Life and death of a sewage treatment plant recorded in a coral skeleton δ15N record. Issue 1 (15th July 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Duprey, Nicolas N.; Wang, Xingchen T.; Thompson, Philip D.; Pleadwell, Jeffrey E.; Raymundo, Laurie J.; Kim, Kiho; Sigman, Daniel M.; Baker, David M.
• Is Part Of: Marine pollution bulletin. Volume 120:Issue 1/2(2017)
• Page Start: 109
• Page End: 116
• Publication Date: 2017-07-15
• Subjects: Coral reefs -- Sewage -- Stable nitrogen isotopes -- Porites sp. -- Eutrophication; Marine pollution -- Periodicals; Marine Biology -- Periodicals; Water Pollution -- Periodicals; Mer -- Pollution -- Périodiques; Publications périodiques; Pollution des mers; Lutte antipollution; Electronic journals; 363.7394
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.04.023
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0025-326X

Abstract

Abstract: We investigated the potential of coral skeleton δ 15 N (CS-δ 15 N) records for tracking anthropogenic-N sources in coral reef ecosystems. We produced a 56 yr-long CS-δ 15 N record (1958–2014) from a reef flat in Guam that has been exposed to varying 1) levels of sewage treatment 2) population density, and 3) land use. Increasing population density (from < 30 to 300 ind·km − 2 ) and land use changes in the watershed resulted in a ~ 1‰ enrichment of the CS-δ 15 N record until a sewage treatment plant (STP) started operation in 1975. Then, CS-δ 15 N stabilized, despite continued population density and land use changes. Based on population and other considerations, a continued increase in the sewage footprint might have been expected over this time. The stability of CS-δ 15 N, either contradicts this expectation, or indicates that the impacts on the outer reef at the coring site were buffered by the mixing of reef water with the open ocean. Highlights: CS-δ 15 N records responds to human population density change for > 30 ind·km − 2 . Sewage treatment systems may decouple population changes and CS-δ 15 N variation. CS-δ 15 N records can bring information the history of coastal water quality. It is crucial to obtain baseline δ 15 N values from periods of no human influence.