Phosphorus and nitrogen in coral reef sediments
The occurrence of P and N in the sediments has been investigated on Davies Reef in the central region of the Great Barrier Reef Complex. Concentrations of inorganic P and N in the water were typical of nutrient-depleted tropical surface water. Carbonate sediments were found to contain a uniform pool of P (300 ppm by wt), principally in the form of inorganic phosphate. The interstitial water of the surface layer of sediment contained micromolar concentrations of inorganic P and even higher concentrations of inorganic N, principally as ammonium. These nutrient concentrations were considered too low to compete significantly with the uptake of available phasphate into algae. The presence of ammonium and soluble P was associated with anaerobic redox potentials in the sediments just below the surface. Soluble phosphorus was in equilibrium with a small, rapidly exchangeable fraction of the sedimentary pool of inorganic phosphate. Analyses of P in growing tips of Halimeda and corals (which supply more than half of reef sediments) suggested that the skeletons provide a biological mechanism for the replenishment of at least some of the sedimentary pool. Ratios of C:N:P for a selection of benthic algae were used as a preliminary indicator of thier N and P status.
- Research Organization:
- Australian Inst. of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia
- OSTI ID:
- 6983703
- Journal Information:
- Limnol. Oceanogr.; (United States), Vol. 28:3
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
INTERSTITIAL WATER
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
NITROGEN
WATER CHEMISTRY
PHOSPHORUS
SEDIMENTS
ARSENATES
CARBONATE ROCKS
CORALS
NITRATES
NITRITES
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
REEFS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMISTRY
CNIDARIA
ELEMENTS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
ROCKS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
WATER
520100* - Environment
Aquatic- Basic Studies- (-1989)
400102 - Chemical & Spectral Procedures