1
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Chandler JF, Figueira WF, Burn D, Doll PC, Johandes A, Piccaluga A, Pratchett MS. Predicting 3D and 2D surface area of corals from simple field measurements. Sci Rep 2024; 14:20549. [PMID: 39232103 PMCID: PMC11375061 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-71580-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The structural architecture of coral reefs is a known predictor of species richness, fish biomass and reef resilience. At a smaller scale, three-dimensional (3D) surface area of corals is a fundamental determinant of physical and biological processes. Quantifying the 3D surface area of corals has applications for a broad range of scientific disciplines, including carbonate production estimates, coral predation studies, and assessments of reef growth. Here, we present morphotaxon-specific conversion metrics to estimate total 3D surface area and projected 2D surface area of individual colonies from simple field measurements of colony maximum diameter. Underwater photogrammetry techniques were used to quantify surface area and estimate conversion metrics. Bayesian models showed strong non-linear (power) relationships between colony maximum diameter and both total 3D surface area and projected 2D surface area for 13 out of 15 morphotaxa. This study presents a highly resolved and efficient method for obtaining critical surface area assessments of corals for various applications, including assessments of biotic surface area, tissue biomass, calcification rates, coral demographic rates, and reef restoration monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josie F Chandler
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia.
| | - Will F Figueira
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Deborah Burn
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia
| | - Peter C Doll
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia
| | - Abby Johandes
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia
| | - Agustina Piccaluga
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Morgan S Pratchett
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia
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2
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Quigley KM, Baird AH. Future climate warming threatens coral reef function on World Heritage reefs. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17407. [PMID: 39011806 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Climate change is the most significant threat to natural World Heritage (WH) sites, especially in the oceans. Warming has devastated marine faunas, including reef corals, kelp, and seagrass. Here, we project future declines in species and ecosystem functions across Australia's four WH coral reef regions. Model simulations estimating species-level abundances and probabilities of ecological persistence were combined with trait space reconstructions at "present," 2050 (+1.5°C of warming), and 2100 (+2°C) to explore biogeographical overlaps and identify key functional differences and forecast changes in function through time. Future climates varied by region, with Shark Bay projected to warm the most (>1.29°C), followed by Lord Howe, when standardized to marine park size. By 2050, ~40% of the Great Barrier Reef will exceed critical thresholds set by the warmest summer month (mean monthly maximum [MMM]), triggering mortality. Functional diversity was greatest at Ningaloo. At +1.5°C of warming, species and regions varied drastically in their functional responses, declined 20.2% in species richness (~70 extinctions) and lost functions across all reefs. At +2°C, models predicted a complete collapse of functions, consistent with IPCC forecasts. This variability suggests a bespoke management approach is needed for each region and is critical for understanding WH vulnerability to climate change, identifying thresholds, and quantifying uncertainty of impacts. This knowledge will aid in focusing management, policy and conservation actions to direct resources, rapid action, and set biodiversity targets for these reefs of global priority. As reefs reassemble into novel or different configurations, determining the winners and losers of functional space will be critical for meeting global landmark biodiversity goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate M Quigley
- Minderoo Foundation, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Andrew H Baird
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
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3
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Matthews SA, Williamson DH, Beeden R, Emslie MJ, Abom RTM, Beard D, Bonin M, Bray P, Campili AR, Ceccarelli DM, Fernandes L, Fletcher CS, Godoy D, Hemingson CR, Jonker MJ, Lang BJ, Morris S, Mosquera E, Phillips GL, Sinclair-Taylor TH, Taylor S, Tracey D, Wilmes JC, Quincey R. Protecting Great Barrier Reef resilience through effective management of crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298073. [PMID: 38656948 PMCID: PMC11042723 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Resilience-based management is essential to protect ecosystems in the Anthropocene. Unlike large-scale climate threats to Great Barrier Reef (GBR) corals, outbreaks of coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS; Acanthaster cf. solaris) can be directly managed through targeted culling. Here, we evaluate the outcomes of a decade of strategic COTS management in suppressing outbreaks and protecting corals during the 4th COTS outbreak wave at reef and regional scales (sectors). We compare COTS density and coral cover dynamics during the 3rd and 4th outbreak waves. During the 4th outbreak wave, sectors that received limited to no culling had sustained COTS outbreaks causing significant coral losses. In contrast, in sectors that received timely and sufficient cull effort, coral cover increased substantially, and outbreaks were suppressed