Marine ecosystems: Fish have big impact on nutrients, study finds
The studies were co-authored by a University of Georgia student.
Researchers have found that fish play a much more important role in contributing nutrients to marine ecosystems than has been thought. Two studies co-authored by Jacob Allgeier, a doctoral student in the UGA Odum School of Ecology, say fish inject more nutrients into marine ecosystems than any other source. The studies were published in the journal Ecology. In most tropical coastal ecosystems, the primary food sources such as sea grass and algae cannot grow and thrive without enough phosphorus and nitrogen in the environment. In marine food webs, Allgeier says, fish are usually thought of as predators, consuming microorganisms, plants and smaller animals. But through their excretions, they provide the essential fertilizer that algae and …
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