Toward a universal mass‐momentum transfer relationship for predicting nutrient uptake and metabolite exchange in benthic reef communities

Falter, James L.; Lowe, Ryan J.; Zhang, Zhenlin

doi:10.1002/2016gl070329

Cited by 11 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Pristine reefs gather external nutrients from surrounding areas through oceanic currents, along with river and groundwater inputs and atmospheric deposition [ Hernández‐Terrones et al ., ; Lowe and Falter , ]. While extensive research has been done on the influence of terrestrial nutrient runoff and river inputs on reefs [ Brodie et al ., ; Fabricius , ] as well as oceanic inputs [ Falter et al ., ; Lowe and Falter , ], there is limited information on groundwater‐derived nutrient inputs into coral reefs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nitrogen enrichment and speciation in a coral reef lagoon driven by groundwater inputs of bird guano

McMahon

Santos

2017

JGR Oceans

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While the influence of river inputs on coral reef biogeochemistry has been investigated, there is limited information on nutrient fluxes related to submarine groundwater discharge (SGD). Here, we investigate whether significant saline groundwater‐derived nutrient inputs from bird guano drive coral reef photosynthesis and calcification off Heron Island (Great Barrier Reef, Australia). We used multiple experimental approaches including groundwater sampling, beach face transects, and detailed time series observations to assess the dynamics and speciation of groundwater nutrients as they travel across the island and discharge into the coral reef lagoon. Nitrogen speciation shifted from nitrate‐dominated groundwater (>90% of total dissolved nitrogen) to a coral reef lagoon dominated by dissolved organic nitrogen (DON; ∼86%). There was a minimum input of nitrate of 2.1 mmol m−2 d−1 into the lagoon from tidally driven submarine groundwater discharge estimated from a radon mass balance model. An independent approach based on the enrichment of dissolved nutrients during isolation at low tide implied nitrate fluxes of 5.4 mmol m−2 d−1. A correlation was observed between nitrate and daytime net ecosystem production and calcification. We suggest that groundwater nutrients derived from bird guano may offer a significant addition to oligotrophic coral reef lagoons and fuel ecosystem productivity and the coastal carbon cycle near Heron Island. The large input of groundwater nutrients in Heron Island may serve as a natural ecological analogue to other coral reefs subject to large nutrient inputs from anthropogenic sources.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nitrogen enrichment and speciation in a coral reef lagoon driven by groundwater inputs of bird guano

McMahon

Santos

2017

JGR Oceans

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“…A metaanalysis of previous field and laboratory data found mass transfer rates correlate highly (r 2 . 0.9) with bed shear stress according to q m / t 0:4 b for both wave and current-only flows [22]. For the bed stress values measured here, this scaling would imply mass transfer rates for C. natans that are approximately 86% higher than D. labyrinthiformis and approximately 29% higher than S. siderea.…”

Section: Implications Of Field Datamentioning

confidence: 72%

The role of turbulent hydrodynamics and surface morphology on heat and mass transfer in corals

Stocking

Laforsch

Sigl

et al. 2018

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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Corals require efficient heat and mass transfer with the overlying water column to support key biological processes, such as nutrient uptake and mitigation of thermal stress. Transfer rates are primarily determined by flow conditions, coral morphology and the physics of the resulting fluid -structure interaction, yet the relationship among these parameters is poorly understood especially for wave-dominated coral habitats. To investigate the interactive effects of these factors on fluxes of heat and mass, we measure hydrodynamic characteristics in situ over three distinct surface morphologies of massive stony corals in a Panamanian reef. Additionally, we implement a numerical model of flow and thermal transport for both current and wave conditions past a natural coral surface, as well as past three simplified coral morphologies with varying ratios of surface roughness spacing-to-height. We find oscillatory flow enhances rates of heat and mass transfer by 1.2-2.0Â compared with unidirectional flow. Additionally, increases in Reynolds number and in surface roughness ratio produce up to a 3.3Â and a 2.0Â enhancement, respectively. However, as waves begin to dominate the flow regime relative to unidirectional currents, the underlying physical mechanisms mediating transfer rates shift from predominantly turbulence-driven to greater control by inertial accelerations, resulting in larger heat and mass transfer for small surface roughness ratios. We show that for rough corals in wave-dominated flows, novel trade-off dynamics for heat and mass transfer exist between broadly spaced roughness that enhances turbulence production versus narrowly spaced roughness that produces greater surface area. These findings have important implications for differential survivorship during heatinduced coral bleaching, particularly as thermal stress events become increasingly common with global climate change. rsif.royalsocietypublishing.org J. R. Soc. Interface 15: 20180448 rsif.royalsocietypublishing.org J. R. Soc. Interface 15: 20180448

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“…4d). The dynamics of DON in reef systems have been addressed in a few studies (e.g., Haas and Wild, 2010;Thibodeau et al, 2013;Ziegler and Benner, 1999), and there is some evidence that reef organisms including corals (Ferrier, 1991), sponges (Rix et al, 2017), and seagrasses (Vonk et al, 2008) can directly utilize DON. In summary, gross release of DIP may be derived from phytoplankton uptake on Tallon reef, but released DIN exceeds phytoplankton inputs and is likely derived from additional sources including remineralization of large particles and DON.…”

Section: Rates and Sources Of Benthic Release Of Din And Dipmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tidal and seasonal forcing of dissolved nutrient fluxes in reef communities

2019

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Abstract. Benthic fluxes of dissolved nutrients in reef communities are controlled by oceanographic forcing, including local hydrodynamics and seasonal changes in oceanic nutrient supply. Up to a third of reefs worldwide can be characterized as having circulation that is predominantly tidally forced, yet almost all previous research on reef nutrient fluxes has focused on systems with wave-driven circulation. Fluxes of dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus were measured on a strongly tide-dominated reef platform with a spring tidal range exceeding 8 m. Nutrient fluxes were estimated using a one-dimensional control volume approach, combining flow measurements with modified Eulerian sampling of waters traversing the reef. Measured fluxes were compared to theoretical mass-transfer-limited uptake rates derived from flow speeds. Reef communities released 2.3 mmol m−2 d−1 of nitrate, potentially derived from the remineralization of phytoplankton and dissolved organic nitrogen. Nutrient concentrations and flow speeds varied between the major benthic communities (coral reef and seagrass), resulting in spatial variability in estimated nitrate uptake rates. Rapid changes in flow speed and water depth are key characteristics of tide-dominated reefs, which caused mass-transfer-limited nutrient uptake rates to vary by an order of magnitude on timescales of ∼ minutes–hours. Seasonal nutrient supply was also a strong control on reef mass-transfer-limited uptake rates, and increases in offshore dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations during the wet season caused an estimated twofold increase in uptake.

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Toward a universal mass‐momentum transfer relationship for predicting nutrient uptake and metabolite exchange in benthic reef communities

Cited by 11 publications

References 56 publications

Nitrogen enrichment and speciation in a coral reef lagoon driven by groundwater inputs of bird guano

Nitrogen enrichment and speciation in a coral reef lagoon driven by groundwater inputs of bird guano

The role of turbulent hydrodynamics and surface morphology on heat and mass transfer in corals

Tidal and seasonal forcing of dissolved nutrient fluxes in reef communities

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