with COTS densities up to six-fold lower than in the 3rd outbreak wave. In the Townsville sector for example, despite exposure to comparable disturbance regimes during the 4th outbreak wave, effective outbreak suppression coincided with relative increases in sector-wide coral cover (44%), versus significant coral cover declines (37%) during the 3rd outbreak wave. Importantly, these estimated increases span entire sectors, not just reefs with active COTS control. Outbreaking reefs with higher levels of culling had net increases in coral cover, while the rate of coral loss was more than halved on reefs with lower levels of cull effort. Our results also indicate that outbreak wave progression to adjoining sectors has been delayed, probably via suppression of COTS larval supply. Our findings provide compelling evidence that proactive, targeted, and sustained COTS management can effectively suppress COTS outbreaks and deliver coral growth and recovery benefits at reef and sector-wide scales. The clear coral protection outcomes demonstrate the value of targeted manual culling as both a scalable intervention to mitigate COTS outbreaks, and a potent resilience-based management tool to "buy time" for coral reefs, protecting reef ecosystem functions and biodiversity as the climate changes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Roger Beeden
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Mary Bonin
- Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Brisbane City, QLD, Australia
| | - Peran Bray
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | - Leanne Fernandes
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Dan Godoy
- Blue Planet Marine, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Christopher R. Hemingson
- The University of Texas at Austin, Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, Texas, United States of America
| | | | - Bethan J. Lang
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, QLD, Australia
- The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | - Gareth L. Phillips
- Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators Ltd, Cairns, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Sascha Taylor
- Queensland Department of Environment and Science, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Partnerships (Marine Parks), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Dieter Tracey
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Richard Quincey
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, QLD, Australia
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4
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Sannassy Pilly S, Roche RC, Richardson LE, Turner JR. Depth variation in benthic community response to repeated marine heatwaves on remote Central Indian Ocean reefs. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231246. [PMID: 38545610 PMCID: PMC10966399 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Coral reefs are increasingly impacted by climate-induced warming events. However, there is limited empirical evidence on the variation in the response of shallow coral reef communities to thermal stress across depths. Here, we assess depth-dependent changes in coral reef benthic communities following successive marine heatwaves from 2015 to 2017 across a 5-25 m depth gradient in the remote Chagos Archipelago, Central Indian Ocean. Our analyses show an overall decline in hard and soft coral cover and an increase in crustose coralline algae, sponge and reef pavement following successive marine heatwaves on the remote reef system. Our findings indicate that the changes in benthic communities in response to elevated seawater temperatures varied across depths. We found greater changes in benthic group cover at shallow depths (5-15 m) compared with deeper zones (15-25 m). The loss of hard coral cover was better predicted by initial thermal stress, while the loss of soft coral was associated with repeated thermal stress following successive warming events. Our study shows that benthic communities extending to 25 m depth were impacted by successive marine heatwaves, supporting concerns about the resilience of shallow coral reef communities to increasingly severe climate-driven warming events.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ronan C. Roche
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, BangorLL59 5AB, UK
| | | | - John R. Turner
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, BangorLL59 5AB, UK
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5
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Walker AS, Kratochwill CA, van Woesik R. Past disturbances and local conditions influence the recovery rates of coral reefs. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17112. [PMID: 38273580 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Corals are being increasingly subjected to marine heatwaves. Theory suggests that increasing the intensity of disturbances reduces recovery rates, which inspired us to examine the recovery rates of coral cover following marine heatwaves, cyclones, and other disturbances at 1921 study sites, in 58 countries and three oceans, from 1977 to 2020. In the Atlantic Ocean, coral cover has decreased fourfold since the 1970s, and recovery rates following disturbances have been relatively slow, except in the Antilles. By contrast, reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans have maintained coral cover and recovery rates over time. There were positive relationships between rates of coral recovery and prior cyclone and heatwave frequency, and negative relationships between rates of coral recovery and macroalgae cover and distance to shore. A recent increase in the variance in recovery rates in some ecoregions of the Pacific and Indian Oceans suggests that some reefs in those ecoregions may be approaching a phase shift. While marine heatwaves are increasing in intensity and frequency, our results suggest that regional and local conditions influence coral recovery rates, and therefore, effective local management efforts can help reefs recover from disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Walker
