Dissolved fatty acids in seawater from a fringing reef and a barrier reef at Grand Cayman1

The concentration of dissolved fatty acids decreased in seawater as it flowed across a windward barrier reef at Grand Cayman. No comparable changes were observed over a leeward fringing reef although an increasingly enriched organic surface layer could be detected as distance from shore increased. across reefs (e.g. Johannes et al. 1972). Here I report observations on changes in dissolved fatty acids in water crossing a Caribbean barrier reef, with measurements from water collected over a fringing reef for comparison. Several oceanographers have worked on the biological productivity of coral reef communities. A common approach has been to measure changes in concentration of various chemical properties as seawater flows I thank J. W. Porter and J. S. Patton for comments on this manuscript. ’ This investigation was supported by funds from the American Philosophical Society and from the Rackham School of The University of Michigan. Samples were taken during March 1974 at Grand Cayman in the British West Indies. A barrier reef off the northwest tip of the island and a fringing reef off the western shore were selected ( Fig. 1). Prevailing winds were from the northeast, resulting in an onshore wind over the barrier reef area and an offshore wind over the fringing reef