1. Abiotic conditions drive significant variability in nutrient processing by a common Caribbean sponge, Ircinia felix.
- Author
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Archer, Stephanie K., Stevens, Julia L., Rossi, Ryann E., Matterson, Kenan O., and Layman, Craig A.
- Subjects
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SPONGES (Invertebrates) , *ABIOTIC environment , *NUTRIENT cycles , *CORAL reefs & islands , *CARBON compounds - Abstract
Coral reefs typically occur in oligotrophic waters, where tight recycling of energy and nutrients is essential in order to support their high productivity. Sponges are efficient filter feeders that host diverse and abundant microbial communities that often contain members capable of carrying out complex nutrient transformations. Consequently, sponges often act as significant sources of bioavailable forms of nitrogen and phosphorus while acting as sinks for dissolved organic carbon (DOC). However, little attention has focused on variability of nutrient release by sponges and no studies have reported how abiotic conditions may impact sponge-driven changes in nutrient concentrations. Here, we show that a common Caribbean sponge, Ircinia felix, is capable of being both a source and a sink for DOC, ammonium, nitrate/nitrite ( [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2017
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