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Florida, USA
| | - Chelsey A Kratochwill
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Florida, USA
| | - Robert van Woesik
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Florida, USA
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6
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Teixidó N, Carlot J, Alliouane S, Ballesteros E, De Vittor C, Gambi MC, Gattuso JP, Kroeker K, Micheli F, Mirasole A, Parravacini V, Villéger S. Functional changes across marine habitats due to ocean acidification. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17105. [PMID: 38273554 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Global environmental change drives diversity loss and shifts in community structure. A key challenge is to better understand the impacts on ecosystem function and to connect species and trait diversity of assemblages with ecosystem properties that are in turn linked to ecosystem functioning. Here we quantify shifts in species composition and trait diversity associated with ocean acidification (OA) by using field measurements at marine CO2 vent systems spanning four reef habitats across different depths in a temperate coastal ecosystem. We find that both species and trait diversity decreased, and that ecosystem properties (understood as the interplay between species, traits, and ecosystem function) shifted with acidification. Furthermore, shifts in trait categories such as autotrophs, filter feeders, herbivores, and habitat-forming species were habitat-specific, indicating that OA may produce divergent responses across habitats and depths. Combined, these findings reveal the importance of connecting species and trait diversity of marine benthic habitats with key ecosystem properties to anticipate the impacts of global environmental change. Our results also generate new insights on the predicted general and habitat-specific ecological consequences of OA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Núria Teixidó
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, Ischia Marine Center, Naples, Italy
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Jérémy Carlot
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Samir Alliouane
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | | | - Cinzia De Vittor
- National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics-OGS, Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Jean-Pierre Gattuso
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
- Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations, Sciences Po, Paris, France
| | - Kristy Kroeker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Fiorenza Micheli
- Oceans Department, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, California, USA
- Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions, Pacific Grove, California, USA
| | - Alice Mirasole
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, Ischia Marine Center, Naples, Italy
| | - Valeriano Parravacini
- PSL Université Paris: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Université de Perpignan, Perpignan, France
| | - Sébastien Villéger
- MARBEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS-IRD-IFREMER-UM, Montpellier, France
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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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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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9
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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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10
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Mudge L, Bruno JF. Disturbance intensification is altering the trait composition of Caribbean reefs, locking them into a low functioning state. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14022. [PMID: 37640770 PMCID: PMC10462730 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40672-x] [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: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic climate change is intensifying natural disturbance regimes, which negatively affects some species, while benefiting others. This could alter the trait composition of ecological communities and influence resilience to disturbance. We investigated how the frequency and intensification of the regional storm regime (and likely other disturbances) is altering coral species composition and in turn resistance and recovery. We developed regional databases of coral cover and composition (3144 reef locations from 1970 to 2017) and of the path and strength of cyclonic storms in the region (including 10,058 unique storm-reef intersections). We found that total living coral cover declined steadily through 2017 (the median annual loss rate was ~ 0.25% per year). Our results also indicate that despite the observed increase in the intensity of Atlantic cyclonic storms, their effect on coral cover has decreased markedly. This could be due in part to selection for disturbance-resistant taxa in response to the intensifying disturbance regime. We found that storms accelerated the loss of threatened acroporid corals but had no measurable effect on the cover of more resilient "weedy" corals, thereby increasing their relative cover. Although resistance to disturbance has increased, recovery rates have slowed due to the dominance of small, slow-growing species. This feedback loop is locking coral communities into a low-functioning state dominated by weedy species with limited ecological or societal value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Mudge
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Barefoot Ocean, LLC., Houston, Texas, USA.
