Groundwater flow can alter coral reef chemistry and trigger ecosystem-wide changes
Groundwater input to coral reefs directly affects water chemistry and triggers a cascade of changes in the coastal ecosystem, according to a new study led by University of Hawaiʻi (UH) at Mānoa oceanographers. Freshwater from land that flows into the ocean beneath the sea surface, termed submarine groundwater discharge, was found to increase nutrient availability, change acidity of the seawater, and impact the process by which corals build their skeletons. This research, published recently in Ecological Monographs, provides critical insights into the complex interactions between the land and ocean.
Groundwater input to coral reefs directly affects water chemistry and triggers a cascade of changes in the coastal ecosystem, according to a new study led by University of Hawaiʻi (UH) at Mānoa oceanographers. Freshwater from land that flows into the ocean beneath the sea surface, termed submarine groundwater discharge, was found to increase nutrient availability, change acidity of the seawater, and impact the process by which corals build their skeletons. This research, published recently in Ecological Monographs, provides critical insights into the complex interactions between the land and ocean.
