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Early studies using acetylene reduction have vaux 1986) and are frequently covered by epiphytic suggested that macroalgae may contribute to nitrogen enrich- blue-green algae such as Calothrjx sp,(Hi] lis-Colin-ment of waters near coral reefs via nitrogen fixation by their vaux 1980) that are capable of nitrogen fixation as indi-epiphytic cyanophytes. Our objectives were to investigate the potential of stable nitrogen isotope analysis for detecting cated by reduction (Capone Capone et nitrogen fixatlon in near-reef macroalgae, and to compare a1 1977, Goldner 1980). Macroalgae may therefore these findings wlth those for different fixing and non-fixing contribute to the nitrogen enrichment of waters near autotrophs from other systems. We made collections of near- coral reefs (Baravetzka &~~~ k~~ 1986, B~~~~~ 1990), reef algae in Puerto Rico, seagrasses and macroalgae from the northeast coast of the US. and …