have any, I'd like to read them.

[ April 19, 2002: Message edited by: Randy Holmes-Farley ]</p>

[mkirda]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Randy Holmes-Farley:
<strong>You mean summarize at the end without equations, or leave the equations out altogether? I agree that I could have done a better job on the summary.

"Organic biofilms also inhibit the formation of calcite on aragonite crystals. This is the #1 point most people seem to miss in their calcium/alkalinity vs. aragonite comments."

I'm not sure what you are saying. Do you really mean that it just inhibits calcite formation on aragonite, or that it also inhibits continued aragonite precipitation? Also, are you distinguishing biofilms from organics? I've not seen papers that describe specific effects of biofilms, but I have seen them for soluble organics, phosphate, and magnesium.. If you have any, I'd like to read them.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Randy,

I'd leave the equations, but bring the important information you want people to take home into some sort of summary. i.e. Bottom line: Increasing CO2 concentration will lower pH in saltwater.

I read through them and suffer and try to understand the "why". I know that I am a bit unusual in that sense. Most people tell me they don't even read the equations- they didn't like chemistry in HS or college. My point to you was to simplify it so that even someone who skipped the equations got something out of the article...

References... Yeah, they are out there. I have most of my paper library in storage currently.
Not sure how accessible it is. But this information is not exactly hidden- organic bacterial biofilms inhibit calcite precipitation at least partly because they cover the aragonite crystal. In addition, bacteria can help dissove aragonite. I know I have references that cover this- If you look and don't see anything, let me know and I'll dig them out.

Regards.
Mike Kirda