Role of elevated organic carbon levels and microbial activity in coral mortality
David I. Kline, Neilan M. Kuntz, Mya Breitbart, Nancy Knowlton, Forest Rohwer
Marine Ecology Progress Series, Vol. 314 (May 22 2006), pp. 119-125
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/24870119
Here we experimentally show that routinely measured components of water quality (nitrate, phosphate, ammonia) do not cause substantial coral mortality. In contrast, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), which is rarely measured on reefs, does.
‘Nuff said!
But the whole article is available, so as usual – click through and read it!
Reef Success 