NutrientLoading

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Nutrient Loading

Coral reefs thrive in nutrient poor water. Excess nutrients from runoff, wastewater treatment plants, coastal development, marinas, etc. can encourage the growth of fast-growing macroalgae, which can smother a reef.

A new study has shown that reefs overgrown with algae or characterized by coral rubble send chemical cues that repel juvenile fish, while healthy coral colonies attract new recruits.

Dixson, Danielle L., David Abrego, and Mark E. Hay. Chemically mediated behavior of recruiting corals and fishes: A tipping point that may limit reef recovery. Science 22 August 2014: Vol. 345 no. 6199 pp. 892-897. DOI: 10.1126/science.1255057

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