TY - JOUR
T1 - Flow effects on benthic grazing on phytoplankton by a Caribbean reef
AU - Monismith, Stephen G.
AU - Davis, Kristen A.
AU - Shellenbarger, Gregory G.
AU - Hench, James L.
AU - Nidzieko, Nicholas J.
AU - Santoro, Alyson E.
AU - Reidenbach, Matthew A.
AU - Rosman, Johanna H.
AU - Holtzman, Roi
AU - Martens, Christopher S.
AU - Lindquist, Niels L.
AU - Southwell, Melissa W.
AU - Genin, Amatzia
PY - 2010/9
Y1 - 2010/9
N2 - We present measurements of flows and fluxes of phytoplankton to Conch Reef, Florida, a Caribbean reef dominated by sponges and soft corals, located in 15 m of water offshore of Key Largo. Vertical profiles of chlorophyll a, a proxy for phytoplankton biomass, showed a near-bed depletion, indicating the existence of concentration boundary layers. Along with simultaneous measurements of velocity profiles, near-bed turbulence, and temperature stratification, these profiles were used to compute α, the mass transfer velocity of phytoplankton to the bed (i.e., the flux to the bed normalized by near-bed concentration). The a value ranged from-40 to +130 m d-1, with a significant linear positive relationship with shear velocity. The median value of a = 48 ± 20 m d-1 is larger than would be expected, given the observed population of filter-feeding sponges. Nonetheless, these large values of α are consistent with values found recently for another coral reef as well as for a soft bottom estuarine community. Taken as a whole, these measurements indicate that reefs with large roughness and/or energetic currents should be able to support higher biomasses of benthic organisms than would low relief reefs or reefs in sluggish waters.
AB - We present measurements of flows and fluxes of phytoplankton to Conch Reef, Florida, a Caribbean reef dominated by sponges and soft corals, located in 15 m of water offshore of Key Largo. Vertical profiles of chlorophyll a, a proxy for phytoplankton biomass, showed a near-bed depletion, indicating the existence of concentration boundary layers. Along with simultaneous measurements of velocity profiles, near-bed turbulence, and temperature stratification, these profiles were used to compute α, the mass transfer velocity of phytoplankton to the bed (i.e., the flux to the bed normalized by near-bed concentration). The a value ranged from-40 to +130 m d-1, with a significant linear positive relationship with shear velocity. The median value of a = 48 ± 20 m d-1 is larger than would be expected, given the observed population of filter-feeding sponges. Nonetheless, these large values of α are consistent with values found recently for another coral reef as well as for a soft bottom estuarine community. Taken as a whole, these measurements indicate that reefs with large roughness and/or energetic currents should be able to support higher biomasses of benthic organisms than would low relief reefs or reefs in sluggish waters.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77958025740&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.4319/lo.2010.55.5.1881
DO - 10.4319/lo.2010.55.5.1881
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AN - SCOPUS:77958025740
SN - 0024-3590
VL - 55
SP - 1881
EP - 1892
JO - Limnology and Oceanography
JF - Limnology and Oceanography
IS - 5
ER -