Enhanced pore-water nutrient fluxes by the upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea sp. in a Red Sea coral reef.
Jantzen, C, Wild, C, Rasheed, M, El-Zibdah, M and Richter, C (2010) Enhanced pore-water nutrient fluxes by the upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea sp. in a Red Sea coral reef. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 411 . pp. 117-125. DOI https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08623.
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
The common circum-tropical jellyfish Cassiopea sp., unlike other members of the Rhizostomidae (Scyphozoa), exhibits a primarily benthic life. The peculiar orientation of its exumbrella against the sediment is believed to be associated with its mainly autotrophic nutrition, i.e. exposing its zooxanthellae-bearing photosynthetic oral appendages to the sunlight. Here we show that the jellyfish also acts as a nutrient pump, drawing nutrient-rich pore waters from the permeable sediments. Depletion of pore-water ammonium in situ, light-enhanced ammonium uptake, and high rates of photosynthesis determined via oxygen flux measurements and underwater fluorometer analysis (rapid light curves) show that Cassiopea sp. effectively harnesses pore-water nutrients. At high densities Cassiopea sp. may facilitate benthic-pelagic coupling and primary production in oligotrophic coral reefs.
Document Type: | Article |
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Programme Area: | UNSPECIFIED |
Research affiliation: | Ecology |
Refereed: | Yes |
Open Access Journal?: | No |
DOI: | https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08623 |
ISSN: | 0171-8630 |
Date Deposited: | 01 Oct 2019 14:49 |
Last Modified: | 01 Oct 2020 13:00 |
URI: | http://cris.leibniz-zmt.de/id/eprint/2984 |
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