Offshore pelagic subsidies dominate carbon inputs to coral reef predators
Skinner, C.; Mill, A.C.; Fox, M.D.; Newman, S.P.; Zhu, Y.; Kuhl, A.; Polunin, N.V.C. (2021). Offshore pelagic subsidies dominate carbon inputs to coral reef predators. Science Advances 7(8): eabf3792. https://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abf3792
In: Science Advances. AAAS: New York. e-ISSN 2375-2548, more
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| Authors | | Top | Dataset |
- Skinner, C.
- Mill, A.C.
- Fox, M.D.
- Newman, S.P.
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- Zhu, Y.
- Kuhl, A.
- Polunin, N.V.C.
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| Abstract |
Coral reefs were traditionally perceived as productive hot spots in oligotrophic waters. While modern evidence indicates that many coral reef food webs are heavily subsidized by planktonic production, the pathways through which this occurs remain unresolved. We used the analytical power of carbon isotope analysis of essential amino acids to distinguish between alternative carbon pathways supporting four key reef predators across an oceanic atoll. This technique separates benthic versus planktonic inputs, further identifying two distinct planktonic pathways (nearshore reef-associated plankton and offshore pelagic plankton), and revealing that these reef predators are overwhelmingly sustained by offshore pelagic sources rather than by reef sources (including reef-associated plankton). Notably, pelagic reliance did not vary between species or reef habitats, emphasizing that allochthonous energetic subsidies may have system-wide importance. These results help explain how coral reefs maintain exceptional productivity in apparently nutrient-poor tropical settings, but also emphasize their susceptibility to future ocean productivity fluctuations |
| Dataset |
- Skinner, C.; Mill, A.C.; Fox, M.D.; Newman, S.P.; Zhu, Y.; Kuhl, A.; Polunin, N.V.C.; School of Natural and Environmental Sciences. Newcastle University; School of Chemistry. University of Bristol: United Kingdom; Banyan Tree Marine Lab, Vabbinfaru: Republic of the Maldives; Department of Geology and Geophysics. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution: USA; Hong Kong University of Science and Technology: Hong Kong; (2020): Carbon stable isotope data of essential amino acids of predator and consumer reef fish species across North Malé Atoll, Maldives. Marine Data Archive., more
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