new research - some algae is harmful when adjacent to coral

[rwb500]

http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2011/11/15/rspb.2011.2155.short?rss=1

The abstract states that certain macroalgae (including halimeda) and also some turf algae can harm a certain montastraea stony coral by causing hypoxia in adjacent coral tissue. But coralline algae did not appear to be bad for the coral (no surprise there).

is this new knowledge? I always thought that algae could only harm coral by blocking light.

 

[m2434]

The idea that algae is harmful to corals isn't new. It's been understood for some time that algae release carbon byproducts, which can drive bacterial growth and harm corals through various means, such as disrupt symbiosis, or hypoxia as a result of consuming available O2 in the corals tissue. I thinks what's new is they've looked at specific algae and have modeled the interaction between algae and human activities. I haven't read the article yet though, I will have to when I have some more free time...