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Burgess SC, Turner AM, Johnston EC. Niche breadth and divergence in sympatric cryptic coral species ( Pocillopora spp.) across habitats within reefs and among algal symbionts. Evol Appl 2024; 17:e13762. [PMID: 39100752 PMCID: PMC11294925 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
While the presence of morphologically cryptic species is increasingly recognized, we still lack a useful understanding of what causes and maintains co-occurring cryptic species and its consequences for the ecology, evolution, and conservation of communities. We sampled 724 Pocillopora corals from five habitat zones (the fringing reef, back reef, and fore reef at 5, 10, and 20 m) at four sites around the island of Moorea, French Polynesia. Using validated genetic markers, we identified six sympatric species of Pocillopora, most of which cannot be reliably identified based on morphology: P. meandrina (42.9%), P. tuahiniensis (25.1%), P. verrucosa (12.2%), P. acuta (10.4%), P. grandis (7.73%), and P. cf. effusa (2.76%). For 423 colonies (58% of the genetically identified hosts), we also used psbA ncr or ITS2 markers to identify symbiont species (Symbiodiniaceae). The relative abundance of Pocillopora species differed across habitats within the reef. Sister taxa P. verrucosa and P. tuahiniensis had similar niche breadths and hosted the same specialist symbiont species (mostly Cladocopium pacificum) but the former was more common in the back reef and the latter more common deeper on the fore reef. In contrast, sister taxa P. meandrina and P. grandis had the highest niche breadths and overlaps and tended to host the same specialist symbiont species (mostly C. latusorum). Pocillopora acuta had the narrowest niche breadth and hosted the generalist, and more thermally tolerant, Durusdinium gynnii. Overall, there was a positive correlation between reef habitat niche breadth and symbiont niche breadth-Pocillopora species with a broader habitat niche also had a broader symbiont niche. Our results show how fine-scale variation within reefs plays an important role in the generation and coexistence of cryptic species. The results also have important implications for how niche differences affect community resilience, and for the success of coral restoration practices, in ways not previously appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott C. Burgess
- Department of Biological ScienceFlorida State UniversityTallahasseeFloridaUSA
| | - Alyssa M. Turner
- Department of Biological ScienceFlorida State UniversityTallahasseeFloridaUSA
| | - Erika C. Johnston
- Department of Biological ScienceFlorida State UniversityTallahasseeFloridaUSA
- Present address:
Hawai‘i Institute of Marine BiologyKāne‘oheHawaiiUSA
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2
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Liu C, Zhang Y, Botana MT, Fu Y, Huang L, Jiang L, Yu X, Luo Y, Huang H. The bioenergetics response of the coral Pocillopora damicornis to temperature changes during its reproduction stage. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 198:106557. [PMID: 38823094 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2024.106557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Sexual reproduction of reef-building corals is vital for coral reef ecosystem recovery. Corals allocate limited energy to growth and reproduction, when being under environmental disturbance, which ultimately shapes the community population dynamics. In the present study, energetic and physiological parameters of both parental colonies and larvae of the coral Pocillopora damicornis were measured during their reproduction stage under four temperatures; 28 °C (low-temperature acclimation, LA), 29 °C (control temperature, CT), 31 °C (high-temperature acclimation, HA), and 32 °C (heat stress, HS). The results showed temperature changes altered the larvae release timing and fecundity in P. damicornis. Parental colonies exposed to the LA treatment exhibited reduced investment in reproduction and released fewer larvae, while retaining more energy for their development. However, each larva acquired higher energy and symbiont densities enabling survival through longer planktonic periods before settlement. In contrast, parental colonies exposed to the HA treatment had increased investment for reproduction and larvae output, while per larva gained less energy to mitigate the threat of higher temperature. Furthermore, the energy allocation processes restructured fatty acids concentration and composition in both parental colonies and larvae as indicated by shifts in membrane fluidity under adaptable temperature changes. Notably, parental colonies from the HS treatment expended more energy in response to heat stress, resulting in adverse effects, especially after larval release. Our study expands the current knowledge on the energy allocation strategies of P. damicornis and how it is impacted by temperature. Parental colonies employed different energy allocation strategies under distinct temperature regimes to optimize their development and offspring success, but under heat stress, both were compromised. Lipid metabolism is essential for the success of coral reproduction and further understanding their response to heat stress can improve intervention strategies for coral reef conservation in warmer future oceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengyue Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China; Department of Ocean Science and Hong Kong Branch (HKB) of the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Hong Kong, China.
| | - Yuyang Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Marina Tonetti Botana
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Yousi Fu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA
| | - Lintao Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lei Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China; Department of Ocean Science and Hong Kong Branch (HKB) of the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaolei Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yong Luo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA; CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research, Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Oceanology, SCSIO, Sanya, China
| | - Hui Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China; CAS-HKUST Sanya Joint Laboratory of Marine Science Research, Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Biotechnology of Hainan Province, Sanya Institute of Oceanology, SCSIO, Sanya, China; Sanya National Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China.
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3
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Winslow EM, Speare KE, Adam TC, Burkepile DE, Hench JL, Lenihan HS. Corals survive severe bleaching event in refuges related to taxa, colony size, and water depth. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9006. [PMID: 38637581 PMCID: PMC11026537 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58980-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Marine heatwaves are increasing in frequency and duration, threatening tropical reef ecosystems through intensified coral bleaching events. We examined a strikingly variable spatial pattern of bleaching in Moorea, French Polynesia following a heatwave that lasted from November 2018 to July 2019. In July 2019, four months after the onset of bleaching, we surveyed > 5000 individual colonies of the two dominant coral genera, Pocillopora and Acropora, at 10 m and 17 m water depths, at six forereef sites around the island where temperature was measured. We found severe bleaching increased with colony size for both coral genera, but Acropora bleached more severely than Pocillopora overall. Acropora bleached more at 10 m than 17 m, likely due to higher light availability at 10 m compared to 17 m, or greater daily temperature fluctuation at depth. Bleaching in Pocillopora corals did not differ with depth but instead varied with the interaction of colony size and Accumulated Heat Stress (AHS), in that larger colonies (> 30 cm) were more sensitive to AHS than mid-size (10-29 cm) or small colonies (5-9 cm). Our findings provide insight into complex interactions among coral taxa, colony size, and water depth that produce high spatial variation in bleaching and related coral mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin M Winslow
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
| | - Kelly E Speare
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Thomas C Adam
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Deron E Burkepile
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - James L Hench
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Beaufort, NC, 28516, USA
| | - Hunter S Lenihan
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
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4
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Edmunds PJ, Maritorena S, Burgess SC. Early post-settlement events, rather than settlement, drive recruitment and coral recovery at Moorea, French Polynesia. Oecologia 2024; 204:625-640. [PMID: 38418704 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05517-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Understanding population dynamics is a long-standing objective of ecology, but the need for progress in this area has become urgent. For coral reefs, achieving this objective is impeded by a lack of information on settlement versus post-settlement events in determining recruitment and population size. Declines in coral abundance are often inferred to be associated with reduced densities of recruits, which could arise from mechanisms occurring at larval settlement, or throughout post-settlement stages. This study uses annual measurements from 2008 to 2021 of coral cover, the density of coral settlers (S), the density of small corals (SC), and environmental conditions, to evaluate the roles of settlement versus post-settlement events in determining rates of coral recruitment and changes in coral cover at Moorea, French Polynesia. Coral cover, S, SC, and the SC:S ratio (a proxy for post-settlement success), and environmental conditions, were used in generalized additive models (GAMs) to show that: (a) coral cover was more strongly related to SC and SC:S than S, and (b) SC:S was highest when preceded by cool seawater, low concentrations of Chlorophyll a, and low flow speeds, and S showed evidence of declining with elevated temperature. Together, these results suggest that changes in coral cover in Moorea are more strongly influenced by post-settlement events than settlement. The key to understanding coral community resilience may lie in elucidating the factors attenuating the bottleneck between settlers and small corals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Edmunds
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, CA, 91330-8303, USA.
| | - Stéphane Maritorena
- Earth Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106-3060, USA
| | - Scott C Burgess
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-4295, USA
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5
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Fong CR, Smith N, Catalan E, Caraveo BA, Barber PH, Fong P. Herbivorous sea urchins (Echinometra mathaei) support resilience on overfished and sedimented tropical reefs. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3829. [PMID: 38360981 PMCID: PMC10869737 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52222-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Human impacts are dramatically changing ecological communities, motivating research on resilience. Tropical reefs are increasingly undergoing transitions to short algal turf, a successional community that mediates either recovery to coral by allowing recruitment or transitions to longer turf/macroalgae. Intense herbivory limits turf height; subsequently, overfishing erodes resilience of the desirable coral-dominated reef state. Increased sedimentation also erodes resilience through smothering and herbivory suppression. In spite of this critical role, most herbivory studies on tropical reefs focus on fishes, and the contribution of urchins remains under-studied. To test how different herbivory and sedimentation scenarios impact turf resilience, we experimentally simulated, in situ, four future overfishing scenarios derived from patterns of fish and urchin loss in other reef systems and two future sedimentation regimes. We found urchins were critical to short turf resilience, maintaining this state even with reduced fish herbivory and increased sediment. Further, urchins cleared sediment, facilitating fish herbivory. This study articulates the likelihood of increased reliance on urchins on impacted reefs in the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Elijah Catalan
- Howard University, Washington DC, USA
- UCLA, Los Angeles, USA
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6
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Carlson RR, Crowder LB, Martin RE, Asner GP. The effect of reef morphology on coral recruitment at multiple spatial scales. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2311661121. [PMID: 38190515 PMCID: PMC10823213 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2311661121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs are in decline worldwide, making it increasingly important to promote coral recruitment in new or degraded habitat. Coral reef morphology-the structural form of reef substrate-affects many aspects of reef function, yet the effect of reef morphology on coral recruitment is not well understood. We used structure-from-motion photogrammetry and airborne remote sensing to measure reef morphology (rugosity, curvature, slope, and fractal dimension) across a broad continuum of spatial scales and evaluated the effect of morphology on coral recruitment in three broadcast-spawning genera. We also measured the effect of other environmental and biotic factors such as fish density, adult coral cover, hydrodynamic larval import, and depth on coral recruitment. All variables combined explained 72% of coral recruitment in the study region. Coarse reef rugosity and curvature mapped at ≥2 m spatial resolution-such as large colonies, knolls, and boulders-were positively correlated with coral recruitment, explaining 22% of variation in recruitment. Morphology mapped at finer scales (≤32 cm resolution) was not significant. Hydrodynamic larval import was also positively related to coral recruitment in Porites and Montipora spp., and grazer fish density was linked to significantly lower recruitment in all genera. In addition, grazer density, reef morphology, and hydrodynamic import had differential effects on coral genera, reflecting genus-specific life history traits, and model performance was lower in gonochoric species. Overall, coral reef morphology is a key indicator of recruitment potential that can be detected by remote sensing, allowing potential larval sinks to be identified and factored into restoration actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel R. Carlson
- Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources, Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science, Arizona State University, Hilo, HI96720
| | - Larry B. Crowder
- Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources, Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Roberta E. Martin
- Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science, Arizona State University, Hilo, HI96720
| | - Gregory P. Asner
- Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science, Arizona State University, Hilo, HI96720
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7
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Morais J, Tebbett SB, Morais RA, Bellwood DR. Natural recovery of corals after severe disturbance. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14332. [PMID: 37850584 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystem recovery from human-induced disturbances, whether through natural processes or restoration, is occurring worldwide. Yet, recovery dynamics, and their implications for broader ecosystem management, remain unclear. We explored recovery dynamics using coral reefs as a case study. We tracked the fate of 809 individual coral recruits that settled after a severe bleaching event at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef. Recruited Acropora corals, first detected in 2020, grew to coral cover levels that were equivalent to global average coral cover within just 2 years. Furthermore, we found that just 11.5 Acropora recruits per square meter were sufficient to reach this cover within 2 years. However, wave exposure, growth form and colony density had a marked effect on recovery rates. Our results underscore the importance of considering natural recovery in management and restoration and highlight how lessons learnt from reef recovery can inform our understanding of recovery dynamics in high-diversity climate-disturbed ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliano Morais
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sterling B Tebbett
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Renato A Morais
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Paris Sciences et Lettres Université, École Pratique des Hautes Études, EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, UAR 3278 CRIOBE, University of Perpignan, Perpignan, France
| | - David R Bellwood
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions and College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
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8
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Morais J, Tebbett SB, Morais RA, Bellwood DR. Hot spots of bleaching in massive Porites coral colonies. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 193:106276. [PMID: 38016301 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Coral bleaching events have become more frequent and severe due to ocean warming. While the large-scale impacts of bleaching events are well-known, there is growing recognition of the importance of small-scale spatial variation in bleaching and survival probability of individual coral colonies. By quantifying bleaching in 108 massive Porites colonies spread across Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, during the 2016 bleaching event, we investigated how hydrodynamic exposure levels and colony size contribute to local variability in bleaching prevalence and extent. Our results revealed that exposed locations were the least impacted by bleaching, while lagoonal areas exhibited the highest prevalence of bleaching and colony-level bleaching extents. Such patterns of bleaching could be due to prolonged exposure to warm water in the lagoon. These findings highlight the importance of considering location-specific factors when assessing coral health and emphasize the vulnerability of corals in lagoonal habitats to rapid and/or prolonged elevated temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliano Morais
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia.
