sediment communities) in nutrient processing of the total system. From my own 

 bias, I perceive the need to "balance the books" of nutrient fluxes in entire 

 reef systems as a recurrent—and important--theme. 



Solar radiation is clearly fundamental to the community metabolism of 

 reefs, yet our understanding of metabolic responses to light remains poor. 

 Traditionally, most studies of coral reef metabolism have not adequately 

 considered either the quantity or the quality of incident solar radiation, 

 light attenuation through the water column, or loss of radiant energy through 

 back-scattering. This situation is beginning to change. We see among the 

 papers in these volumes several attempts to evaluate the metabolic response of 

 reefs to light. More work is needed. 



Finally, I observe that students of coral reefs tend to emphasize the 

 unique characteristics which make reefs such pleasurable places to work. I 

 suggest that we have a great deal more to learn, as ecologists, by considering 

 coral reefs within the spectrum of other ecosystems than we will ever learn by 

 treating reefs as unique. 



LITERATURE CITED 



Johannes, R. E., and the Project Symbios Team. 1972. "The Metabolism of Some 

 Coral Reef Communities: A Team Study of Nutrient and Energy Flux at Eniwetok." 

 BioScience 22:541-543. 



Odum, H. T., and E. P. Odum. 1955. "Trophic Structure and Productivity of a 

 Windward Coral Reef Community on Eniwetok Atoll." Ecol . Monogr. 25:291-320. 



Sargent, M. C, and T. S. Austin. 1949. "Organic Productivity of an Atoll." 

 Trans. Amer. Geophys. Union 30:245-249. 



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