Since 1990, coral reefs off southeast Florida have experienced an unprecedented succession of macroalgal blooms and invasions. To determine if anthropogenic land-based nitrogen (N) sources support these HABs, we collected macroalgal tissue for stable nitrogen isotope (d15N) analysis at three spatially distinct depths ranging from the shallow subtidal to the shelf break (~43 m) along seven transects from Jupiter to Deerfield Beach, Florida, USA. This sampling was initiated during a historically significant drought in the spring of 2001 when rainfall, stormwater runoff, and upwelling were at a minimum. The sampling was repeated in the summer wet season following significant stormwater runoff and during a strong upwelling event.
This is the author’s version of a work accepted for publication byElsevier. Changes resulting from the publishing process, including peer review, editing,corrections, structural formatting and other quality control mechanisms, may not be reflectedin this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted forpublication. The definitive version has been published athttp://www.elsevier.com/locate/hal and may be cited as Lapointe, Brian E., Peter J. Barile,Mark M. Littler, Diane S. Littler (2005) Macroalgal blooms on southeast Florida coral reefs II.Cross‐shelf discrimination of nitrogen sources indicates widespread assimilation of sewage nitrogen, Harmful Algae 4:1106–1122 doi:10.1016/j.hal.2005.06.002
Florida Atlantic University. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute contribution #1596.