| | - John F Bruno
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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11
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González-Barrios FJ, Estrada-Saldívar N, Pérez-Cervantes E, Secaira-Fajardo F, Álvarez-Filip L. Legacy effects of anthropogenic disturbances modulate dynamics in the world's coral reefs. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:3285-3303. [PMID: 36932916 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Rapidly changing conditions alter disturbance patterns, highlighting the need to better understand how the transition from pulse disturbances to more persistent stress will impact ecosystem dynamics. We conducted a global analysis of the impacts of 11 types of disturbances on reef integrity using the rate of change of coral cover as a measure of damage. Then, we evaluated how the magnitude of the damage due to thermal stress, cyclones, and diseases varied among tropical Atlantic and Indo-Pacific reefs and whether the cumulative impact of thermal stress and cyclones was able to modulate the responses of reefs to future events. We found that reef damage largely depends on the condition of a reef before a disturbance, disturbance intensity, and biogeographic region, regardless of the type of disturbance. Changes in coral cover after thermal stress events were largely influenced by the cumulative stress of past disturbances and did not depend on disturbance intensity or initial coral cover, which suggests that an ecological memory is present within coral communities. In contrast, the effect of cyclones (and likely other physical impacts) was primarily modulated by the initial reef condition and did not appear to be influenced by previous impacts. Our findings also underscore that coral reefs can recover if stressful conditions decrease, yet the lack of action to reduce anthropogenic impacts and greenhouse gas emissions continues to trigger reef degradation. We uphold that evidence-based strategies can guide managers to make better decisions to prepare for future disturbances.
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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, Mexico
| | - Nuria Estrada-Saldívar
- Biodiversity and Reef Conservation Laboratory, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Mexico
| | - Esmeralda Pérez-Cervantes
- Biodiversity and Reef Conservation Laboratory, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Mexico
| | | | - 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, Mexico
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12
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Burn D, Hoey AS, Matthews S, Harrison HB, Pratchett MS. Differential bleaching susceptibility among coral taxa and colony sizes, relative to bleaching severity across Australia's Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea Marine Parks. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 191:114907. [PMID: 37080018 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Climate-induced coral bleaching represents the foremost threat to coral assemblages globally, however bleaching susceptibility varies among and within coral taxa. We compared bleaching susceptibility among 10 coral morpho-taxa and two colony size classes relative to reef-scale bleaching severity at 33 reefs across the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea Marine Parks in February-March 2020. Colony size and bleaching severity caused the hierarchy of bleaching susceptibility among taxa to change considerably. Notably, massive Porites shifted from being among the least likely taxa to exhibit bleaching, to among the most susceptible as overall bleaching severity increased. Juvenile corals (≤5 cm diameter) were generally more resistant to bleaching, except for Montipora and Pocillopora colonies, which were more likely to bleach than adults (>5 cm). These findings suggest that colony size and reef-scale bleaching severity are important determinants of bleaching susceptibility among taxa and provide insights into possible shifts in the structure of coral assemblages caused by bleaching events.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Burn
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia.
| | - A S Hoey
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - S Matthews
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - H B Harrison
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - M S Pratchett
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
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13
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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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14
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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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15
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Streit RP, Bellwood DR. To harness traits for ecology, let’s abandon ‘functionality’. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 38:402-411. [PMID: 36522192 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Traits are measurable features of organisms. Functional traits aspire to more. They quantify an organism's ecology and, ultimately, predict ecosystem functions based on local communities. Such predictions are useful, but only if 'functional' really means 'ecologically relevant'. Unfortunately, many 'functional' traits seem to be characterized primarily by availability and implied importance - not by their ecological information content. Better traits are needed, but a prevailing trend is to 'functionalize' existing traits. The key may be to invert the process, that is, to identify functions of interest first and then identify traits as quantifiable proxies. We propose two distinct, yet complementary, perspectives on traits and provide a 'taxonomy of traits', a conceptual compass to navigate the diverse applications of traits in ecology.
