Sediment & Nutrients 🌲💧🐂 Flashcards
🌟🌟🌟This paper reviews the impact of sediment delivery to coral reefs.
The sources, processes and management options of excess sediment are discussed.
The synthesis is based primarily on measured data sets.
The approaches and outcomes are relevant to coral reefs around the world.
Bartley et al. 2014. Science of the total environment.
Estuarine mud when suspended in nutrient rich near shore waters aggregates to marine snow - detrimental &a lethal effects to corals. Study in GBR, offshore / nearshore waters. Nearshore = large sticky flocs of marine snow, cirri & tentacle cleaning.
Synergistic effect of suspended mud, flocculation, stickiness all affect reef benthos organisms after short exposure (1 hour).
Fabricus & Wolanski (2000), Estuarine, Coastal & Shelf Science.
We studied sites along a watershed gradi- ent to examine both the physical environment and the associated biological communities in Palau
coral cover, coral richness, and coral colony density increased with increasing distance from the mouth of the bay.
There was a negative relationship between coral cover and mean suspended solids concentration.
Negative relationships were also found between terrigenous sedimentation rates and the richness of adult and juvenile corals.
These results have major implications not only for Pacific islands but for all countries with reef systems downstream of rivers.
Golbuu et al. 2011. Marine pollution bulletin
Here we review current knowledge about turbid zone reefs from the inner-shelf regions of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in Australia to consider these issues and to evaluate reef growth in the period prior to and post European settlement
fmany turbid zone reefs in this region are resilient, exhibit relatively high live coral cover (>30%) and have distinctive community assemblages dominated by fast growing (Acropora, Montipora) and/or sediment tolerant species (Turbinaria, Goniopora, Galaxea, Porites).
Browne et al. 2012. Earth Science Reviews.
A review of published literature on the sensitivity of corals to turbidity and sedimentation is presented, with an emphasis on the effects of dredging.
Coral polyps undergo stress from high sus- pended-sediment concentrations and the subsequent effects on light attenuation which affect their algal symbionts.
Increased sedimentation can cause smothering and burial of coral pol- yps, shading, tissue necrosis and population explosions of bacteria in coral mucus. Fine sediments tend to have greater effects on corals than coarse sediments. Turbidity and sedimentation also reduce the recruit- ment, survival and settlement of coral larvae. Maximum sedimentation rates that can be tolerated by dif- ferent corals range from 400 mg cm–2 d–1.
Erftemeijer, et al. 2012. Marine Pollution Bulletin
🌟🌟🌟While climate change is considered the most serious risk to coral reefs, agricultural pollution threatens approximately 25% of the total global reef area with further increases in sediment and nutrient fluxes projected over the next 50 years. Here, we aim to inform coral reef management using insights learned from management examples that were successful in reducing agricultural pollution to coastal ecosystems
Kroon et al. 2014. Marine pollution bulletin.
🌟🌟🌟This paper reviews and evaluates the current state of knowledge on the direct effects of terrestrial runoff on (1) the growth and survival of hard coral colonies, (2) coral reproduction and recruitment, and (3) organisms that interact with coral populations (cor- alline algae, bioeroders, macroalgae and heterotrophic filter feeders as space competitors, pathogens, and coral predators). The responses of each of these groups are evaluated separately against the four main water quality parameters: (1) increased dissolved inorganic nutrients, (2) enrichment with particulate organic matter, (3) light reduction from turbidity and (4) increased sedimenta- tion.
Fabricius. 2005. Marine Pollution Bulletin.
🌟🌟🌟Nitrate increases zooxanthallae population density and reduces skeletogenesis in corals.
Incubated nubbins of Porites Porites & Montastrea annularis.
Skeletogenesis reduced by 50% in both species.
Marubini & Davis. 1996. Marine Biology.
Effect of nutrient enrichment on growth and photosynthesis
of the zooxanthellate coral Stylophora pistillata
Ferrier - Pages. Et al. 2000. Coral Reefs.
Dissolved inorganic nitrogen affects A.pistilata zooxanthallae pop density.
Muscatine et al. 1989. The Royal Society of London series
Dissolved inorganic nitrogen affects A.pistilata zooxanthallae pop density.
Muscatine et al. 1989. The Royal Society of London series
nutrient impacts on coral reef biota in situ. The ENCORE experiment investigated responses of coral reef organisms and processes to controlled additions of dis- solved inorganic nitrogen N) and/or phosphorus P) on an o shore reef One Tree Island) at the southern end of the GreatBarrierReef,Australia
Koop et al. 2001. Marine pollution bulletin.
