Coral mucus fuels the sponge loop in warm- and cold-water coral reef ecosystems.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Rix L
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4703987 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Coral mucus fuels the sponge loop in warm- and cold-water coral reef ecosystems.
Rix Laura L de Goeij Jasper M JM Mueller Christina E CE Struck Ulrich U Middelburg Jack J JJ van Duyl Fleur C FC Al-Horani Fuad A FA Wild Christian C Naumann Malik S MS van Oevelen Dick D
Scientific reports 20160107
Shallow warm-water and deep-sea cold-water corals engineer the coral reef framework and fertilize reef communities by releasing coral mucus, a source of reef dissolved organic matter (DOM). By transforming DOM into particulate detritus, sponges play a key role in transferring the energy and nutrients in DOM to higher trophic levels on Caribbean reefs via the so-called sponge loop. Coral mucus may be a major DOM source for the sponge loop, but mucus uptake by sponges has not been demonstrated. He ...[more]
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