Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science Graduate Program, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, 200 W. Kawili St., Hilo, HI 96720, USA; Marine Science Department, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, 200 W. Kawili St, Hilo, HI 96720, USA.
Marine Science Department, University of Hawai'i at Hilo, 200 W. Kawili St, Hilo, HI 96720, USA.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2018 May;130:335-347. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.03.028. Epub 2018 Apr 9.
While sewage pollution is contributing to the global decline of coral reefs, its offshore extent and direct reef impacts from water column mixing and benthic seeps are poorly documented. We addressed this knowledge gap on a Hawaiian coral reef using sewage indicator and benthic cover measurements, macroalgal bioassays, and a pollution scoring tool. Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and nutrient concentrations were spatially variable in surface and benthic waters, with shoreline values being highest. Shoreline macroalgae δN and %N indicated high nitrogen loads containing sewage, while offshore surface and benthic values suggested lower nitrogen loads from environmental sources. Coral cover was negatively correlated with FIB, macroalgal δN, and nutrient concentrations. Benthic salinity and temperature measurements detected daily tidal groundwater pulses which may explain these associations. While pollution scores revealed that sewage was largely concentrated along the shoreline, results showed some reached the reef and may be contributing to its declining condition.
尽管污水污染是导致全球珊瑚礁减少的原因之一，但污水对珊瑚礁的近海影响及其对水层混合和海底渗漏的直接影响还没有得到充分记录。我们使用污水指标和底栖覆盖物测量、大型藻类生物测定和污染评分工具，对夏威夷的珊瑚礁进行了这项研究。粪便指示菌 (FIB) 和营养物浓度在地表水和底栖水中存在空间变异性，而岸边的值最高。岸边大型藻类的 δN 和 %N 表明含有高浓度的污水氮负荷，而近海的地表水和底栖水则表明来自环境源的氮负荷较低。珊瑚覆盖率与 FIB、大型藻类的 δN 和营养物浓度呈负相关。底栖盐度和温度测量检测到每日潮汐地下水脉冲，这可能解释了这些关联。虽然污染评分显示污水主要集中在岸边，但结果表明有些污水已经到达珊瑚礁，可能导致其状况恶化。
