[Coral-List] Szmant 2002: Great review on nutrient enrichment on coral reefs

[Billy Causey - NOAA Federal]

Johns 2 and Dennis,
John Ogden is correct. This paper of Alina's was very helpful during the
early planning days for the Florida Keys NMS.  And, Alina contributed in so
many other ways, as did John Ogden and the research of John Bruno.
Thank you all!!

Billy

On Wed, May 2, 2018 at 2:40 PM, John Ogden <jogden at usf.edu> wrote:

> Thanks John and Dennis.  it is good to see this again.  This paper was a
> critical contribution to the "nutrient wars" fought largely in the press
> in the first years of the Keys Sanctuary.   John
>
> On 5/2/2018 10:27 AM, Dennis Hubbard wrote:
> > Thanks John:
> >
> > I've known Alina as a friend and colleague since the early 80s on St.
> > Croix. This was an excellent contribution at the time. I'm sure she would
> > acknowledge that the idea of "local" has expanded, but you are right that
> > we need more of this kind of measured but informed commentary.
> >
> > Dennis
> >
> > On Tue, May 1, 2018 at 6:38 AM, Bruno, John <jbruno at unc.edu> wrote:
> >
> >> Dear listers,
> >>
> >> Over the weekend I read, for the 3rd or 4th time, Alina Szmant’s (2002)
> >> incredible review "Nutrient Enrichment on Coral Reefs: Is It a Major
> Cause
> >> of Coral Reef Decline?” and wanted to share it with you.
> >>
> >> It’s an amazing paper and a good example of how to critically evaluate
> >> evidence for a perceived impact. Very thorough and unbiased. You can
> >> download it here:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/
> >> q6j144vwzx66e2u/Szmant%202002.pdf?dl=0
> >>
> >>
> >> Here’s the abstract:
> >>
> >> Coral reefs are degrading worldwide at an alarming rate. Nutrient
> >> over-enrichment is considered a major cause of this decline because
> >> degraded coral reefs generally exhibit a shift from high coral cover
> (low
> >> algal cover) to low coral cover with an accompanying high cover and
> biomass
> >> of fleshy algae. Support for such claims is equivocal at best. Critical
> >> examination of both experimental laboratory and field studies of
> nutrient
> >> effects on corals and coral reefs, including the Elevated Nutrient on
> Coral
> >> Reefs Experiment (ENCORE) enrichment experiment conducted on the Great
> >> Barrier Reef, does not support the idea that the levels of nutrient
> >> enrichment documented at anthropogenically-enriched sites can affect the
> >> physiology of corals in a harmful way, or for most cases, be the sole or
> >> major cause of shifts in coral- algal abundance. Factors other than
> >> nutrient enrichment can be significant causes of coral death and affect
> >> algal cover, and include decreased abundance of grazing fishes by
> fishing,
> >> and of grazing sea urchins to disease; grazing preferences of remaining
> >> grazers; temperature stress that kills coral (i.e., coral bleaching) and
> >> creates more open substrate for algal colonization; sedimentation stress
> >> that can weaken adult corals and prevent coral recruitment; coral
> diseases
> >> that may be secondary to coral bleaching; and outbreaks of coral
> predators
> >> and sea urchins that may be secondary effects of overfishing. Any factor
> >> that leads to coral death or reduces levels of herbivory will leave more
> >> substrate open for algal colonization or make the effects of even
> low-level
> >> enrichment more severe. Factors that contribute to an imbalance between
> >> production and consumption will result in community structure changes
> >> similar to those expected from over- enrichment. Over-enrichment can be
> and
> >> has been the cause of localized coral reef degradation, but the case for
> >> widespread effects is not substantiated.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
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> >> Coral-List at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> >> http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/mailman/listinfo/coral-list
> >
> >
> >
>
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-- 
Billy D. Causey, Ph.D.
Senior Policy Advisor
NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
National Marine Protected Areas Center
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Key West, Florida 33040

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Email:  Billy.Causey at noaa.gov

*"Mother, Mother Ocean ...I have heard you call ..."*
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