Coral Skeleton δ¹⁵N as a Tracer of Historic Nutrient Loading to a Coral Reef in Maui, Hawaii.

ABSTRACT: Excess nutrient loading to nearshore environments has been linked to declining water quality and ecosystem health. Macro-algal blooms, eutrophication, and reduction in coral cover have been observed in West Maui, Hawaii, and linked to nutrient inputs from coastal submarine groundwater seeps. Here, we present a forty-year record of nitrogen isotopes (δ¹⁵N) of intra-crystalline coral skeletal organic matter in three coral cores collected at this site and evaluate the record in terms of changes in nitrogen sources. Our results show a dramatic increase in coral δ¹⁵N values after 1995, corresponding with the implementation of biological nutrient removal at the nearby Lahaina Wastewater Reclamation Facility (LWRF). High δ¹⁵N values are known to be strongly indica

SUBMITTER: Murray J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6447536 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature