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Kahng SE, Odle E, Wakeman KC. Coral geometry and why it matters. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17037. [PMID: 38436029 PMCID: PMC10909345 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17037] [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: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Clonal organisms like reef building corals exhibit a wide variety of colony morphologies and geometric shapes which can have many physiological and ecological implications. Colony geometry can dictate the relationship between dimensions of volume, surface area, and length, and their associated growth parameters. For calcifying organisms, there is the added dimension of two distinct components of growth, biomass production and calcification. For reef building coral, basic geometric shapes can be used to model the inherent mathematical relationships between various growth parameters and how colony geometry determines which relationships are size-dependent or size-independent. Coral linear extension rates have traditionally been assumed to be size-independent. However, even with a constant calcification rate, extension rates can vary as a function of colony size by virtue of its geometry. Whether the ratio between mass and surface area remains constant or changes with colony size is the determining factor. For some geometric shapes, the coupling of biomass production (proportional to surface area productivity) and calcification (proportional to volume) can cause one aspect of growth to geometrically constrain the other. The nature of this relationship contributes to a species' life history strategy and has important ecological implications. At one extreme, thin diameter branching corals can maximize growth in surface area and resource acquisition potential, but this geometry requires high biomass production to cover the fast growth in surface area. At the other extreme, growth in large, hemispheroidal corals can be constrained by calcification. These corals grow surface area relatively slowly, thereby retaining a surplus capacity for biomass production which can be allocated towards other anabolic processes. For hemispheroidal corals, the rate of surface area growth rapidly decreases as colony size increases. This ontogenetic relationship underlies the success of microfragmentation used to accelerate restoration of coral cover. However, ontogenetic changes in surface area productivity only applies to certain coral geometries where surface area to volume ratios decrease with colony size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel E. Kahng
- Oceanography, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, United States of America
- Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Kikai Institute for Coral Reef Science, Kikai, Japan
| | - Eric Odle
- Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kevin C. Wakeman
- Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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2
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Brown KT, Genin A, Mello‐Athayde MA, Bergstrom E, Campili A, Chai A, Dove SG, Ho M, Rowell D, Sampayo EM, Radice VZ. Marine heatwaves modulate the genotypic and physiological responses of reef-building corals to subsequent heat stress. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10798. [PMID: 38099138 PMCID: PMC10719612 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10798] [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: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Back-to-back marine heatwaves in 2016 and 2017 resulted in severe coral bleaching and mortality across the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Encouragingly, some corals that survived these events exhibit increased bleaching resistance and may represent thermally tolerant populations that can better cope with ocean warming. Using the GBR as a natural laboratory, we investigated whether a history of minimal (Heron Island) or severe (Lizard Island) coral bleaching in 2016 and 2017 equates to stress tolerance in a successive heatwave (2020). We examined the genetic diversity, physiological performance, and trophic plasticity of juvenile (<10 cm) and adult (>25 cm) corals of two common genera (Pocillopora and Stylophora). Despite enduring greater cumulative heat stress (6.3°C week-1 vs. 5.6°C week-1), corals that experienced the third marine heatwave in 5 years (Lizard) exhibited twice as high survival and visual bleaching thresholds compared to corals that had not experienced significant bleaching in >10 years (Heron). Surprisingly, only one shared host-Symbiodiniaceae association was uncovered between locations (Stylophora pistillata-Cladocopium "C8 group") and there was no genetic overlap in Pocillopora-Cladocopium partnerships, suggesting turnover in species composition from recent marine heatwaves. Corals within the species complex Pocillopora that survived the 2016 and 2017 marine heatwaves at Lizard Island were the most resilient, exhibiting three times greater calcification rates than conspecifics at Heron Island. Further, surviving corals (Lizard) had distinct isotopic niches, lower host carbon, and greater host protein, while conspecifics that had not experienced recent bleaching (Heron) had two times greater symbiont carbon content, suggesting divergent trophic strategies that influenced survival (i.e., greater reliance on heterotrophy vs. symbiont autotrophy, respectively). Ultimately, while corals may experience less bleaching and survive repeated thermal stress events, species-specific trade-offs do occur, leaving open many questions related to the long-term health and recovery of coral reef ecosystems in the face of intensifying marine heatwaves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen T. Brown
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of QueenslandSt LuciaQueenslandAustralia
- Department of BiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Amatzia Genin
- The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences of EilatThe Hebrew University of JerusalemEilatIsrael
| | | | | | - Adriana Campili
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceTownsville Mail CentreTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Aaron Chai
- Faculty of Science and EngineeringSouthern Cross UniversityEast LismoreNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Sophie G. Dove
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of QueenslandSt LuciaQueenslandAustralia
| | | | - Devin Rowell
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of QueenslandSt LuciaQueenslandAustralia
| | - Eugenia M. Sampayo
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of QueenslandSt LuciaQueenslandAustralia
| | - Veronica Z. Radice
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of QueenslandSt LuciaQueenslandAustralia
- Department of Biological SciencesOld Dominion UniversityNorfolkVirginiaUSA
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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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4
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Álvarez-Noriega M, Madin JS, Baird AH, Dornelas M, Connolly SR. Disturbance-Induced Changes in Population Size Structure Promote Coral Biodiversity. Am Nat 2023; 202:604-615. [PMID: 37963122 DOI: 10.1086/726738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
AbstractReef-building coral assemblages are typically species rich, yet the processes maintaining high biodiversity remain poorly understood. Disturbance has long been thought to promote coral species coexistence by reducing the strength of competition (i.e., the intermediate disturbance hypothesis [IDH]). However, such disturbance-induced effects are insufficient to inhibit competitive exclusion. Nevertheless, there are other mechanisms by which disturbance and, more generally, environmental variation can favor coexistence. Here, we develop a size-structured, stochastic coral competition model calibrated with field data from two common colony morphologies to investigate the effects of hydrodynamic disturbance on community dynamics. We show that fluctuations in wave action can promote coral species coexistence but that this occurs via interspecific differences in size-dependent mortality rather than solely via stochastic fluctuations in competition (i.e., free space availability). While this mechanism differs from that originally envisioned in the IDH, it is nonetheless a mechanism by which intermediate levels of disturbance do promote coexistence. Given the sensitivity of coexistence to disturbance frequency and intensity, anthropogenic changes in disturbance regimes are likely to affect coral assemblages in ways that are not predictable from single-population models.
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Wiedenmann J, D'Angelo C, Mardones ML, Moore S, Benkwitt CE, Graham NAJ, Hambach B, Wilson PA, Vanstone J, Eyal G, Ben-Zvi O, Loya Y, Genin A. Reef-building corals farm and feed on their photosynthetic symbionts. Nature 2023; 620:1018-1024. [PMID: 37612503 PMCID: PMC10468396 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06442-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Coral reefs are highly diverse ecosystems that thrive in nutrient-poor waters, a phenomenon frequently referred to as the Darwin paradox1. The energy demand of coral animal hosts can often be fully met by the excess production of carbon-rich photosynthates by their algal symbionts2,3. However, the understanding of mechanisms that enable corals to acquire the vital nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus from their symbionts is incomplete4-9. Here we show, through a series of long-term experiments, that the uptake of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus by the symbionts alone is sufficient to sustain rapid coral growth. Next, considering the nitrogen and phosphorus budgets of host and symbionts, we identify that these nutrients are gathered through symbiont 'farming' and are translocated to the host by digestion of excess symbiont cells. Finally, we use a large-scale natural experiment in which seabirds fertilize some reefs but not others, to show that the efficient utilization of dissolved inorganic nutrients by symbiotic corals established in our laboratory experiments has the potential to enhance coral growth in the wild at the ecosystem level. Feeding on symbionts enables coral animals to tap into an important nutrient pool and helps to explain the evolutionary and ecological success of symbiotic corals in nutrient-limited waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jörg Wiedenmann
- The Coral Reef Laboratory, Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
| | - Cecilia D'Angelo
- The Coral Reef Laboratory, Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - M Loreto Mardones
- The Coral Reef Laboratory, Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Shona Moore
- The Coral Reef Laboratory, Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | | | | | - Bastian Hambach
- Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Paul A Wilson
- Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - James Vanstone
- The Coral Reef Laboratory, Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Gal Eyal
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Marine Palaeoecology Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Or Ben-Zvi
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yossi Loya
- School of Zoology, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Amatzia Genin
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences, Eilat, Israel
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6
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Ferreira SB, Burns JHR, Pascoe KH, Kapono CA, Reyes AJ, Fukunaga A. Prediction of habitat complexity using a trait-based approach on coral reefs in Guam. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11095. [PMID: 37422484 PMCID: PMC10329656 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38138-1] [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: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Scleractinian corals are primary contributors to the structural complexity of coral reef ecosystems. The structure derived from their carbonate skeletons underpins the biodiversity and myriad of ecosystem services provided by coral reefs. This study used a trait-based approach to provide new insights into the relationships between habitat complexity and coral morphology. Three-Dimensional (3D) photogrammetry techniques were used to survey 208 study plots on the island of Guam, from which structural complexity metrics were derived and physical traits of corals were quantified. Three traits at the individual colony level (e.g., morphology, size, and genera) and two site-level environmental characteristics (e.g., wave exposure and substratum-habitat type) were examined. Standard taxonomy-based metrics were also included at the reef-plot level (e.g., coral abundance, richness, and diversity). Different traits disproportionately contributed to 3D metrics of habitat complexity. Larger colonies with a columnar morphology have the highest contribution to surface complexity, slope, and vector ruggedness measure, whereas branching and encrusting columnar colonies have the highest contribution to planform and profile curvature. These results highlight the importance of considering colony morphology and size in addition to conventional taxonomic metrics for the understanding and monitoring reef structural complexity. The approach presented here provides a framework for studies in other locations to predict the trajectory of reefs under changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia B Ferreira
- MEGA Lab, College of Natural and Health Sciences, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA.
| | - John H R Burns
- MEGA Lab, College of Natural and Health Sciences, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA
| | - Kailey H Pascoe
- MEGA Lab, College of Natural and Health Sciences, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA
- Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science, Arizona State University, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA
| | - Clifford A Kapono
- MEGA Lab, College of Natural and Health Sciences, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA
- Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science, Arizona State University, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA
| | - Andres J Reyes
- Marine Scientist, NAVFAC Systems Command Marianas, Joint Region Marianas, Santa Rita, GU, 96915, USA
| | - Atsuko Fukunaga
- MEGA Lab, College of Natural and Health Sciences, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA
- Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science, Arizona State University, Hilo, HI, 96720, USA
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7
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Pacey KI, Caballes CF, Pratchett MS. Using size-weight relationships to estimate biomass of heavily targeted aquarium corals by Australia's coral harvest fisheries. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1448. [PMID: 36702849 PMCID: PMC9879994 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28447-w] [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: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs are highly threatened environs subject to ongoing unprecedented degradation as a result of anthropogenic activities. Given the existential threat to coral reef ecosystems, extractive industries that make use of coral reef resources, are facing significant public and political pressure to quantify and justify their environmental impact. In Australia, hundreds of thousands of live scleractinian (hard) corals are harvested annually directly from the wild to supply the growing international marine aquarium trade. Many of the most popular and high value aquarium corals are believed to be slow growing, which would make them particularly vulnerable to over-fishing. Corals present a number of unique challenges for fisheries management, not least of which, is the marked variation in the size of corals, which may be harvested in whole or in part. This issue is further compounded because harvest limits are typically weight-based, but there is very limited information on the standing biomass of corals in targeted stocks. Herein, we describe size-weight relationships for some of Australia's most heavily targeted coral species (Catalaphyllia jardinei, Duncanopsammia axifuga, Euphyllia glabrescens, Homophyllia cf. australis, Micromussa lordhowensis, Trachyphyllia geoffroyi), which allows estimation of standing biomass from transect surveys. This work represents an important first step in the development of ecologically sound management strategies by bridging the gap between catch reporting and stock assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai I Pacey
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia.
| | - Ciemon F Caballes
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia.,National Science Foundation Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research-Guam Ecosystems Collaboratorium for Corals and Oceans, University of Guam-Marine Laboratory, Mangilao, Guam, 96923, USA
| | - Morgan S Pratchett
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia
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8
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McWilliam M, Dornelas M, Álvarez-Noriega M, Baird AH, Connolly SR, Madin JS. Net effects of life-history traits explain persistent differences in abundance among similar species. Ecology 2023; 104:e3863. [PMID: 36056537 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Life-history traits are promising tools to predict species commonness and rarity because they influence a population's fitness in a given environment. Yet, species with similar traits can have vastly different abundances, challenging the prospect of robust trait-based predictions. Using long-term demographic monitoring, we show that coral populations with similar morphological and life-history traits show persistent (decade-long) differences in abundance. Morphological groups predicted species positions along two, well known life-history axes (the fast-slow continuum and size-specific fecundity). However, integral projection models revealed that density-independent population growth (λ) was more variable within morphological groups, and was consistently higher in dominant species relative to rare species. Within-group λ differences projected large abundance differences among similar species in short timeframes, and were generated by small but compounding variation in growth, survival, and reproduction. Our study shows that easily measured morphological traits predict demographic strategies, yet small life-history differences can accumulate into large differences in λ and abundance among similar species. Quantifying the net effects of multiple traits on population dynamics is therefore essential to anticipate species commonness and rarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike McWilliam
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, Hawai'i, USA
| | - Maria Dornelas
- Centre for Biological Diversity, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Mariana Álvarez-Noriega
- Centre for Geometric Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew H Baird
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Joshua S Madin
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kāne'ohe, Hawai'i, USA
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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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Lange ID, Molina-Hernández A, Medellín-Maldonado F, Perry CT, Álvarez-Filip L. Structure-from-motion photogrammetry demonstrates variability in coral growth within colonies and across habitats. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0277546. [PMID: 36383546 PMCID: PMC9668137 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral growth is an important metric of coral health and underpins reef-scale functional attributes such as structural complexity and calcium carbonate production. There persists, however, a paucity of growth data for most reef-building regions, especially for coral species whose skeletal architecture prevents the use of traditional methods such as coring and Alizarin staining. We used structure-from-motion photogrammetry to quantify a range of colony-scale growth metrics for six coral species in the Mexican Caribbean and present a newly developed workflow to measure colony volume change over time. Our results provide the first growth metrics for two species that are now major space occupiers on Caribbean reefs, Agaricia agaricites and Agaricia tenuifolia. We also document higher linear extension, volume increase and calcification rates within back reef compared to fore reef environments for four other common species: Orbicella faveolata, Porites astreoides, Siderastrea siderea and Pseudodiploria strigosa. Linear extension rates in our study were lower than those obtained via computed tomography (CT) scans of coral cores from the same sites, as the photogrammetry method averages growth in all dimensions, while the CT method depicts growth only along the main growth axis (upwards). The comparison of direct volume change versus potential volume increase calculated from linear extension emphasizes the importance of assessing whole colony growth to improve calcification estimates. The method presented here provides an approach that can generate accurate calcification estimates alongside a range of other whole-colony growth metrics in a non-invasive way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ines D. Lange
- Geography, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Ana Molina-Hernández
- Biodiversity and Reef Conservation Laboratory, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, México
| | - Francisco Medellín-Maldonado
- Biodiversity and Reef Conservation Laboratory, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, México
| | - Chris T. Perry
- Geography, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Lorenzo Álvarez-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, Quintana Roo, México
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11
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Carlot J, Rouzé H, Barneche DR, Mercière A, Espiau B, Cardini U, Brandl SJ, Casey JM, Pérez‐Rosales G, Adjeroud M, Hédouin L, Parravicini V. Scaling up calcification, respiration, and photosynthesis rates of six prominent coral taxa. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8613. [PMID: 35342609 PMCID: PMC8933251 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Carlot
- PSL Université Paris USR 3278 CRIOBE ‐ EPHE‐UPVD‐CNRS Perpignan France
- Laboratoire d’Excellence “CORAIL” Paris France
- CESAB ‐ FRB Montpellier France
| | - Héloïse Rouzé
- PSL Université Paris USR 3278 CRIOBE ‐ EPHE‐UPVD‐CNRS Perpignan France
- Laboratoire d’Excellence “CORAIL” Paris France
| | - Diego R. Barneche
- Australian Institute of Marine Science Crawley Western Australia Australia
- Oceans Institute The University of Western Australia Crawley Western Australia Australia
| | - Alexandre Mercière
- Laboratoire d’Excellence “CORAIL” Paris France
- PSL Université ‐ EPHE‐UPVD‐CNRS USR 3278 CRIOBE Papetoai French Polynesia
| | - Benoit Espiau
- Laboratoire d’Excellence “CORAIL” Paris France
- PSL Université ‐ EPHE‐UPVD‐CNRS USR 3278 CRIOBE Papetoai French Polynesia
| | - 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
| | - 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 The University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute Port Aransas Texas 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 The University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute Port Aransas Texas USA
| | - Gonzalo Pérez‐Rosales
- PSL Université Paris USR 3278 CRIOBE ‐ EPHE‐UPVD‐CNRS Perpignan France
- Laboratoire d’Excellence “CORAIL” Paris France
- PSL Université ‐ EPHE‐UPVD‐CNRS USR 3278 CRIOBE Papetoai French Polynesia
| | - Mehdi Adjeroud
- Laboratoire d’Excellence “CORAIL” Paris France
- CESAB ‐ FRB Montpellier France
- ENTROPIE, IRD Université de la Réunion, Université de la Nouvelle‐Calédonie CNRS, Ifremer Perpignan France
| | - 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
- CESAB ‐ FRB Montpellier France
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12
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Fong J, Todd PA. Spatio-temporal dynamics of coral-macroalgal interactions and their impacts on coral growth on urbanised reefs. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 172:112849. [PMID: 34425366 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Interactions between corals and macroalgae are important in influencing benthic community structures on coral reefs and have become increasingly common occurrences. However, little is known about their temporal variation as most studies have only documented them from single surveys. To investigate the dynamics of coral-macroalgal interactions, we surveyed three urbanised reefs in Singapore bi-monthly for three years. We found that the frequency of coral-macroalgal interactions varied greatly across sites and seasons. The extent of coral-macroalgal contact was positively correlated with macroalgal abundance, but the correlation differed significantly among macroalgal genera. The growth rates of Goniopora, Montipora and Pavona corals, but not Platygra, were also negatively correlated with the extent of macroalgal interactions. Overall, our results highlight that coral-macroalgal interactions are spatially and temporally dynamic, with varying effects among coral species. It is critical to consider seasonal fluctuations of macroalgae if the overall long-term impacts of macroalgae are to be understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Fong
- Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117558, Singapore.
| | - Peter A Todd
- Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117558, Singapore
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13
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Dietzel A, Connolly SR, Hughes TP, Bode M. The spatial footprint and patchiness of large-scale disturbances on coral reefs. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:4825-4838. [PMID: 34390297 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2020] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystems have always been shaped by disturbances, but many of these events are becoming larger, more severe and more frequent. The recovery capacity of depleted populations depends on the frequency of disturbances, the spatial distribution of mortality and the scale of dispersal. Here, we show that four mass coral bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef (in 1998, 2002, 2016 and 2017) each had markedly larger disturbance footprints and were less patchy than a severe category 5 tropical cyclone (Cyclone Yasi, 2011). Severely bleached reefs in 2016 and 2017 were isolated from the nearest lightly affected reefs by up to 146 and 200 km, respectively. In contrast, reefs damaged by Cyclone Yasi were on average 20 km away from relatively undisturbed reefs, well within the estimated range of larval dispersal for most corals. Based on these results, we present a model of coral reef disturbance and recovery to examine (1) how the spatial clustering of disturbances modifies large-scale recovery rates; and (2) how recovery rates are shaped by species' dispersal abilities. Our findings illustrate that the spatial footprint of the recent mass bleaching events poses an unprecedented threat to the resilience of coral species in human history, a threat that is even larger than the amount of mortality suggests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Dietzel
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sean R Connolly
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama
| | - Terry P Hughes
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michael Bode
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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14
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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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15
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Dietzel A, Bode M, Connolly SR, Hughes TP. Long-term shifts in the colony size structure of coral populations along the Great Barrier Reef. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201432. [PMID: 33049171 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The age or size structure of a population has a marked influence on its demography and reproductive capacity. While declines in coral cover are well documented, concomitant shifts in the size-frequency distribution of coral colonies are rarely measured at large spatial scales. Here, we document major shifts in the colony size structure of coral populations along the 2300 km length of the Great Barrier Reef relative to historical baselines (1995/1996). Coral colony abundances on reef crests and slopes have declined sharply across all colony size classes and in all coral taxa compared to historical baselines. Declines were particularly pronounced in the northern and central regions of the Great Barrier Reef, following mass coral bleaching in 2016 and 2017. The relative abundances of large colonies remained relatively stable, but this apparent stability masks steep declines in absolute abundance. The potential for recovery of older fecund corals is uncertain given the increasing frequency and intensity of disturbance events. The systematic decline in smaller colonies across regions, habitats and taxa, suggests that a decline in recruitment has further eroded the recovery potential and resilience of coral populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Dietzel
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - Michael Bode
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.,School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sean R Connolly
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.,College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.,Naos Marine Laboratories, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama
| | - Terry P Hughes
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
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16
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Sandin SA, Eynaud Y, Williams GJ, Edwards CB, McNamara DE. Modelling the linkage between coral assemblage structure and pattern of environmental forcing. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:200565. [PMID: 33204448 PMCID: PMC7657928 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.200565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Geographical comparisons suggest that coral reef communities can vary as a function of their environmental context, differing not just in terms of total coral cover but also in terms of relative abundance (or coverage) of coral taxa. While much work has considered how shifts in benthic reef dynamics can shift dominance of stony corals relative to algal and other benthic competitors, the relative performance of coral types under differing patterns of environmental disturbance has received less attention. We construct an empirically-grounded numerical model to simulate coral assemblage dynamics under a spectrum of disturbance regimes, contrasting hydrodynamic disturbances (which cause morphology-specific, whole-colony mortality) with disturbances that cause mortality independently of colony morphology. We demonstrate that the relative representation of morphological types within a coral assemblage shows limited connection to the intensity, and essentially no connection to the frequency, of hydrodynamic disturbances. Morphological types of corals that are more vulnerable to mortality owing to hydrodynamic disturbance tend to grow faster, with rates sufficiently high to recover benthic coverage during inter-disturbance intervals. By contrast, we show that factors causing mortality without linkage to morphology, including those that cause only partial colony loss, more dramatically shift coral assemblage structure, disproportionately favouring fast-growing tabular morphologies. Furthermore, when intensity and likelihood of such disturbances increases, assemblages do not adapt smoothly and instead reveal a heightened level of temporal variance, beyond which reefs demonstrate drastically reduced coral coverage. Our findings highlight that adaptation of coral reef benthic assemblages depends on the nature of disturbances, with hydrodynamic disturbances having little to no effect on the capacity of reef coral communities to resist and recover with sustained coral dominance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart A. Sandin
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0202, USA
| | - Yoan Eynaud
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0202, USA
| | - Gareth J. Williams
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0202, USA
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Anglesey LL59 5AB, UK
| | - Clinton B. Edwards
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0202, USA
| | - Dylan E. McNamara
- Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography/Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, 601 South College Road, Wilmington, NC 28403, USA
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17
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Pisapia C, Edmunds PJ, Moeller HV, M Riegl B, McWilliam M, Wells CD, Pratchett MS. Projected shifts in coral size structure in the Anthropocene. ADVANCES IN MARINE BIOLOGY 2020; 87:31-60. [PMID: 33293015 DOI: 10.1016/bs.amb.2020.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Changes in the size structure of coral populations have major consequences for population dynamics and community function, yet many coral reef monitoring projects do not record this critical feature. Consequently, our understanding of current and future trajectories in coral size structure, and the demographic processes underlying these changes, is still emerging. Here, we provide a conceptual summary of the benefits to be gained from more comprehensive attention to the size of coral colonies in reef monitoring projects, and we support our argument through the use of case-history examples and a simplified ecological model. We neither seek to review the available empirical data, or to rigorously explore causes and implications of changes in coral size, we seek to reveal the advantages to modifying ongoing programs to embrace the information inherent in changing coral colony size. Within this framework, we evaluate and forecast the mechanics and implications of changes in the population structure of corals that are transitioning from high to low abundance, and from large to small colonies, sometimes without striking effects on planar coral cover. Using two coral reef locations that have been sampled for coral size, we use demographic data to underscore the limitations of coral cover in understanding the causes and consequences of long-term declining coral size, and abundance. A stage-structured matrix model is used to evaluate the demographic causes of declining coral colony size and abundance, particularly with respect to the risks of extinction. The model revealed differential effects of mortality, growth and fecundity on coral size distributions. It also suggested that colony rarity and declining colony size in association with partial tissue mortality and chronic declines in fecundity, can lead to a demographic bottleneck with the potential to prolong the existence of coral populations when they are characterized by mostly very small colonies. Such bottlenecks could have ecological importance if they can delay extinction and provide time for human intervention to alleviate the environmental degradation driving reductions in coral abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Pisapia
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, CA, United States; Department of Ocean Science and Hong Kong Branch of the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
| | - Peter J Edmunds
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, CA, United States
| | - Holly V Moeller
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Bernhard M Riegl
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Dania Beach, FL, United States
| | - Mike McWilliam
- Hawai'I Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'I at Manoa, Kaneohe, HI, United States
| | - Christopher D Wells
- Department of Geology, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Morgan S Pratchett
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
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18
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Edmunds PJ, Burgess SC. Emergent properties of branching morphologies modulate the sensitivity of coral calcification to high PCO2. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb217000. [PMID: 32179545 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.217000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Experiments with coral fragments (i.e. nubbins) have shown that net calcification is depressed by elevated PCO2 Evaluating the implications of this finding requires scaling of results from nubbins to colonies, yet the experiments to codify this process have not been carried out. Building from our previous research demonstrating that net calcification of Pocillopora verrucosa (2-13 cm diameter) was unaffected by PCO2 (400 and 1000 µatm) and temperature (26.5 and 29.7°C), we sought generality to this outcome by testing how colony size modulates PCO2 and temperature sensitivity in a branching acroporid. Together, these taxa represent two of the dominant lineages of branching corals on Indo-Pacific coral reefs. Two trials conducted over 2 years tested the hypothesis that the seasonal range in seawater temperature (26.5 and 29.2°C) and a future PCO2 (1062 µatm versus an ambient level of 461 µatm) affect net calcification of an ecologically relevant size range (5-20 cm diameter) of colonies of Acropora hyacinthus As for P. verrucosa, the effects of temperature and PCO2 on net calcification (mg day-1) of A. verrucosa were not statistically detectable. These results support the generality of a null outcome on net calcification of exposing intact colonies of branching corals to environmental conditions contrasting seasonal variation in temperature and predicted future variation in PCO2 While there is a need to expand beyond an experimental culture relying on coral nubbins as tractable replicates, rigorously responding to this need poses substantial ethical and logistical challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Edmunds
- Department of Biology, California State University, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330-8303, USA
| | - Scott C Burgess
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4295, USA
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19
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Madin JS, Baird AH, Baskett ML, Connolly SR, Dornelas MA. Partitioning colony size variation into growth and partial mortality. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20190727. [PMID: 31964264 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Body size is a trait that broadly influences the demography and ecology of organisms. In unitary organisms, body size tends to increase with age. In modular organisms, body size can either increase or decrease with age, with size changes being the net difference between modules added through growth and modules lost through partial mortality. Rates of colony extension are independent of body size, but net growth is allometric, suggesting a significant role of size-dependent mortality. In this study, we develop a generalizable model of partitioned growth and partial mortality and apply it to data from 11 species of reef-building coral. We show that corals generally grow at constant radial increments that are size independent, and that partial mortality acts more strongly on small colonies. We also show a clear life-history trade-off between growth and partial mortality that is governed by growth form. This decomposition of net growth can provide mechanistic insights into the relative demographic effects of the intrinsic factors (e.g. acquisition of food and life-history strategy), which tend to affect growth, and extrinsic factors (e.g. physical damage, and predation), which tend to affect mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua S Madin
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kaneohe, Hawai'i, USA
| | - Andrew H Baird
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Marissa L Baskett
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Sean R Connolly
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.,School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Maria A Dornelas
- Centre for Biological Diversity, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
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20
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Quantifying Coral Reef Composition of Recreational Diving Sites: A Structure from Motion Approach at Seascape Scale. REMOTE SENSING 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/rs11243027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Recreational diving is known to have both direct and indirect impacts on coral habitats. Direct impacts include increasing sedimentation, breaks and diseases that lead to a decrease in the richness and abundances of hard corals. Indirect impacts include urban development, land management and sewage disposal. The ecological effects of scuba diving on the spatial composition metrics of reef benthic communities are less well studied, and they have not been investigated at seascape scale. In this study, we combine orthomosaics derived from Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry and data-mining techniques to study the spatial composition of reef benthic communities of recreational diving sites at seascape scale (>25 m 2 ). The study focuses on the case study area of Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve (Mozambique). Results showed that scuba-diving resistant taxa (i.e., sponges and algae) were abundant at small (>850 m 2 ) and highly dived sites (>3000 dives yr − 1 ), characterized by low diversity and density, and big organisms with complex shapes. Fragile taxa (i.e., Acropora spp.) were abundant at low (365 dives yr − 1 ) and moderately dived sites (1000–3000 dives yr − 1 ) where the greater depth and wider coral reef surfaces attenuate the abrasive effect of waves and re-suspended sediments. Highest taxa diversity and density, and lowest abundance of resistant taxa were recorded at large (>2000 m 2 ) and rarely dived sites. This study highlights the potential applications for a photogrammetric approach to support monitoring programs at Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve (Mozambique), and provides some insight to understand the influence of scuba diving on benthic communities.
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21
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Zawada KJA, Madin JS, Baird AH, Bridge TCL, Dornelas M. Morphological traits can track coral reef responses to the Anthropocene. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kyle J. A. Zawada
- Centre for Biological Diversity, Scottish Oceans Institute University of St. Andrews St. Andrews UK
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Joshua S. Madin
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology University of Hawai‘i at Manoa Kaneohe Hawai‘i
| | - Andrew H. Baird
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Queensland Australia
| | - Tom C. L. Bridge
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Queensland Australia
- Biodiversity and Geosciences Program, Museum of Tropical Queensland Queensland Museum Network Townsville Queensland Australia
| | - Maria Dornelas
- Centre for Biological Diversity, Scottish Oceans Institute University of St. Andrews St. Andrews UK
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22
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Álvarez‐Noriega M, Baird AH, Dornelas M, Madin JS, Connolly SR. Negligible effect of competition on coral colony growth. Ecology 2018; 99:1347-1356. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2017] [Revised: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Álvarez‐Noriega
- College of Science and Engineering James Cook University Townsville Queensland 4811 Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Queensland 4811 Australia
| | - Andrew H. Baird
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Queensland 4811 Australia
| | - Maria Dornelas
- Centre for Biological Diversity Scottish Oceans Institute University of St. Andrews St. Andrews KY16 9TH UK
| | - Joshua S. Madin
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology University of Hawai'i at Mānoa 46‐007 Lilipuna Rd Kaneohe Hawai'i 96744 USA
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales 2109 Australia
| | - Sean R. Connolly
- College of Science and Engineering James Cook University Townsville Queensland 4811 Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Queensland 4811 Australia
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23
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House JE, Brambilla V, Bidaut LM, Christie AP, Pizarro O, Madin JS, Dornelas M. Moving to 3D: relationships between coral planar area, surface area and volume. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4280. [PMID: 29435392 PMCID: PMC5806594 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2016] [Accepted: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs are a valuable and vulnerable marine ecosystem. The structure of coral reefs influences their health and ability to fulfill ecosystem functions and services. However, monitoring reef corals largely relies on 1D or 2D estimates of coral cover and abundance that overlook change in ecologically significant aspects of the reefs because they do not incorporate vertical or volumetric information. This study explores the relationship between 2D and 3D metrics of coral size. We show that surface area and volume scale consistently with planar area, albeit with morphotype specific conversion parameters. We use a photogrammetric approach using open-source software to estimate the ability of photogrammetry to provide measurement estimates of corals in 3D. Technological developments have made photogrammetry a valid and practical technique for studying coral reefs. We anticipate that these techniques for moving coral research from 2D into 3D will facilitate answering ecological questions by incorporating the 3rd dimension into monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny E House
- Center for Biological Diversity, Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Viviana Brambilla
- Center for Biological Diversity, Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Luc M Bidaut
- Clinical Research Imaging Facility, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom.,College of Science, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, United Kingdom
| | - Alec P Christie
- Center for Biological Diversity, Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Oscar Pizarro
- Australian Centre for Field Robotics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Joshua S Madin
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Kaneohe, HI, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Maria Dornelas
- Center for Biological Diversity, Scottish Oceans Institute, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
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24
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A functional approach to the structural complexity of coral assemblages based on colony morphological features. Sci Rep 2017; 7:9849. [PMID: 28852107 PMCID: PMC5575326 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-10334-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Colony morphological features is among the best predictor of the scleractinian coral’s function in reef ecosystems. However, morphological traits are categorical and to convert this information into a quantitative value as well as estimate their influence on ecosystem process remain a challenge. Here, we propose a trait-based approach to quantify morphological diversity and assess the structural complexity of the habitat provided by corals. We used a previously published dataset that is related to a bleaching event that affected the coral reef off Tikus Island in Indonesia in 1983. We found clear signs of recovery of the coral assemblage’s complexity toward pre El Niño conditions five years after the event. Independent of the change observed in species richness, this return in structural complexity was accompanied by a global decrease in species number associated with each particular morphological entity (Functional Redundancy) and an increase in the number of single-species entities (Functional Vulnerability). Together with species loss, we show an overall functional erosion of the coral assemblage and suggest that the role of the coral reef habitat could be strongly imperiled under repeated or synergistic disturbances. This approach offers an opportunity for a better understanding of coral responses to natural and anthropogenic disturbances.
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High Resolution Orthomosaics of African Coral Reefs: A Tool for Wide-Scale Benthic Monitoring. REMOTE SENSING 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/rs9070705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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