Title
Effect of nitrogen, phosphorous, and their interaction on coral reef algal succession in Glover's Reef, Belize
Author(s)
McClanahan T.R., Carreiro-Silva M., DiLorenzo M.
Published
2007
Publisher
Marine Pollution Bulletin
Abstract
Nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizers were used to determine their short-term summer effects on algal colonization, abundance, and species composition in moderate herbivory treatments. Secondary succession of algae on coral skeletons was examined in four treatments: an untreated control, a pure phosphate fertilizer, a pure nitrogen fertilizer, and an equal mix of the two fertilizers. Turf algae cover was the only measure of algae abundance to respond significantly to fertilization. Turf cover was three times higher in treatments with added nitrogen when compared with the pure phosphorus treatment. These turfs were dominated by green and cyanobacteria taxa, namely Enteromorpha prolifera, Lyngbya confervoides, and two species of Cladophora. The phosphate treatment was dominated by encrusting corallines and the cyanobacteria L. confervoides, while the controls had the highest cover of frondose brown algae, namely Padina sanctae-crucis and two species of Dictyota. Results indicate that turf algae were co-limited by nitrogen and phosphorus but enrichment appeared to inhibit brown frondose algae that currently dominate these reefs. Number of species was lowest on the pure phosphorus and nitrogen treatments, highest in the controls and intermediate in the mixed treatments, which suggests that diversity is reduced most by an imbalanced nutrient ratio. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords
Environmental impact; Eutrophication; Nitrogen fertilizers; Phosphate fertilizers; Population dynamics; Reefs; Algal communities; Coralline algae; Fertilization; Redfield nutrient ratios; Secondary succession; Algae; nitrogen fertilizer; phosphate fertilizer; sea water; abundance; alga; colonization; coral reef; eutrophication; fertilizer; nitrogen; phosphorus; secondary succession; species diversity; alga; algal growth; article; Belize; biomass; brown alga; coral reef; Cyanobacterium; nonhuman; sea pollution; Algae; Animals; Anthozoa; Belize; Biomass; Cyanobacteria; Drug Interactions; Ecosystem; Fertilizers; Nitrogen; Phosphorus; Population Dynamics; Time Factors; Atlantic Ocean; Belize [Central America]; Caribbean Sea; Central America; Glovers Reef; Mesoamerican Barrier Reef; algae; Anthozoa; Cladophora; Cyanobacteria; Lyngbya confervoides; Padina sanctae-crucis; Phaeophyceae; Ulva prolifera
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