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Urea is a dynamic pool of bioavailable nitrogen in coral reefs

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Abstract

Urea may be an important source of nitrogen in low nutrient coral reef environments because corals and other organisms can assimilate it easily and it is found throughout ocean waters. We measured the distribution and concentrations of urea in seagrass beds, areas of schooling fish, coral formations and bottom sediments in the Upper Florida Keys Reef Tract. The flux of urea from bottom sediments was also measured. Ambient concentrations of urea in the offshore reefs were similar to the concentrations of nitrate and ammonium. Seagrass beds, areas of schooling fish and coral formations had elevated concentrations of urea that were up to eight times higher than nitrate in the system. Numerous ephemeral hotspots of urea that were 8–20 times the ambient urea concentration existed in seagrass beds, areas of schooling fish, and above sediments. Coastal areas and inland canals had high urea concentrations where urban runoff and septic effluents were prevalent, but there was no anthropogenic influence in the offshore habitats. Urea concentrations above bottom sediments were not different from ambient concentrations and benthic flux chamber incubations showed biological activity in carbonaceous sediments but no net urea production. The decrease in urea concentrations from coasts and inland waterways to a consistent ambient concentration in the offshore reef system and ephemeral hotspots of high urea concentration suggest that urea is a dynamic pool of bioavailable nitrogen in the reefs of the Upper Florida Keys.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the staff at the National Undersea Research Center for help with sample collection. The comments of Deborah Bronk and three anonymous reviewers greatly improved the manuscript and feedback from Ruth Yanai was invaluable throughout the writing process. This material is based on work supported by a grant from the National Undersea Research Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program. These statements, findings, conclusions, views, and recommendations are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of any of those organizations.

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  1. State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA

    J. B. Crandall & M. A. Teece

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  1. J. B. Crandall
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Correspondence to J. B. Crandall.

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Communicated by Geology Editor Prof. Bernhard Riegl

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Crandall, J.B., Teece, M.A. Urea is a dynamic pool of bioavailable nitrogen in coral reefs. Coral Reefs 31, 207–214 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-011-0836-1

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