| | - Sterling B Tebbett
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
| | - Renato A Morais
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia; Paris Sciences et Lettres Université, École Pratique des Hautes Études, EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, University of Perpignan, 66860, Perpignan, France
| | - David R Bellwood
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
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Stahl F, Mezger SD, Migani V, Rohlfs M, Fahey VJ, Schoenig E, Wild C. Recent and rapid reef recovery around Koh Phangan Island, Gulf of Thailand, driven by plate-like hard corals. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16115. [PMID: 38025748 PMCID: PMC10640840 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Mass bleaching events and local anthropogenic influences have changed the benthic communities of many coral reefs with pronounced spatial differences that are linked to resilience patterns. The Gulf of Thailand is an under-investigated region with only few existing datasets containing long-term developments of coral reef communities using the same method at fixed sites. We thus analyzed benthic community data from seven reefs surrounding the island of Koh Phangan collected between 2014 and 2022. Findings revealed that the average live hard coral cover around Koh Phangan increased from 37% to 55% over the observation period, while turf algae cover decreased from 52% to 29%, indicating some recovery of local reefs. This corresponds to a mean increased rate of coral cover by 2.2% per year. The increase in live hard coral cover was mainly driven by plate-like corals, which quadrupled in proportion over the last decade from 7% to 28% while branching corals decreased in proportion from 9% to 2%. Furthermore, the hard coral genus richness increased, indicating an increased hard coral diversity. While in other reefs, increasing live hard coral cover is often attributed to fast-growing, branching coral species, considered more susceptible to bleaching and other disturbances, the reefs around Koh Phangan recovered mainly via growth of plate-like corals, particularly of the genus Montipora. Although plate-like morphologies are not necessarily more bleaching tolerant, they are important for supporting reef fish abundance and structural complexity on reefs, aiding reef recovery and sturdiness. Hence, our findings indicate that the intensity of local stressors around Kho Phangan allows reef recovery driven by some hard coral species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Stahl
- Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, Marine Botany Group, Universität Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, Marine Ecology Group, Universität Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Selma D. Mezger
- Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, Marine Ecology Group, Universität Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Valentina Migani
- Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, Evolutionary Biology Group, Universität Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Marko Rohlfs
- Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, Chemical Ecology Group, Universität Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Victoria J. Fahey
- Center for Oceanic Research and Education (COREsea), Chaloklum, Koh Phangan, Thailand
| | - Eike Schoenig
- Center for Oceanic Research and Education (COREsea), Chaloklum, Koh Phangan, Thailand
| | - Christian Wild
- Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, Marine Ecology Group, Universität Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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10
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Fiesinger A, Held C, Schmidt AL, Putchim L, Melzner F, Wall M. Dominance of the coral Pocillopora acuta around Phuket Island in the Andaman Sea, Thailand. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10724. [PMID: 38020692 PMCID: PMC10643679 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Pocillopora damicornis (Linnaeus, 1758), a species complex, consists of several genetic lineages, some of which likely represent reproductively isolated species, including the species Pocillopora acuta Lamarck, 1816. Pocillopora acuta can exhibit similar morphological characteristics as P. damicornis, thus making it difficult to identify species-level taxonomic units. To determine whether the P. damicornis-like colonies on the reefs in the Andaman Sea (previously often identified as P. damicornis) consist of different species, we sampled individual colonies at five sites along a 50 km coastal stretch at Phuket Island and four island sites towards Krabi Province, Thailand. We sequenced 210 coral samples for the mitochondrial open reading frame and identified six distinct haplotypes, all belonging to P. acuta according to the literature. Recently, P. acuta was observed to efficiently recolonize heat-damaged reefs in Thailand as well as globally, making it a potentially important coral species in future reefs. Specifically in the light of global change, this study underscores the importance of high-resolution molecular species recognition, since taxonomic units are important factors for population genetic studies, and the latter are crucial for management and conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Fiesinger
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research KielKielGermany
- Department of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Christoph Held
- Alfred‐Wegener‐InstitutHelmholtz‐Zentrum für Polar‐ und MeeresforschungBremerhavenGermany
| | - Andrea L. Schmidt
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research KielKielGermany
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric ResearchUniversity of Hawai‘i at ManoaHonoluluHonoluluUSA
| | | | - Frank Melzner
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research KielKielGermany
| | - Marlene Wall
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research KielKielGermany
- Alfred‐Wegener‐InstitutHelmholtz‐Zentrum für Polar‐ und MeeresforschungBremerhavenGermany
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11
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Tebbett SB, Schlaefer JA, Bowden CL, Collins WP, Hemingson CR, Ling SD, Morais J, Morais RA, Siqueira AC, Streit RP, Swan S, Bellwood DR. Bio-physical determinants of sediment accumulation on an offshore coral reef: A snapshot study. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 895:165188. [PMID: 37385494 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Sediments are found on all coral reefs around the globe. However, the amount of sediment in different reservoirs, and the rates at which sediments move between reservoirs, can shape the biological functioning of coral reefs. Unfortunately, relatively few studies have examined reef sediment dynamics, and associated bio-physical drivers, simultaneously over matching spatial and temporal scales. This has led to a partial understanding of how sediments and living reef systems are connected, especially on clear-water offshore reefs. To address this problem, four sediment reservoirs/sedimentary processes and three bio-physical drivers were quantified across seven different reef habitats/depths at Lizard Island, an exposed mid-shelf reef on the Great Barrier Reef. Even in this clear-water reef location a substantial load of suspended sediment passed over the reef; a load theoretically capable of replacing the entire standing stock of on-reef turf sediments in just 8 h. However, quantification of actual sediment deposition suggested that just 2 % of this passing sediment settled on the reef. The data also revealed marked spatial incongruence in sediment deposition (sediment trap data) and accumulation (TurfPod data) across the reef profile, with the flat and back reef emerging as key areas of both deposition and accumulation. By contrast, the shallow windward reef crest was an area of deposition but had a limited capacity for sediment accumulation. These cross-reef patterns related to wave energy and reef geomorphology, with low sediment accumulation on the ecologically important reef crest aligning with substantial wave energy. These findings reveal a disconnect between patterns of sediment deposition and accumulation on the benthos, with the 'post-settlement' fate of sediments dependent on local hydrodynamic conditions. From an ecological perspective, the data suggests key contextual constraints (wave energy and reef geomorphology) may predispose some reefs or reef areas to high-load turf sediment regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sterling B Tebbett
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.