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16
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Estimation of functional diversity and species traits from ecological monitoring data. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2118156119. [PMID: 36256813 PMCID: PMC9618138 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2118156119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The rampant loss of biodiversity is starting to be recognized as a global crisis rivaling the climate emergency. To address this crisis, scientists need robust methods to measure the diversity in a system. Importantly, these methods should not only count species but capture the variety of different functions that the species in a system can perform. In this paper, we propose a machine learning method by which existing data from ecosystem monitoring can be reanalyzed to reveal changes of functional biodiversity over time. The twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss define a strong need for functional diversity monitoring. While the availability of high-quality ecological monitoring data is increasing, the quantification of functional diversity so far requires the identification of species traits, for which data are harder to obtain. However, the traits that are relevant for the ecological function of a species also shape its performance in the environment and hence, should be reflected indirectly in its spatiotemporal distribution. Thus, it may be possible to reconstruct these traits from a sufficiently extensive monitoring dataset. Here, we use diffusion maps, a deterministic and de facto parameter-free analysis method, to reconstruct a proxy representation of the species’ traits directly from monitoring data and use it to estimate functional diversity. We demonstrate this approach with both simulated data and real-world phytoplankton monitoring data from the Baltic Sea. We anticipate that wider application of this approach to existing data could greatly advance the analysis of changes in functional biodiversity.
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17
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Arjunwadkar CV, Tebbett SB, Bellwood DR, Bourne DG, Smith HA. Algal turf structure and composition vary with particulate loads on coral reefs. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 181:113903. [PMID: 35843165 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Algal turfs trap and retain particulates, however, little is known about the relationship between particulate accumulation and taxonomic composition of algal turfs. We investigated how particulate mass related to algal turf structure (length and density) and community composition (taxonomic and functional) on two disparate reefs. Particulate mass was positively related to algal turf length. By contrast, the relationship between particulate mass and turf density was more complex and followed a negative parabolic shape; density increased with particulate mass before stabilising and then declining. Community analyses showed taxonomic, but not functional group compositions differed significantly between reefs and with increasing particulate mass. Our results suggest high loads of particulates accumulated in algal turfs are related to a longer, lower density turf structure, typified by filamentous forms such as Cladophora. Changes in algal turf structure and composition could have a variety of bottom-up influences on coral reef ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sterling B Tebbett
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia; Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - David R Bellwood
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia; Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - David G Bourne
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia; Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Hillary A Smith
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia; Centre for Marine Science and Innovation, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia.
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18
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Alvarez-Filip L, González-Barrios FJ, Pérez-Cervantes E, Molina-Hernández A, Estrada-Saldívar N. Stony coral tissue loss disease decimated Caribbean coral populations and reshaped reef functionality. Commun Biol 2022; 5:440. [PMID: 35681037 PMCID: PMC9184636 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03398-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Diseases are major drivers of the deterioration of coral reefs and are linked to major declines in coral abundance, reef functionality, and reef-related ecosystems services. An outbreak of a new disease is currently rampaging through the populations of the remaining reef-building corals across the Caribbean region. The outbreak was first reported in Florida in 2014 and reached the northern Mesoamerican Reef by summer 2018, where it spread across the ~450-km reef system in only a few months. Rapid spread was generalized across all sites and mortality rates ranged from 94% to <10% among the 21 afflicted coral species. