Organic nutrients
Depending on its form, organic matter is usually categorized in dissolved and particulate matter. The latter can be
divided into detrital or living particulate matter. Dissolved
organic matter includes, among others, sugars, free amino
acids and urea (Groveret al.2006, 2008). Detrital organic
matter is mainly in the form of marine snow, or sediment
particles, which are deposited and can be resuspended near
the corals (Anthony 1999). Finally, live particulate matter
contains all sorts of planktonic organisms, including pico-,
nano- and mesozooplankton (Houlbreque & Ferrier-Pages
2009). However, due to physical constraints or to their
feeding selectivity, not all coral species can ingest all ranges
of particles (Sorokin 1991; Sebenset al. 1996; Lealet al.
2014b). It is important to note that there is no ideal prey to
nourish corals, as feeding preferences vary with coral species and prey capture rates. In addition, digestion is species
specific (Lealet al.2014c).