| | - Jodie A Schlaefer
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia; Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Environment, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
| | - Casey L Bowden
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - William P Collins
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Christopher R Hemingson
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia; Department of Marine Science, The University of Texas at Austin, Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, TX, USA
| | - Scott D Ling
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart 7001, Australia
| | - Juliano Morais
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Renato A Morais
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia; Paris Sciences et Lettres Université, École Pratique des Hautes Études, EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, University of Perpignan, Perpignan, France
| | - Alexandre C Siqueira
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Robert P Streit
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Sam Swan
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - David R Bellwood
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
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12
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Speelman PE, Parger M, Schoepf V. Divergent recovery trajectories of intertidal and subtidal coral communities highlight habitat-specific recovery dynamics following bleaching in an extreme macrotidal reef environment. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15987. [PMID: 37727686 PMCID: PMC10506583 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs face an uncertain future punctuated by recurring climate-induced disturbances. Understanding how reefs can recover from and reassemble after mass bleaching events is therefore important to predict their responses and persistence in a rapidly changing ocean. On naturally extreme reefs characterized by strong daily temperature variability, coral heat tolerance can vary significantly over small spatial gradients but it remains poorly understood how this impacts bleaching resilience and recovery dynamics, despite their importance as resilience hotspots and potential refugia. In the macrotidal Kimberley region in NW Australia, the 2016 global mass bleaching event had a strong habitat-specific impact on intertidal and subtidal coral communities at our study site: corals in the thermally variable intertidal bleached less severely and recovered within six months, while 68% of corals in the moderately variable subtidal died. We therefore conducted benthic surveys 3.5 years after the bleaching event to determine potential changes in benthic cover and coral community composition. In the subtidal, we documented substantial increases in algal cover and live coral cover had not fully recovered to pre-bleaching levels. Furthermore, the subtidal coral community shifted from being dominated by branching Acropora corals with a competitive life history strategy to opportunistic, weedy Pocillopora corals which likely has implications for the functioning and stress resilience of this novel coral community. In contrast, no shifts in algal and live coral cover or coral community composition occurred in the intertidal. These findings demonstrate that differences in coral heat tolerance across small spatial scales can have large consequences for bleaching resilience and that spatial patchiness in recovery trajectories and community reassembly after bleaching might be a common feature on thermally variable reefs. Our findings further confirm that reefs adapted to high daily temperature variability play a key role as resilience hotspots under current climate conditions, but their ability to do so may be limited under intensifying ocean warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. Elias Speelman
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Dept. of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Michael Parger
- UWA Ocean Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Verena Schoepf
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Dept. of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- UWA Ocean Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
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13
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Fiesinger A, Held C, Melzner F, Putchim L, Reusch TBH, Schmidt AL, Wall M. Population genetic differentiation of the ubiquitous brooding coral Pocillopora acuta along Phuket Island reefs in the Andaman Sea, Thailand. BMC Ecol Evol 2023; 23:42. [PMID: 37626296 PMCID: PMC10464487 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-023-02153-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The widespread Indo-Pacific coral species Pocillopora acuta Lamarck, 1816 displays varying levels of asexual versus sexual reproduction, with strong repercussions on genetic diversity, connectivity and genetic structuring within and among populations. For many geographic regions, baseline information on genetic diversity is still lacking, particularly in the Andaman Sea. The region suffered a massive heat-induced bleaching event in 2010 with high coral cover loss of branching coral species such as P. acuta. A subsequent bleaching in 2016, however, revealed a mild bleaching response in pocilloporids compared to other coral taxa in the region, suggesting that rare, heat tolerant genotypes had been selected by the 2010 bleaching event. In order to test whether this potential 'evolutionary rescue' event has led to a low genetic diversity, we conducted a population genetic survey covering a total of nine different P. acuta populations (336 individuals) along a 50 km coastal stretch around Phuket Island, Thailand. We used six microsatellite markers to assess genotypic diversity and to determine the prevalent mode of reproduction (i.e. sexual or asexual recruitment). RESULTS In contrast to other Indian Ocean P. acuta populations, the majority of corals in this study adopted a sexual reproduction mode (75% across all populations). At the same time, substantial regional gene flow was observed around Phuket Island with strong genetic differentiation as indicated by three genetic clusters that were separated by only a few kilometers. Patterns of isolation by distance over 0.7 - 40 km suggest small-scale genetic barriers, such as changing currents throughout each monsoonal season, potentially contributing to locally restricted dispersal of P. acuta larvae. CONCLUSIONS The occurrence of distinct genetic clusters within short coastal stretches suggests that the 2010 bleaching event has not led to extreme genetic impoverishment. While more in-depth genomic analyses are necessary to investigate changes in genetic diversity following extreme bleaching events, our results will help guide conservation efforts to maintain genetic diversity of a coral species that likely will be dominant in future, warmer Andaman Sea reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Fiesinger
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Research Unit Experimental Ecology - Benthic Ecology, Wischhofstraße 1-3, 24148, Kiel, Germany.
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz, 78464, Germany.
| | - Christoph Held
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, Bremerhaven, 27570, Germany
| | - Frank Melzner
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Research Unit Experimental Ecology - Benthic Ecology, Wischhofstraße 1-3, 24148, Kiel, Germany
| | - Lalita Putchim
- Phuket Marine Biological Centre, Wichit, Phuket, Mueang Phukt District, 83000, Thailand
| | - Thorsten B H Reusch
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Research Unit Marine Evolutionary Ecoloy, Wischhofstraße 1-3, Kiel, 24148, Germany
| | - Andrea L Schmidt
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Research Unit Experimental Ecology - Benthic Ecology, Wischhofstraße 1-3, 24148, Kiel, Germany
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Marlene Wall
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Research Unit Experimental Ecology - Benthic Ecology, Wischhofstraße 1-3, 24148, Kiel, Germany.
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, Bremerhaven, 27570, Germany.
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14
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Srednick G, Davis K, Edmunds PJ. Asynchrony in coral community structure contributes to reef-scale community stability. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2314. [PMID: 36759628 PMCID: PMC9911750 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28482-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Many aspects of global ecosystem degradation are well known, but the ecological implications of variation in these effects over scales of kilometers and years have not been widely considered. On tropical coral reefs, kilometer-scale variation in environmental conditions promotes a spatial mosaic of coral communities in which spatial insurance effects could enhance community stability. To evaluate whether these effects are important on coral reefs, we explored variation over 2006-2019 in coral community structure and environmental conditions in Moorea, French Polynesia. We studied coral community structure at a single site with fringing, back reef, and fore reef habitats, and used this system to explore associations among community asynchrony, asynchrony of environmental conditions, and community stability. Coral community structure varied asynchronously among habitats, and variation among habitats in the daily range in seawater temperature suggested it could be a factor contributing to the variation in coral community structure. Wave forced seawater flow connected the habitats and facilitated larval exchange among them, but this effect differed in strength among years, and accentuated periodic connectivity among habitats at 1-7 year intervals. At this site, connected habitats harboring taxonomically similar coral assemblages and exhibiting asynchronous population dynamics can provide insurance against extirpation, and may promote community stability. If these effects apply at larger spatial scale, then among-habitat community asynchrony is likely to play an important role in determining reef-wide coral community resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Srednick
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - K Davis
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - P J Edmunds
- Department of Biology, California State University, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA, 91330-8303, USA
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15
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Hidden heatwaves and severe coral bleaching linked to mesoscale eddies and thermocline dynamics. Nat Commun 2023; 14:25. [PMID: 36609386 PMCID: PMC9822911 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35550-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The severity of marine heatwaves (MHWs) that are increasingly impacting ocean ecosystems, including vulnerable coral reefs, has primarily been assessed using remotely sensed sea-surface temperatures (SSTs), without information relevant to heating across ecosystem depths. Here, using a rare combination of SST, high-resolution in-situ temperatures, and sea level anomalies observed over 15 years near Moorea, French Polynesia, we document subsurface MHWs that have been paradoxical in comparison to SST metrics and associated with unexpected coral bleaching across depths. Variations in the depth range and severity of MHWs was driven by mesoscale (10s to 100s of km) eddies that altered sea levels and thermocline depths and decreased (2007, 2017 and 2019) or increased (2012, 2015, 2016) internal-wave cooling. Pronounced eddy-induced reductions in internal waves during early 2019 contributed to a prolonged subsurface MHW and unexpectedly severe coral bleaching, with subsequent mortality offsetting almost a decade of coral recovery. Variability in mesoscale eddy fields, and thus thermocline depths, is expected to increase with climate change, which, along with strengthening and deepening stratification, could increase the occurrence of subsurface MHWs over ecosystems historically insulated from surface ocean heating by the cooling effects of internal waves.
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16
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Edmunds PJ, Johnson KW, Burgess SC. Branching coral morphology affects physiological performance in the absence of colony integration. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220414. [PMID: 36475423 PMCID: PMC9727676 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
For nearly 50 years, analyses of coral physiology have used small coral fragments (nubbins) to make inferences about larger colonies. However, scaling in corals shows that linear extrapolations from nubbins to whole colonies can be misleading, because polyps in nubbins are divorced of their morphologically complex and physiologically integrated corallum. We tested for the effects of integration among branches in determining size-dependent calcification of the coral Pocillopora spp. under elevated PCO2. Area-normalized net calcification was compared between branches (nubbins), aggregates of nubbins (complex morphologies without integration) and whole colonies (physiologically integrated) at 400 versus approximately 1000 µatm PCO2. Net calcification was unaffected by PCO2, but differed among colony types. Single nubbins grew faster than whole colonies, but when aggregated, nubbins changed calcification to match whole colonies even though they lacked integration among branches. Corallum morphology causes the phenotype of branching corals to differ from the summation of their branches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. Edmunds
- Department of Biology, California State University, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330-8303, USA
| | - Kelly W. Johnson
- Department of Biology, California State University, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330-8303, USA,Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, Amsterdam 1098 XH, The Netherlands
| | - Scott C. Burgess
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4295, USA
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17
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Fish community structure and dynamics are insufficient to mediate coral resilience. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1700-1709. [PMID: 36192541 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01882-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Coral reefs are being impacted by myriad stressors leading to drastic changes to their structure and function. Fishes play essential roles in driving ecosystem processes on coral reefs but the extent to which these processes are emergent at temporal or ecosystem scales or otherwise masked by other drivers (for example, climatic events and crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks) is poorly understood. Using time series data on fish community composition and coral and macroalgae percentage cover between 2006 and 2017 from 57 sites around Mo'orea, Polynesia, we found that fish community diversity predicts temporal stability in fish biomass but did not translate to temporal stability of coral cover. Furthermore, we found limited evidence of directional influence of fish on coral dynamics at temporal and ecosystem scales and no evidence that fish mediate coral recovery rate from disturbance. Our findings suggest that coral reef fisheries management will benefit from maintaining fish diversity but that this level of management is unlikely to strongly mediate coral loss or recovery over time.
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18
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Adam TC, Holbrook SJ, Burkepile DE, Speare KE, Brooks AJ, Ladd MC, Shantz AA, Vega Thurber R, Schmitt RJ. Priority effects in coral-macroalgae interactions can drive alternate community paths in the absence of top-down control. Ecology 2022; 103:e3831. [PMID: 35862066 PMCID: PMC10078572 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The outcomes of species interactions can vary greatly in time and space with the outcomes of some interactions determined by priority effects. On coral reefs, benthic algae rapidly colonize disturbed substrate. In the absence of top-down control from herbivorous fishes, these algae can inhibit the recruitment of reef-building corals, leading to a persistent phase shift to a macroalgae-dominated state. Yet, corals may also inhibit colonization by macroalgae, and thus the effects of herbivores on algal communities may be strongest following disturbances that reduce coral cover. Here, we report results from experiments conducted on the fore reef of Moorea, French Polynesia, where we: 1) tested the ability of macroalgae to invade coral-dominated and coral-depauperate communities under different levels of herbivory, 2) explored the ability of juvenile corals (Pocillopora spp.) to suppress macroalgae, and 3) quantified the direct and indirect effects of fish herbivores and corallivores on juvenile corals. We found that macroalgae proliferated when herbivory was low but only in recently disturbed communities where coral cover was also low. When coral cover was < 10%, macroalgae increased 20-fold within one year under reduced herbivory conditions relative to high herbivory controls. Yet, when coral cover was high (50%), macroalgae were suppressed irrespective of the level of herbivory despite ample space for algal colonization. Once established in communities with low herbivory and low coral cover, macroalgae suppressed recruitment of coral larvae, reducing the capacity for coral replenishment. However, when we experimentally established small juvenile corals (2 cm diameter) following a disturbance, juvenile corals inhibited macroalgae from invading local neighborhoods, even in the absence of herbivores, indicating a strong priority effect in macroalgae-coral interactions. Surprisingly, fishes that initially facilitated coral recruitment by controlling algae had a net negative effect on juvenile corals via predation. Corallivores reduced growth rates of corals exposed to fishes by ~ 30% relative to fish exclosures despite increased competition with macroalgae within the exclosures. These results highlight that different processes are important for structuring coral reef ecosystems at different successional stages and underscore the need to consider multiple ecological processes and historical contingencies to predict coral community dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Adam
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Sally J Holbrook
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA.,Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Deron E Burkepile
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA.,Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Kelly E Speare
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Andrew J Brooks
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Mark C Ladd
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA.,NOAA - National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Key Biscayne, FL, USA
| | - Andrew A Shantz
- Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory, St. Teresa, FL, USA
| | | | - Russell J Schmitt
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA.,Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
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19
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Contrasting reproductive strategies of two Hawaiian Montipora corals. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12255. [PMID: 35851072 PMCID: PMC9293913 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16032-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Sessile invertebrates often engage in synchronized spawning events to increase likelihood of fertilization. Although coral reefs are well studied, the reproductive behavior of most species and the relative influence of various environmental cues that drive reproduction are not well understood. We conducted a comparative examination of the reproduction of the well-studied Hawaiian coral Montipora capitata and the relatively unknown reproduction of its congener, Montipora flabellata. Both are simultaneous hermaphroditic broadcast spawners that release egg-sperm bundles with external fertilization. Montipora capitata had a distinct reproductive pattern that resulted in coordinated gamete maturation and the synchronized release of thousands of egg-sperm bundles across two spawning pulses tightly coupled to consecutive new moon phases in June and July. Montipora flabellata exhibited a four month reproductive season with spawning that was four-fold less synchronous than M. capitata; its spawning was aperiodic with little linkage to moon phase, a broadly distributed release of only dozens or hundreds of bundles over multiple nights, and a spawning period that ranged from late June through September. The reproductive strategy of M. flabellata might prove detrimental under climate change if increased frequency and severity of bleaching events leave it sparsely populated and local stressors continue to degrade its habitat.
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20
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Sarribouette L, Pedersen NE, Edwards CB, Sandin SA. Post-settlement demographics of reef building corals suggest prolonged recruitment bottlenecks. Oecologia 2022; 199:387-396. [PMID: 35661251 PMCID: PMC9226083 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05196-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
For many organisms, early life stages experience significantly higher rates of mortality relative to adults. However, tracking early life stage individuals through time in natural settings is difficult, limiting our understanding of the duration of these ‘mortality bottlenecks’, and the time required for survivorship to match that of adults. Here, we track a cohort of juvenile corals (1–5 cm maximum diameter) from 12 taxa at a remote atoll in the Central Pacific from 2013 to 2017 and describe patterns of annual survivorship. Of the 537 juveniles initially detected, 219 (41%) were alive 4 years later, 163 (30%) died via complete loss of live tissue from the skeleton, and the remaining 155 (29%) died via dislodgement. The differing mortality patterns suggest that habitat characteristics, as well as species-specific features, may influence early life stage survival. Across most taxa, survival fit a logistic model, reaching > 90% annual survival within 4 years. These data suggest that mortality bottlenecks characteristic of ‘recruitment’ extend up to 5 years after individuals can be visually detected. Ultimately, replenishment of adult coral populations via sexual reproduction is needed to maintain both coral cover and genetic diversity. This study provides key insights into the dynamics and time scales that characterize these critical early life stages.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicole E Pedersen
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0202, USA
| | - Clinton B Edwards
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0202, USA
| | - Stuart A Sandin
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0202, USA.
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21
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Rennick M, DiFiore BP, Curtis J, Reed DC, Stier AC. Detrital supply suppresses deforestation to maintain healthy kelp forest ecosystems. Ecology 2022; 103:e3673. [PMID: 35233769 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Herbivores can reach extraordinary abundances in many ecosystems. When herbivore abundance is high, heavy grazing can severely defoliate primary producers and, in some cases, even drive ecosystem to undergo regime shifts from a high productivity state to a denuded, low productivity state. While the phenomenon of herbivore-driven regime shifts is well documented, we only partially understand the mechanisms underlying these events. Here, we combine herbivory experiments with 21 years of long-term monitoring data of kelp forest ecosystems to test the hypothesis that herbivores drive regime shifts when herbivory exceeds primary production. To test this hypothesis, we quantified how the foraging habits of an important group of marine herbivores-sea urchins-change with increases in sea urchin biomass and trigger regime shifts to a foundation species, giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera). Using experiments, we quantified how the grazing capacity of urchins increases as urchin biomass increases, then we combined these estimates of urchin grazing capacity with estimates of kelp production to predict when and where urchin grazing capacity exceeded kelp production. When grazing capacity exceeded kelp production, sea urchins caused a 50-fold reduction in giant kelp biomass. Our findings support the hypothesis that the balance between herbivory and production underlies herbivore-driven regime shifts in Southern California kelp forests and provides insight into when and where urchins are likely to force regime shifts in kelp forest ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mae Rennick
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Bartholomew P DiFiore
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Joseph Curtis
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Daniel C Reed
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Adrian C Stier
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
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22
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Gaiser EE, Kominoski JS, McKnight DM, Bahlai CA, Cheng C, Record S, Wollheim WM, Christianson KR, Downs MR, Hawman PA, Holbrook SJ, Kumar A, Mishra DR, Molotch NP, Primack RB, Rassweiler A, Schmitt RJ, Sutter LA. Long-term ecological research and the COVID-19 anthropause: A window to understanding social-ecological disturbance. Ecosphere 2022; 13:e4019. [PMID: 35573027 PMCID: PMC9087370 DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The period of disrupted human activity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, coined the "anthropause," altered the nature of interactions between humans and ecosystems. It is uncertain how the anthropause has changed ecosystem states, functions, and feedback to human systems through shifts in ecosystem services. Here, we used an existing disturbance framework to propose new investigation pathways for coordinated studies of distributed, long-term social-ecological research to capture effects of the anthropause. Although it is still too early to comprehensively evaluate effects due to pandemic-related delays in data availability and ecological response lags, we detail three case studies that show how long-term data can be used to document and interpret changes in air and water quality and wildlife populations and behavior coinciding with the anthropause. These early findings may guide interpretations of effects of the anthropause as it interacts with other ongoing environmental changes in the future, particularly highlighting the importance of long-term data in separating disturbance impacts from natural variation and long-term trends. Effects of this global disturbance have local to global effects on ecosystems with feedback to social systems that may be detectable at spatial scales captured by nationally to globally distributed research networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn E. Gaiser
- Institute of Environment and Department of Biological SciencesFlorida International UniversityMiamiFloridaUSA
| | - John S. Kominoski
- Institute of Environment and Department of Biological SciencesFlorida International UniversityMiamiFloridaUSA
| | - Diane M. McKnight
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research and Environmental Studies ProgramUniversity of ColoradoBoulderColoradoUSA
| | | | - Chingwen Cheng
- The Design SchoolArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
| | - Sydne Record
- Department of BiologyBryn Mawr CollegeBryn MawrPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Wilfred M. Wollheim
- Department of Natural Resources and the EnvironmentUniversity of New HampshireDurhamNew HampshireUSA
| | | | - Martha R. Downs
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and SynthesisUniversity of California Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Peter A. Hawman
- Department of GeographyUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgiaUSA
| | - Sally J. Holbrook
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine BiologyUniversity of California Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Abhishek Kumar
- Department of Environmental ConservationUniversity of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstMassachusettsUSA
| | | | - Noah P. Molotch
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine ResearchUniversity of ColoradoBoulderColoradoUSA
| | | | - Andrew Rassweiler
- Department of Biological ScienceFlorida State UniversityTallahasseeFloridaUSA
| | - Russell J. Schmitt
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine BiologyUniversity of California Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Lori A. Sutter
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgiaUSA
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23
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Holbrook SJ, Wencélius J, Dubel AK, Adam TC, Cook DC, Hunter CE, Lauer M, Lester SE, Miller SD, Rassweiler A, Schmitt RJ. Spatial covariation in nutrient enrichment and fishing of herbivores in an oceanic coral reef ecosystem. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2515. [PMID: 34918841 PMCID: PMC9285716 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Both natural and anthropogenic stressors are increasing on coral reefs, resulting in large-scale loss of coral and potential shifts from coral- to macroalgae-dominated community states. Two factors implicated in shifts to macroalgae are nutrient enrichment and fishing of reef herbivores. Although either of these factors alone could facilitate establishment of macroalgae, reefs may be particularly vulnerable to coral-to-algae phase shifts in which strong bottom-up forcing from nutrient enrichment is accompanied by a weakening of herbivore control of macroalgae via intense fishing. We explored spatial heterogeneity and covariance in these drivers on reefs in the lagoons of Moorea, French Polynesia, where the local fishery heavily targets herbivorous fishes and there are spatially variable inputs of nutrients from agricultural fertilizers and wastewater systems. Spatial patterns of fishing and nutrient enrichment were not correlated at the two landscape scales we examined: among the 11 interconnected lagoons around the island or among major habitats (fringing reef, mid-lagoon, back reef) within a lagoon. This decoupling at the landscape scale resulted from patterns of covariation between enrichment and fishing that differed qualitatively between cross-shore and long-shore directions. At the cross-shore scale, nutrient enrichment declined but fishing increased from shore to the crest of the barrier reef. By contrast, nutrient enrichment and fishing were positively correlated in the long-shore direction, with both increasing with proximity to a pass in the barrier reef. Contrary to widespread assumptions in the scientific literature that human coastal population density correlates with impact on marine ecosystems and that fishing effort declines linearly with distance from the shore, these local stressors produced a complex spatial mosaic of reef vulnerabilities. Our findings support spatially explicit management involving the control of anthropogenic nutrients and strategic reductions in fishing pressure on herbivores by highlighting specific areas to target for management actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally J. Holbrook
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
- Marine Science InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jean Wencélius
- Department of AnthropologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Alexandra K. Dubel
- Department of Biological ScienceFlorida State UniversityTallahasseeFloridaUSA
| | - Thomas C. Adam
- Marine Science InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Dana C. Cook
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
- Marine Science InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
| | - Chelsea E. Hunter
- Department of AnthropologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
- Department of AnthropologyThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOhioUSA
| | - Matthew Lauer
- Department of AnthropologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Sarah E. Lester
- Department of GeographyFlorida State UniversityTallahasseeFloridaUSA
| | - Scott D. Miller
- Department of Biological ScienceFlorida State UniversityTallahasseeFloridaUSA
| | - Andrew Rassweiler
- Department of Biological ScienceFlorida State UniversityTallahasseeFloridaUSA
| | - Russell J. Schmitt
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
- Marine Science InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
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24
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Galanto N, Sartor C, Moscato V, Lizama M, Lemer S. Effects of elevated temperature on reproduction and larval settlement in Leptastrea purpurea. CORAL REEFS (ONLINE) 2022; 41:293-302. [PMID: 35368716 PMCID: PMC8958488 DOI: 10.1007/s00338-022-02241-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED As global ocean temperatures continue to rise, severe declines in coral reef health and diversity are reported on a global scale. Recovery of coral reefs relies on reproduction and increased rates of successful recruitment, which can vary tremendously across coral species. We investigated the effects of increased temperatures in the environment of parental colonies on larval production, size, settlement and survival, in the heat-resistant coral Leptastrea purpurea in Guam. Thanks to two tank experiments (eleven and four weeks, respectively) conducted over two consecutive years we found that larvae released by heat-treated parents (30 °C) were significantly smaller in size but greater in number, had normal settlement behavior and increased post-settlement survival rates compared to those released by control parent colonies (28 °C). We conclude that changes in the environment of parental L. purpurea colonies trigger an anticipatory maternal effect which leads to the release of preconditioned larvae with an increased chance of survival. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00338-022-02241-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikko Galanto
- University of Guam Marine Laboratory, Mangilao, GU 96923 USA
| | | | | | - Mykel Lizama
- University of Guam Marine Laboratory, Mangilao, GU 96923 USA
| | - Sarah Lemer
- University of Guam Marine Laboratory, Mangilao, GU 96923 USA
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25
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Baumann JH, Zhao L, Stier AC, Bruno JF. Remoteness does not enhance coral reef resilience. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:417-428. [PMID: 34668280 PMCID: PMC8671335 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Remote coral reefs are thought to be more resilient to climate change due to their isolation from local stressors like fishing and pollution. We tested this hypothesis by measuring the relationship between local human influence and coral community resilience. Surprisingly, we found no relationship between human influence and resistance to disturbance and some evidence that areas with greater human development may recover from disturbance faster than their more isolated counterparts. Our results suggest remote coral reefs are imperiled by climate change, like so many other geographically isolated ecosystems, and are unlikely to serve as effective biodiversity arks. Only drastic and rapid cuts in greenhouse gas emissions will ensure coral survival. Our results also indicate that some reefs close to large human populations were relatively resilient. Focusing research and conservation resources on these more accessible locations has the potential to provide new insights and maximize conservation outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin H. Baumann
- The Department of Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-3280 USA
- Department of Marine Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-3300 USA
- Biology Department, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, 04011 USA
- Correspondence to: or
| | - Lily Zhao
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, The University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara CA, 93106-9620, USA
| | - Adrian C. Stier
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, The University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara CA, 93106-9620, USA
| | - John F. Bruno
- The Department of Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-3280 USA
- Correspondence to: or
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26
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Tebbett SB, Morais J, Bellwood DR. Spatial patchiness in change, recruitment, and recovery on coral reefs at Lizard Island following consecutive bleaching events. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 173:105537. [PMID: 34837738 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The world's coral reef ecosystems are steadily being reconfigured by climate change. Lizard Island, on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, offers an opportunity to examine coral reef reassembly following disturbance, as this location has been impacted by consecutive tropical cyclones and consecutive coral bleaching events. Based on repeatedly monitoring the same 349 photoquadrats around Lizard Island over a 5-year period (2016-2021) we revealed that bleaching in 2016 drove a ∼50% reduction in hard coral cover, and a concomitant increase in algal turf cover. From 2018 to 2021, significant increases (>600%) in coral cover were detected on two semi-exposed reefs and were associated with substantial Acropora recruitment. By contrast, fourteen lagoonal and back reefs exhibited virtually no recovery nor Acropora recruitment. Given that the timeframe between disturbances is set to decrease, our results suggest that some recovery is possible immediately after severe cumulative disturbances, although this recovery may be highly spatially heterogenous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sterling B Tebbett
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia.
| | - Juliano Morais
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
| | - David R Bellwood
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
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27
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28
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Leinbach SE, Speare KE, Rossin AM, Holstein DM, Strader ME. Energetic and reproductive costs of coral recovery in divergent bleaching responses. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23546. [PMID: 34876599 PMCID: PMC8651640 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02807-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Mass thermal bleaching events are a primary threat to coral reefs, yet the sublethal impacts, particularly on energetics and reproduction, are poorly characterized. Given that the persistence of coral populations is contingent upon the reproduction of individuals that survive disturbances, there is an urgent need to understand the sublethal effects of bleaching on reproductive output to accurately predict coral recovery rates. In 2019, the French Polynesian island of Mo'orea experienced a severe mass bleaching event accompanied by widespread coral mortality. At the most heavily impacted sites, we observed Acropora hyacinthus individuals that were resistant to bleaching, alongside colonies that bleached but showed signs of symbiont recovery shortly after the bleaching event. We collected fragments from A. hyacinthus colonies five months post-bleaching and, using energetic assays and histological measurements, examined the physiological and reproductive consequences of these two distinct heat stress responses. Despite healthy appearances in both resistant and recovered corals, we found that recovered colonies had significantly reduced energy reserves compared to resistant colonies. In addition, we detected compound effects of stress on reproduction: recovered colonies displayed both a lower probability of containing gametes and lower fecundity per polyp. Our results indicate that bleaching inflicts an energetic constraint on the concurrent re-accumulation of energy reserves and development of reproductive material, with decreased reproductive potential of survivors possibly hampering overall reef resilience. These findings highlight the presence of intraspecific responses to bleaching and the importance of considering multiple trajectories for individual species when predicting population recovery following disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Leinbach
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.
| | - Kelly E Speare
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93117, USA
| | - Ashley M Rossin
- Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Daniel M Holstein
- Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Marie E Strader
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
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29
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Afiq‐Rosli L, Wainwright BJ, Gajanur AR, Lee AC, Ooi SK, Chou LM, Huang D. Barriers and corridors of gene flow in an urbanized tropical reef system. Evol Appl 2021; 14:2502-2515. [PMID: 34745340 PMCID: PMC8549622 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Information about the distribution of alleles among marine populations is critical for determining patterns of genetic connectivity that are essential in modern conservation planning. To estimate population connectivity in Singapore's urbanized equatorial reef system, we analysed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from two species of reef-building corals with distinct life histories. For Porites sp., a broadcast-spawning coral, we found cryptic lineages that were differentially distributed at inshore and central-offshore sites that could be attributed to contemporary surface current regimes. Near panmixia was observed for Pocillopora acuta with differentiation of colonies at the farthest site from mainland Singapore, a possible consequence of the brooding nature and relatively long pelagic larval duration of the species. Furthermore, analysis of recent gene flow showed that 60-80% of colonies in each population were nonmigrants, underscoring self-recruitment as an important demographic process in this reef system. Apart from helping to enhance the management of Singapore's coral reef ecosystems, findings here pave the way for better understanding of the evolution of marine populations in South-East Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lutfi Afiq‐Rosli
- Department of Biological SciencesNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Tropical Marine Science InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Benjamin John Wainwright
- Department of Biological SciencesNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Yale‐NUS CollegeNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Anya Roopa Gajanur
- Department of Biological SciencesNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Ai Chin Lee
- Tropical Marine Science InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Seng Keat Ooi
- Tropical Marine Science InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Loke Ming Chou
- Department of Biological SciencesNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Tropical Marine Science InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Danwei Huang
- Department of Biological SciencesNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Tropical Marine Science InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Centre for Nature‐based Climate SolutionsNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
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30
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Ladd MC, Winslow EM, Burkepile DE, Lenihan HS. Corallivory varies with water depth to influence the growth of
Acropora hyacinthus
, a reef‐forming coral. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mark C. Ladd
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California 93106 USA
| | - Erin M. Winslow
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California 93106 USA
| | - Deron E. Burkepile
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California 93106 USA
- Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California 93106 USA
| | - Hunter S. Lenihan
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California 93106 USA
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31
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Evensen NR, Bozec YM, Edmunds PJ, Mumby PJ. Scaling the effects of ocean acidification on coral growth and coral-coral competition on coral community recovery. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11608. [PMID: 34306826 PMCID: PMC8284307 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Ocean acidification (OA) is negatively affecting calcification in a wide variety of marine organisms. These effects are acute for many tropical scleractinian corals under short-term experimental conditions, but it is unclear how these effects interact with ecological processes, such as competition for space, to impact coral communities over multiple years. This study sought to test the use of individual-based models (IBMs) as a tool to scale up the effects of OA recorded in short-term studies to community-scale impacts, combining data from field surveys and mesocosm experiments to parameterize an IBM of coral community recovery on the fore reef of Moorea, French Polynesia. Focusing on the dominant coral genera from the fore reef, Pocillopora, Acropora, Montipora and Porites, model efficacy first was evaluated through the comparison of simulated and empirical dynamics from 2010-2016, when the reef was recovering from sequential acute disturbances (a crown-of-thorns seastar outbreak followed by a cyclone) that reduced coral cover to ~0% by 2010. The model then was used to evaluate how the effects of OA (1,100-1,200 µatm pCO2) on coral growth and competition among corals affected recovery rates (as assessed by changes in % cover y-1) of each coral population between 2010-2016. The model indicated that recovery rates for the fore reef community was halved by OA over 7 years, with cover increasing at 11% y-1 under ambient conditions and 4.8% y-1 under OA conditions. However, when OA was implemented to affect coral growth and not competition among corals, coral community recovery increased to 7.2% y-1, highlighting mechanisms other than growth suppression (i.e., competition), through which OA can impact recovery. Our study reveals the potential for IBMs to assess the impacts of OA on coral communities at temporal and spatial scales beyond the capabilities of experimental studies, but this potential will not be realized unless empirical analyses address a wider variety of response variables representing ecological, physiological and functional domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas R Evensen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, United States.,Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia.,Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, Northridge, CA, United States
| | - Yves-Marie Bozec
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, Northridge, CA, United States
| | - Peter J Edmunds
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Peter J Mumby
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, Northridge, CA, United States
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32
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Gouezo M, Fabricius K, Harrison P, Golbuu Y, Doropoulos C. Optimizing coral reef recovery with context-specific management actions at prioritized reefs. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 295:113209. [PMID: 34346392 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Assisting the natural recovery of coral reefs through local management actions is needed in response to increasing ecosystem disturbances in the Anthropocene. There is growing evidence that commonly used resilience-based passive management approaches may not be sufficient to maintain coral reef key functions. We synthesize and discuss advances in coral reef recovery research, and its application to coral reef conservation and restoration practices. We then present a framework to guide the decision-making of reef managers, scientists and other stakeholders, to best support reef recovery after a disturbance. The overall aim of this management framework is to catalyse reef recovery, to minimize recovery times, and to limit the need for ongoing management interventions into the future. Our framework includes two main stages: first, a prioritization method for assessment following a large-scale disturbance, which is based on a reef's social-ecological values, and on a classification of the likelihood of recovery or succession resulting in degraded, novel, hybrid or historical states. Second, a flow chart to assist with determining management actions for highly valued reefs. Potential actions are chosen based on the ecological attributes of the disturbed reef, defined during ecological assessments. Depending on the context, management actions may include (1) substrata rehabilitation actions to facilitate natural coral recruitment, (2) repopulating actions using active restoration techniques, (3) resilience-based management actions and (4) monitoring coral recruitment and growth to assess the effectiveness of management interventions. We illustrate the proposed decision framework with a case study of typhoon-damaged eastern outer reefs in Palau, Micronesia. The decisions made following this framework lead to the conclusion that some reefs may not return to their historical state for many decades. However, if motivation and funds are available, new management approaches can be explored to assist coral reefs at valued locations to return to a functional state providing key ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Gouezo
- Palau International Coral Reef Center, PO Box 7086, Koror, Palau; Marine Ecology Research Centre, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia.
| | - Katharina Fabricius
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3, Townsville, QLD 4810, Australia.
| | - Peter Harrison
- Marine Ecology Research Centre, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia.
| | - Yimnang Golbuu
- Palau International Coral Reef Center, PO Box 7086, Koror, Palau.
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33
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Gross K, de Roos AM. Resonance in Physiologically Structured Population Models. Bull Math Biol 2021; 83:86. [PMID: 34155575 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-021-00915-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Ecologists have long sought to understand how the dynamics of natural populations are affected by the environmental variation those populations experience. A transfer function is a useful tool for this purpose, as it uses linearization theory to show how the frequency spectrum of the fluctuations in a population's abundance relates to the frequency spectrum of environmental variation. Here, we show how to derive and to compute the transfer function for a continuous-time model of a population that is structured by a continuous individual-level state variable such as size. To illustrate, we derive, compute, and analyze the transfer function for a size-structured population model of stony corals with open recruitment, parameterized for a common Indo-Pacific coral species complex. This analysis identifies a sharp multi-decade resonance driven by space competition between existing coral colonies and incoming recruits. The resonant frequency is most strongly determined by the rate at which colonies grow, and the potential for resonant oscillations is greatest when colony growth is only weakly density-dependent. While these resonant oscillations are unlikely to be a predominant dynamical feature of degraded reefs, they suggest dynamical possibilities for marine invertebrates in more pristine waters. The size-structured model that we analyze is a leading example of a broader class of physiologically structured population models, and the methods we present should apply to a wide variety of models in this class.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Gross
- Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.
| | - André M de Roos
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, 87501, USA
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34
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Qin Z, Yu K, Chen S, Chen B, Liang J, Yao Q, Yu X, Liao Z, Deng C, Liang Y. Microbiome of juvenile corals in the outer reef slope and lagoon of the South China Sea: insight into coral acclimatization to extreme thermal environments. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:4389-4404. [PMID: 34110067 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Environmental conditions between the outer reef slope (ORS) and lagoon in tropical atolls are significantly different, but the variations of juvenile coral-microbiomes in the two environments and their relationship with coral thermal acclimatization are poorly understood. We explored this issue based on local water conditions and the microbiome of juvenile corals in the ORS and lagoon in the central South China Sea. Coral-symbiotic Symbiodiniaceae showed significant differences among coral species; Pocillopora verrucosa and Pachyseris rugosa in the ORS, and Acropora formosa in the lagoon were dominated by Durusdinium, but other corals were dominated by Cladocopium. Although A. formosa in the ORS were dominated by Cladocopium (C3u), they were dominated by Durusdinium (D1/D1a) and Cladocopium (C50) in the lagoon. Other coral species were both dominated by Cladocopium in the lagoon and ORS. The relative abundance of bacteria in the Deinococcus-Thermus was generally higher in the lagoon corals than in the ORS corals. Our study indicates that P. verrucosa, P. rugosa and Porites lutea may have high thermal tolerance based on the relatively high abundance of heat-tolerant Durusdinium and Thermus scotoductus. Likewise, A. formosa in the lagoon may acclimatize to the thermal environment based on a high relative abundance of heat-tolerant Durusdinium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenjun Qin
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China.,Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning, 530004, China.,School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Kefu Yu
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China.,Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning, 530004, China.,School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China.,Southern Marine and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhuhai, China
| | - Shuchang Chen
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China.,Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning, 530004, China.,School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Biao Chen
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China.,Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning, 530004, China.,School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Jiayuan Liang
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China.,Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning, 530004, China.,School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Qiucui Yao
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China.,Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning, 530004, China.,School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Xiaopeng Yu
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China.,Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning, 530004, China.,School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Zhiheng Liao
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China.,Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning, 530004, China.,School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Chuanqi Deng
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China.,Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning, 530004, China.,School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Yanting Liang
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China.,Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning, 530004, China.,School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
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35
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Burgess SC, Johnston EC, Wyatt ASJ, Leichter JJ, Edmunds PJ. Response diversity in corals: hidden differences in bleaching mortality among cryptic Pocillopora species. Ecology 2021; 102:e03324. [PMID: 33690896 PMCID: PMC8244046 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Variation among functionally similar species in their response to environmental stress buffers ecosystems from changing states. Functionally similar species may often be cryptic species representing evolutionarily distinct genetic lineages that are morphologically indistinguishable. However, the extent to which cryptic species differ in their response to stress, and could therefore provide a source of response diversity, remains unclear because they are often not identified or are assumed to be ecologically equivalent. Here, we uncover differences in the bleaching response between sympatric cryptic species of the common Indo-Pacific coral, Pocillopora. In April 2019, prolonged ocean heating occurred at Moorea, French Polynesia. 72% of pocilloporid colonies bleached after 22 d of severe heating (>8o C-days) at 10 m depth on the north shore fore reef. Colony mortality ranged from 11% to 42% around the island four months after heating subsided. The majority (86%) of pocilloporids that died from bleaching belonged to a single haplotype, despite twelve haplotypes, representing at least five species, being sampled. Mitochondrial (open reading frame) sequence variation was greater between the haplotypes that experienced mortality versus haplotypes that all survived than it was between nominal species that all survived. Colonies > 30 cm in diameter were identified as the haplotype experiencing the most mortality, and in 1125 colonies that were not genetically identified, bleaching and mortality increased with colony size. Mortality did not increase with colony size within the haplotype suffering the highest mortality, suggesting that size-dependent bleaching and mortality at the genus level was caused instead by differences among cryptic species. The relative abundance of haplotypes shifted between February and August, driven by declines in the same common haplotype for which mortality was estimated directly, at sites where heat accumulation was greatest, and where larger colony sizes occurred. The identification of morphologically indistinguishable species that differ in their response to thermal stress, but share a similar ecological function in terms of maintaining a coral-dominated state, has important consequences for uncovering response diversity that drives resilience, especially in systems with low or declining functional diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott C Burgess
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, Florida, 32306-4296, USA
| | - Erika C Johnston
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, Florida, 32306-4296, USA
| | - Alex S J Wyatt
- Department of Ocean Science and Hong Kong Branch of the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - James J Leichter
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093, USA
| | - Peter J Edmunds
- Department of Biology, California State University, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, California, 91330-8303, USA
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36
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Carlot J, Kayal M, Lenihan HS, Brandl SJ, Casey JM, Adjeroud M, Cardini U, Merciere A, Espiau B, Barneche DR, Rovere A, Hédouin L, Parravicini V. Juvenile corals underpin coral reef carbonate production after disturbance. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:2623-2632. [PMID: 33749949 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Sea-level rise is predicted to cause major damage to tropical coastlines. While coral reefs can act as natural barriers for ocean waves, their protection hinges on the ability of scleractinian corals to produce enough calcium carbonate (CaCO3 ) to keep up with rising sea levels. As a consequence of intensifying disturbances, coral communities are changing rapidly, potentially reducing community-level CaCO3 production. By combining colony-level physiology and long-term monitoring data, we show that reefs recovering from major disturbances can produce 40% more CaCO3 than currently estimated due to the disproportionate contribution of juvenile corals. However, the buffering effect of highly productive juvenile corals is compromised by recruitment failures, which have been more frequently observed after large-scale, repeated bleaching events. While the size structure of corals can bolster a critical ecological function on reefs, climate change impacts on recruitment may undermine this buffering effect, thus further compromising the persistence of reefs and their provision of important ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémy Carlot
- PSL Université Paris, USR 3278 CRIOBE - EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, Perpignan, France
- Laboratoire d'Excellence "CORAIL", Paris, France
| | - Mohsen Kayal
- ENTROPIE, IRD, Université de la Réunion, CNRS, IFREMER, Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, Nouméa, New Caledonia
| | - Hunter S Lenihan
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Simon J Brandl
- PSL Université Paris, USR 3278 CRIOBE - EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, Perpignan, France
- Laboratoire d'Excellence "CORAIL", Paris, France
- CESAB - FRB, Montpellier, France
- Department of Marine Science, University of Texas at Austin, Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, TX, USA
| | - Jordan M Casey
- PSL Université Paris, USR 3278 CRIOBE - EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, Perpignan, France
- Laboratoire d'Excellence "CORAIL", Paris, France
- Department of Marine Science, University of Texas at Austin, Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, TX, USA
| | - Mehdi Adjeroud
- PSL Université Paris, USR 3278 CRIOBE - EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, Perpignan, France
- Laboratoire d'Excellence "CORAIL", Paris, France
- ENTROPIE, IRD, Université de la Réunion, CNRS, Perpignan, France
| | - Ulisse Cardini
- Integrative Marine Ecology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, Napoli, Italy
- Marine Research Institute, University of Klaipeda, Klaipeda, Lithuania
| | - Alexandre Merciere
- PSL Université - EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Papetoai, French Polynesia
| | - Benoit Espiau
- PSL Université - EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Papetoai, French Polynesia
| | | | - Alessio Rovere
- Centre for Marine Environmental Sciences (MARUM, Bremen, Germany
| | - Laetitia Hédouin
- Laboratoire d'Excellence "CORAIL", Paris, France
- PSL Université - EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Papetoai, French Polynesia
| | - Valeriano Parravicini
- PSL Université Paris, USR 3278 CRIOBE - EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, Perpignan, France
- Laboratoire d'Excellence "CORAIL", Paris, France
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37
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Thomson DP, Babcock RC, Evans RD, Feng M, Moustaka M, Orr M, Slawinski D, Wilson SK, Hoey AS. Coral larval recruitment in north-western Australia predicted by regional and local conditions. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 168:105318. [PMID: 33853011 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Understanding ecological processes that shape contemporary and future communities facilitates knowledge-based environmental management. In marine ecosystems, one of the most important processes is the supply of new recruits into a population. Here, we investigated spatiotemporal variability in coral recruitment at 15 reefs throughout the Dampier Archipelago, north-western Australia between 2015 and 2017 and identified the best environmental predictors for coral recruitment patterns over this period. Large differences in recruitment were observed among years with the average density of recruits increasing by 375% from 0.017 recruits cm-2 in 2015 to 0.059 recruits cm-2 in 2017. Despite differences in recruitment among years, the rank order of coral recruit density among reefs remained similar among years, suggesting that spatial variation in recruitment within the Dampier Archipelago is partly deterministic and predictable. The density of coral recruits was best explained by percent cover of live corals at both local (within 5 m) and meso-scales (within 15 km), water turbidity and an oceanographic model that predicted larval dispersal. The highest density of coral recruits (~0.13 recruits cm-2 or 37 recruits per tile) occurred on reefs within sub-regions (15 km) with greater than 35% coral cover, low to moderate turbidity (KD490 < 0.2) and moderate to high modelled predictions of larval dispersal. Our results demonstrate that broad-scale larval dispersal models, when combined with local metrics of percent hard coral cover and water turbidity, can reliably predict the relative abundance of coral recruits over large geographical areas and thus can identify hotspots of recruit abundance and potential recovery following environmental disturbances; information that is essential for effective management of coral reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian P Thomson
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia.
