Linking sewage pollution and water quality to spatial patterns of Porites lobata growth anomalies in Puako, Hawaii

MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN

卷:104

Article

Yoshioka, Reyn M.¹  Kim, Catherine J. S.^1,3  Tracy, Allison M.¹  Most, Rebecca²  Harvell, C. Drew¹ 

[1] Cornell Univ, Dept Ecol & Evolutionary Biol, 323 Corson Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA

[2] Nature Conservancy, 923 Nuuanu Ave, Honolulu, HI 96817 USA

[3] Univ Queensland, Sch Biol Sci, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia

关键词: Coral disease;    Porites growth anomaly;    Sewage pollution;    delta N-15;    Hawaii;    Enterococci;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.01.002

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Sewage pollution threatens the health of coastal populations and ecosystems, including coral reefs. We investigated spatial patterns of sewage pollution in Puako, Hawaii using enterococci concentrations and delta N-15 Ulva fasciata macroalgal bioassays to assess relationships with the coral disease Porites lobata growth anomalies (PGAs). PGA severity and enterococci concentrations were high, spatially variable, and positively related. Bioassay algal delta N-15 showed low sewage pollution at the reef edge while high values of resident algae indicated sewage pollution nearshore. Neither delta N-15 metric predicted PGA measures, though bioassay delta N-15 was negatively related to coral cover. Furthermore, PGA prevalence was much higher than previously recorded in Hawaii and the greater Indo-Pacific, highlighting Puako as an area of concern. Although further work is needed to resolve the relationship between sewage pollution and coral cover and disease, these results implicate sewage pollution as a contributor to diminished reef health. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

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