Walking the Nutrient Tight Rope

A study conducted by the University of Southampton details how the health of coral and its susceptibility to bleaching depends heavily on the health of zooxanthellae—the single-celled algae that lives symbiotically with coral and gives it its color. According to the research, zooxanthellae require a combination of high levels of phosphate and low levels of dissolved nitrogen compounds in order to avoid nutrient starvation.  However, Dr Jörg Wiedenmann, who led the study, reminds us that “…the most severe impact on coral health might actually not arise from the over-enrichment with one group of nutrients, for example, nitrogen, but from the resulting relative depletion of other types such as phosphate that is caused by the increased demand of the growing zooxanthellae populations.” Read more here!