| | - Russell C Babcock
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, Queensland, 4001, Australia
| | - Richard D Evans
- Marine Science Program, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, W.A, 6151, Australia; Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Ming Feng
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Molly Moustaka
- Marine Science Program, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, W.A, 6151, Australia
| | - Melanie Orr
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Dirk Slawinski
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Shaun K Wilson
- Marine Science Program, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, W.A, 6151, Australia; Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Andrew S Hoey
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
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Cowles J, Templeton L, Battles JJ, Edmunds PJ, Carpenter RC, Carpenter SR, Paul Nelson M, Cleavitt NL, Fahey TJ, Groffman PM, Sullivan JH, Neel MC, Hansen GJA, Hobbie S, Holbrook SJ, Kazanski CE, Seabloom EW, Schmitt RJ, Stanley EH, Tepley AJ, Doorn NS, Vander Zanden JM. Resilience: insights from the U.S. LongTerm Ecological Research Network. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jane Cowles
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota55108USA
| | - Laura Templeton
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture University of Maryland College Park Maryland20742USA
- City University of New York Advanced Science Research Center at the Graduate Center New York New York10031USA
| | - John J. Battles
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley California94720USA
| | - Peter J. Edmunds
- Department of Biology California State University Northridge California91330USA
| | - Robert C. Carpenter
- Department of Biology California State University Northridge California91330USA
| | | | - Michael Paul Nelson
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon97331USA
| | | | - Timothy J. Fahey
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon97331USA
| | - Peter M. Groffman
- City University of New York Advanced Science Research Center at the Graduate Center New York New York10031USA
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies 2801 Sharon Turnpike Millbrook New York12545USA
| | - Joe H. Sullivan
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture University of Maryland College Park Maryland20742USA
| | - Maile C. Neel
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture University of Maryland College Park Maryland20742USA
| | - Gretchen J. A. Hansen
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota55108USA
| | - Sarah Hobbie
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota55108USA
| | - Sally J. Holbrook
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology and Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California93106USA
| | - Clare E. Kazanski
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota55108USA
| | - Eric W. Seabloom
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota55108USA
| | - Russell J. Schmitt
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology and Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California93106USA
| | - Emily H. Stanley
- Center for Limnology University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin53706USA
| | - Alan J. Tepley
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Front Royal Virginia22630USA
| | - Natalie S. Doorn
- USDA Forest ServicePacific Southwest Research Station, Urban Ecosystems and Social Dynamics Program Albany California94710USA
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Ligson CA, Cabaitan PC. Survival and sexual maturity of sexually propagated
Acropora verweyi
corals 4 years after outplantation. Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Charlon A. Ligson
- The Marine Science Institute University of the Philippines Diliman Quezon City 1101 Philippines
| | - Patrick C. Cabaitan
- The Marine Science Institute University of the Philippines Diliman Quezon City 1101 Philippines
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40
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Iijima M, Yasumoto J, Iguchi A, Koiso K, Ushigome S, Nakajima N, Kunieda Y, Nakamura T, Sakai K, Yasumoto-Hirose M, Mori-Yasumoto K, Mizusawa N, Amano H, Suzuki A, Jimbo M, Watabe S, Yasumoto K. Phosphate bound to calcareous sediments hampers skeletal development of juvenile coral. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:201214. [PMID: 33959313 PMCID: PMC8074908 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.201214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
To test the hypothesis that terrestrial runoff affects the functions of calcareous sediments in coral reefs and hampers the development of corals, we analysed calcareous sediments with different levels of bound phosphate, collected from reef areas of Okinawajima, Japan. We confirmed that phosphate bound to calcareous sediments was readily released into ambient seawater, resulting in much higher concentrations of phosphorous in seawater from heavily polluted areas (4.3-19.0 µM as compared with less than 0.096 µM in natural ambient seawater). Additionally, we examined the effect of phosphate released from calcareous sediments on the development of Acropora digitifera coral juveniles. We found that high phosphate concentrations in seawater clearly inhibit the skeletal formation of coral juveniles. Our results demonstrate that calcareous sediments in reef areas play a crucial role in mediating the impact of terrestrial runoff on corals by storing and releasing phosphate in seawater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariko Iijima
- Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8567, Japan
| | - Jun Yasumoto
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Nakagusuku, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan
| | - Akira Iguchi
- Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8567, Japan
| | - Kiyomi Koiso
- School of Marine Biosciences, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0373, Japan
| | - Sayaka Ushigome
- School of Marine Biosciences, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0373, Japan
| | - Natsuki Nakajima
- School of Marine Biosciences, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0373, Japan
| | - Yuko Kunieda
- School of Marine Biosciences, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0373, Japan
| | - Takashi Nakamura
- Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Nakagusuku, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Sakai
- Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Motobu, Okinawa, Japan
| | | | - Kanami Mori-Yasumoto
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda, Chiba 278-8510, Japan
| | - Nanami Mizusawa
- School of Marine Biosciences, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0373, Japan
| | - Haruna Amano
- School of Marine Biosciences, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0373, Japan
| | - Atsushi Suzuki
- Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8567, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Jimbo
- School of Marine Biosciences, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0373, Japan
| | - Shugo Watabe
- School of Marine Biosciences, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0373, Japan
| | - Ko Yasumoto
- School of Marine Biosciences, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-0373, Japan
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Hall TE, Freedman AS, de Roos AM, Edmunds PJ, Carpenter RC, Gross K. Stony coral populations are more sensitive to changes in vital rates in disturbed environments. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02234. [PMID: 33064870 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Reef-building corals, like many long-lived organisms, experience environmental change as a combination of separate but concurrent processes, some of which are gradual yet long-lasting, while others are more acute but short-lived. For corals, some chronic environmental stressors, such as rising temperature and ocean acidification, are thought to induce gradual changes in colonies' vital rates. Meanwhile, other environmental changes, such as the intensification of tropical cyclones, change the disturbance regime that corals experience. Here, we use a physiologically structured population model to explore how chronic environmental stressors that impact the vital rates of individual coral colonies interact with the intensity and magnitude of disturbance to affect coral population dynamics and cover. We find that, when disturbances are relatively benign, intraspecific density dependence driven by space competition partially buffers coral populations against gradual changes in vital rates. However, the impact of chronic stressors is amplified in more highly disturbed environments, because disturbance weakens the buffering effect of space competition. We also show that coral cover is more sensitive to changes in colony growth and mortality than to external recruitment, at least in open populations, and that space competition and size structure mediate the extent and pace of coral population recovery following a large-scale mortality event. Understanding the complex interplay among chronic environmental stressors, mass-mortality events, and population size structure sharpens our ability to manage and to restore coral-reef ecosystems in an increasingly disturbed future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa E Hall
- Biomathematics Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695, USA
| | - Andrew S Freedman
- Biomathematics Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695, USA
| | - André M de Roos
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87501, USA
| | - Peter J Edmunds
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, California, 91330, USA
| | - Robert C Carpenter
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, California, 91330, USA
| | - Kevin Gross
- Biomathematics Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695, USA
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42
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González-Barrios FJ, Cabral-Tena RA, Alvarez-Filip L. Recovery disparity between coral cover and the physical functionality of reefs with impaired coral assemblages. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:640-651. [PMID: 33131196 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The ecology and structure of many tropical coral reefs have been markedly altered over the past few decades. Although long-term recovery has been observed in terms of coral cover, it is not clear how novel species configurations shape reef functionality in impaired reefs. The identities and life-history strategies of the corals species that recover are essential for understanding reef functional dynamics. We used a species identity approach to quantify the physical functionality outcomes over a 13 year period across 56 sites in the Mexican Caribbean. This region was affected by multiple stressors that converged and drastically damaged reefs in the early 2000s. Since then, the reefs have shown evidence of a modest recovery of coral cover. We used Bayesian linear models and annual rates of change to estimate temporal changes in physical functionality and coral cover. Moreover, a functional diversity framework was used to explore changes in coral composition and the traits of those assemblages. Between 2005 and 2018, physical functionality increased at a markedly lower rate compared to that of coral cover. The disparity between recovery rates depended on the identity of the species that increased (mainly non-framework and foliose-digitate corals). No changes in species dominance or functional trait composition were observed, whereas non-framework building corals consistently dominated most reefs. Although the observed recovery of coral cover and functional potential may provide some ecological benefits, the long-term effects on reef frameworks remain unclear, as changes in the cover of key reef-building species were not observed. Our findings are likely to be representative of many reefs across the wider Caribbean basin, as declines in coral cover and rapid increases in the relative abundance of weedy corals have been reported regionally. A coral identity approach to assess species turnover is needed to understand and quantify changes in the functionality of coral reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Javier González-Barrios
- Biodiversity and Reef Conservation Laboratory, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, México
- Department of Marine Ecology, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, México
| | - Rafael A Cabral-Tena
- Department of Marine Ecology, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, México
| | - Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
- Biodiversity and Reef Conservation Laboratory, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, México
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Abstract
The declining reproductive viability of corals threatens their ability to adapt to changing ocean conditions. It is vital that we monitor this viability quantitatively and comparatively. Computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) systems offer in-depth analysis used regularly for domestic and wildlife species, but not yet for coral. This study proposes quality control procedures and CASA settings that are effective for coral sperm analysis. To resolve disparities between CASA measurements and evaluations by eye, two negative effects on motility had to be resolved, slide adhesion (procedural) and sperm dilution (biological). We showed that the addition of bovine serum albumin, or caffeine, or both to fresh sperm reduced adhesion in the CASA cassettes, improved motility and motile sperm concentration (P < 0.0001), yet these additions did not affect measurements of total sperm concentration. Diluting coral sperm reduced sperm motility (P = 0.039), especially from heat-stressed corals. We found CASA concentration counts comparable to haemocytometer and flow cytometer measures (P = 0.54). We also found that motile sperm per egg is a useful predictor of fertilisation success, using cryopreserved sperm. Standard measurements of coral reproductive characteristics inform our understanding of the impacts of climate change on reef populations; this study provides a benchmark to begin this comparative work.
