Comparison of coral reef communities in proximity to ocean effluent pipes off the north coast of Puerto Rico.

ABSTRACT: Coral reefs are declining globally as a result of multiple stressors, including land-based stressors, such as sedimentation and pollution, and those that are related to a changing climate, such as increases in ocean acidification. Degradation of US Caribbean coral reef biota has been associated with exposure to sewage effluent from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) maintains WWTPs on the north coast of Puerto Rico, which release effluent into the marine environment in the vicinity of coral reefs. Using data collected by PRASA surveys conducted from 1999 to 2013, we examined coral reef condition at survey sites to identify potential changes or differences in reefs with respect to their proximity to the WWTP effluent pipes (e.g., upstre

SUBMITTER: Santavy DL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10019351 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature