and degradation within a relatively short time range. Excess organic carbon produced in the atoll is not exported from the reef to the ocean as particulate matter. Very low organic carbon content in the reef sediment also indicates rapid decomposition of organic matter.
Acknowledgments. We express our appreciation to Dr. H. Tsubota, Prof. T. Nakamori and Prof. S. V. Smith for valuable discussions. We also thank I. Saito, K. Ohkushi, K. Sasaki, T. Kitao, T. Sugimoto and S. Tomizuka for their assistance in the field. This study was supported by the "Northwest Pacific Carbon Cycle Study", consigned to the Kansai Environmental Engineering Center Co. Ltd. by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization.
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