Coral skeletons reveal the history of nitrogen cycling in the coastal Great Barrier Reef

Anthropogenic nutrient discharge to coastal marine environments is commonly associated with excessive algal growth and ecosystem degradation. However in the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem, the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), the response to enhanced terrestrial nutrient inputs since European settlement in the 1850’s remains unclear. Here we use a 333 year old composite record (1680–2012) of 15 N/ 14 N in coral skeleton-bound organic matter to...