Microbial Interactions with Dissolved Organic Matter Are Central to Coral Reef Ecosystem Function and Resilience

To thrive in nutrient-poor waters, coral reefs must retain and recycle materials efficiently. This review centers microbial processes in facilitating the persistence and stability of coral reefs, specifically the role of these processes in transforming and recycling the dissolved organic matter (DOM...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annual review of marine science 2023-01, Vol.15 (1), p.431-460
Main Authors: Nelson, Craig E, Wegley Kelly, Linda, Haas, Andreas F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accretion
Biodiversity
Coral reef ecosystems
Coral Reefs
deoxygenation
Deposition
Dissolved Organic Matter
Ecological function
Ecosystem
ecosystem function
Environmental degradation
Habitats
Metabolism
microbiomes
Microorganisms
nutrient cycling
Nutrient retention
Recycling
Resilience
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Summary:To thrive in nutrient-poor waters, coral reefs must retain and recycle materials efficiently. This review centers microbial processes in facilitating the persistence and stability of coral reefs, specifically the role of these processes in transforming and recycling the dissolved organic matter (DOM) that acts as an invisible currency in reef production, nutrient exchange, and organismal interactions. The defining characteristics of coral reefs, including high productivity, balanced metabolism, high biodiversity, nutrient retention, and structural complexity, are inextricably linked to microbial processing of DOM. The composition of microbes and DOM in reefs is summarized, and the spatial and temporal dynamics of biogeochemical processes carried out by microorganisms in diverse reef habitats are explored in a variety of key reef processes, including decomposition, accretion, trophictransfer, and macronutrient recycling. Finally, we examine how widespread habitat degradation of reefs is altering these important microbe-DOM interactions, creating feedbacks that reduce reef resilience to global change.
ISSN:1941-1405
1941-0611
DOI:10.1146/annurev-marine-042121-080917