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44
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Adam TC, Burkepile DE, Holbrook SJ, Carpenter RC, Claudet J, Loiseau C, Thiault L, Brooks AJ, Washburn L, Schmitt RJ. Landscape-scale patterns of nutrient enrichment in a coral reef ecosystem: implications for coral to algae phase shifts. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e2227. [PMID: 32918509 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Nutrient pollution is altering coastal ecosystems worldwide. On coral reefs, excess nutrients can favor the production of algae at the expense of reef-building corals, yet the role of nutrients in driving community changes such as shifts from coral to macroalgae is not well understood. Here we investigate the potential role of anthropogenic nutrient loading in driving recent coral-to-macroalgae phase shifts on reefs in the lagoons surrounding the Pacific island of Moorea, French Polynesia. We use nitrogen (N) tissue content and stable isotopes (δ15 N) in an abundant macroalga (Turbinaria ornata) together with empirical models of nutrient discharge to describe spatial and temporal patterns of nutrient enrichment in the lagoons. We then employ time series data to test whether recent increases in macroalgae are associated with nutrients. Our results revealed that patterns of N enrichment were linked to several factors, including rainfall, wave-driven circulation, and distance from anthropogenic nutrient sources, especially human sewage. Reefs near large watersheds, where inputs of N from sewage and agriculture are high, have been consistently enriched in N for at least the last decade. In many of these areas, corals have decreased and macroalgae have increased, while reefs with lower levels of N input have maintained high cover of coral and low cover of macroalgae. Importantly, these patchy phase shifts to macroalgae have occurred despite substantial island-wide increases in the density and biomass of herbivorous fishes over the time period. Together, these results indicate that nutrient loading may be an important driver of coral-to-macroalgae phase shifts in the lagoons of Moorea even though the reefs harbor an abundant and diverse herbivore assemblage. These results emphasize the important role that bottom-up factors can play in driving coral-to-macroalgae phase shifts and underscore the critical importance of watershed management for reducing inputs of nutrients and other land-based pollutants to coral reef ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Adam
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA
| | - Deron E Burkepile
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA
| | - Sally J Holbrook
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA
| | - Robert C Carpenter
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, California, 91330, USA
| | - Joachim Claudet
- National Center for Scientific Research, PSL Université Paris, CRIOBE, USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Maison des Océans, 195 rue Saint-Jacques, Paris, 75005, France
- Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Moorea, French Polynesia
| | - Charles Loiseau
- National Center for Scientific Research, PSL Université Paris, CRIOBE, USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Maison des Océans, 195 rue Saint-Jacques, Paris, 75005, France
- Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Moorea, French Polynesia
| | - Lauric Thiault
- National Center for Scientific Research, PSL Université Paris, CRIOBE, USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Maison des Océans, 195 rue Saint-Jacques, Paris, 75005, France
- Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Moorea, French Polynesia
| | - Andrew J Brooks
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA
| | - Libe Washburn
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA
- Department of Geography, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA
| | - Russell J Schmitt
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA
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45
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Sandin SA, Edwards CB, Pedersen NE, Petrovic V, Pavoni G, Alcantar E, Chancellor KS, Fox MD, Stallings B, Sullivan CJ, Rotjan RD, Ponchio F, Zgliczynski BJ. Considering the rates of growth in two taxa of coral across Pacific islands. ADVANCES IN MARINE BIOLOGY 2020; 87:167-191. [PMID: 33293010 DOI: 10.1016/bs.amb.2020.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Reef-building coral taxa demonstrate considerable flexibility and diversity in reproduction and growth mechanisms. Corals take advantage of this flexibility to increase or decrease size through clonal expansion and loss of live tissue area (i.e. via reproduction and mortality of constituent polyps). The biological lability of reef-building corals may be expected to map onto varying patterns of demography across environmental contexts which can contribute to geographic variation in population dynamics. Here we explore the patterns of growth of two common coral taxa, corymbose Pocillopora and massive Porites, across seven islands in the central and south Pacific. The islands span a natural gradient of environmental conditions, including a range of pelagic primary production, a metric linked to the relative availability of inorganic nutrients and heterotrophic resources for mixotrophic corals, and sea surface temperature and thermal histories. Over a multi-year sampling interval, most coral colonies experienced positive growth (greater planar area of live tissue in second relative to first time point), though the distributions of growth varied across islands. Island-level median growth did not relate simply to estimated pelagic primary productivity or temperature. However, at locations that experienced an extreme warm-water event during the sampling interval, most Porites colonies experienced net losses of live tissue and nearly all Pocillopora colonies experienced complete mortality. While descriptive statistics of demographics offer valuable insights into trends and variability in colony change through time, simplified models predicting growth patterns based on summarized oceanographic metrics appear inadequate for robust demographic prediction. We propose that the complexity of life history strategies among colonial reef-building corals introduces unique demographic flexibility for colonies to respond to a wide breadth of environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart A Sandin
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.
| | - Clinton B Edwards
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Nicole E Pedersen
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Vid Petrovic
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Gaia Pavoni
- Visual Computing Lab, Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologie dell'Informazione "A. Faedo", Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pisa, Italy
| | - Esmeralda Alcantar
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | | | - Michael D Fox
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, United States
| | - Brenna Stallings
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Randi D Rotjan
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Federico Ponchio
- Visual Computing Lab, Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologie dell'Informazione "A. Faedo", Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pisa, Italy
| | - Brian J Zgliczynski
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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46
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Maher RL, Schmeltzer ER, Meiling S, McMinds R, Ezzat L, Shantz AA, Adam TC, Schmitt RJ, Holbrook SJ, Burkepile DE, Vega Thurber R. Coral Microbiomes Demonstrate Flexibility and Resilience Through a Reduction in Community Diversity Following a Thermal Stress Event. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.555698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
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47
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Coral Reef Recovery in the Mexican Caribbean after 2005 Mass Coral Mortality—Potential Drivers. DIVERSITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d12090338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In 2005, an extreme heatwave hit the Wider Caribbean, followed by 13 hurricanes (including hurricanes Emily and Wilma) that caused significant loss in hard coral cover. However, the drivers of the potential recovery are yet to be fully understood. Based on recent findings in the literature of coral cover recovery in the Mexican Caribbean after the mass bleaching event and associated hurricanes in 2005, this study analyzed, through random-effects meta-analysis, the hard coral and macroalgae benthic development and potential drivers of change between 2005 and 2016 in the Mexican Caribbean. Therefore, we tested the relative effect of sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll-a water concentration, coastal human population development, reef distance to shore, and geographical location on both hard coral and macroalgae cover over time. Findings revealed increases of both hard coral (by 6%) and algae cover (by ca. 14%, i.e., almost three times the increase of corals) over 12 years. Although our findings confirm the partial coral recovery after the 2005 Caribbean mass coral mortality event, they also indicate rapid colonization of algae across the region. Surprisingly, only SST correlated negatively with changes in coral cover. Contrary to expectations, there was a significantly greater algae cover increase in the Central section of the Mexican Caribbean, which is characterized by a low population density. However, a constant discharge of nutrient-rich freshwater may have facilitated algae growth there. This study reports partial regional reef recovery, but it also indicates that local factors, particularly eutrophication, facilitate algae growth at a speed that is much faster than coral recovery.
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Carturan BS, Pither J, Maréchal JP, Bradshaw CJA, Parrott L. Combining agent-based, trait-based and demographic approaches to model coral-community dynamics. eLife 2020; 9:e55993. [PMID: 32701058 PMCID: PMC7473774 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The complexity of coral-reef ecosystems makes it challenging to predict their dynamics and resilience under future disturbance regimes. Models for coral-reef dynamics do not adequately account for the high functional diversity exhibited by corals. Models that are ecologically and mechanistically detailed are therefore required to simulate the ecological processes driving coral reef dynamics. Here, we describe a novel model that includes processes at different spatial scales, and the contribution of species' functional diversity to benthic-community dynamics. We calibrated and validated the model to reproduce observed dynamics using empirical data from Caribbean reefs. The model exhibits realistic community dynamics, and individual population dynamics are ecologically plausible. A global sensitivity analysis revealed that the number of larvae produced locally, and interaction-induced reductions in growth rate are the parameters with the largest influence on community dynamics. The model provides a platform for virtual experiments to explore diversity-functioning relationships in coral reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jason Pither
- Department of Biology, University of British ColumbiaKelownaCanada
- Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience, and Ecosystem Services, University of British ColumbiaKelownaCanada
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences, University of British ColumbiaKelownaCanada
| | | | - Corey JA Bradshaw
- Global Ecology, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders UniversityAdelaideAustralia
| | - Lael Parrott
- Department of Biology, University of British ColumbiaKelownaCanada
- Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience, and Ecosystem Services, University of British ColumbiaKelownaCanada
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences, University of British ColumbiaKelownaCanada
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49
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Relative roles of biological and physical processes influencing coral recruitment during the lag phase of reef community recovery. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2471. [PMID: 32051446 PMCID: PMC7015914 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59111-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Following disturbances, corals recolonize space through the process of recruitment consisting of the three phases of propagule supply, settlement, and post-settlement survival. Yet, each phase is influenced by biophysical factors, leading to recruitment success variability through space. To resolve the relative contributions of biophysical factors on coral recruitment, the recovery of a 150 km long coral reefs in Palau was investigated after severe typhoon disturbances. Overall, we found that benthic organisms had a relatively weak interactive influence on larval settlement rates at the scale of individual tiles, with negative effects mainly exerted from high wave exposure for Acropora corals. In contrast, juvenile coral densities were well predicted by biophysical drivers, through both direct and indirect pathways. High densities of Acropora and Poritidae juveniles were directly explained by the availability of substrata free from space competitors. Juvenile Montipora were found in higher densities where coralline algae coverage was high, which occurred at reefs with high wave exposure, while high densities of juvenile Pocilloporidae occurred on structurally complex reefs with high biomass of bioeroder fish. Our findings demonstrate that strengths of biophysical interactions were taxon-specific and had cascading effects on coral recruitment, which need consideration for predicting reef recovery and conservation strategies.
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50
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Rassweiler A, Lauer M, Lester SE, Holbrook SJ, Schmitt RJ, Madi Moussa R, Munsterman KS, Lenihan HS, Brooks AJ, Wencélius J, Claudet J. Perceptions and responses of Pacific Island fishers to changing coral reefs. AMBIO 2020; 49:130-143. [PMID: 30843168 PMCID: PMC6888784 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-019-01154-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 11/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The transformation of coral reefs has profound implications for millions of people. However, the interactive effects of changing reefs and fishing remain poorly resolved. We combine underwater surveys (271 000 fishes), catch data (18 000 fishes), and household surveys (351 households) to evaluate how reef fishes and fishers in Moorea, French Polynesia responded to a landscape-scale loss of coral caused by sequential disturbances (a crown-of-thorns sea star outbreak followed by a category 4 cyclone). Although local communities were aware of the disturbances, less than 20% of households reported altering what fishes they caught or ate. This contrasts with substantial changes in the taxonomic composition in the catch data that mirrored changes in fish communities observed on the reef. Our findings highlight that resource users and scientists may have very different interpretations of what constitutes 'change' in these highly dynamic social-ecological systems, with broad implications for successful co-management of coral reef fisheries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Rassweiler
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32306 USA
| | - Matthew Lauer
- San Diego State University – Anthropology, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA 92182 USA
| | - Sarah E. Lester
- Department of Geography, Florida State University, 113 Collegiate Loop, Tallahassee, FL 32306 USA
| | - Sally J. Holbrook
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA
| | - Russell J. Schmitt
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA
| | - Rakamaly Madi Moussa
- CRIOBE-USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD-PSL, Laboratoire d’Excellence CORAIL, BP 1013, Papetoai, 98729 Moorea, French Polynesia
| | - Katrina S. Munsterman
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA
| | - Hunter S. Lenihan
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA
| | - Andrew J. Brooks
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Building 520, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-6150 USA
| | - Jean Wencélius
- San Diego State University – Anthropology, 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA 92182 USA
| | - Joachim Claudet
- National Center for Scientific Research, PSL Université Paris, CRIOBE, USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Maison des Océans, 195 rue Saint-Jacques, 75005 Paris, France
- Laboratoire d’Excellence CORAIL, Moorea, French Polynesia
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