High rates of nitrogen fixation (acetylene reduction) on coral skeletons following bleaching mortality

Abstract

Nubbins of the coral Acropora aspera were artificially bleached and nitrogen fixation ( acetylene reduction) rates were measured on the developing epilithic communities. Seasonal comparisons were made between corals that died in summer of heat stress and corals that died in winter from natural cold stress. Rates of acetylene reduction from artificially bleached corals peaked at 26.66 nmol cm(-2) h(-1) 2 weeks after summer mortality, while rates from natural winter mortality peaked at 18.07 nmol cm(-2) h(-1) 12 days after coral death. Comparative rates of acetylene reduction taken from live corals and coral rubble ranged between 0.56 and 1.16 nmol cm(-2) h(-1), and 0.15 and 12.77 nmol cm(-2) h(-1), respectively. N-2-fixation rates from dead corals were up to 30 times greater than those measured on live corals. The observed increase in N-2-fixation from dead corals may increase the availability of nitrogen for use in trophic processes within the reef for an extended period following the initial mortality event. If the spatial scale over which coral mortality has occurred in past thermal bleaching events is considered the ramifications of such an increase may be substantial.