Micronutrients also have an important role in coral
physiology. Trace elements, such as metals, can be incorporated into corals by a variety of mechanisms, such as trapping of particulate matter within skeletal cavities, coral
feeding and uptake of organic matter from coral tissue and
trace elements in dissolved form (Hanna & Muir 1990; Ferrier-Pageset al.2005). While micronutrients may be limiting when present in low concentrations (Ferrier-Pages
et al. 2005), elevated trace metal concentrations may be
harmful to corals (Aliet al.2011).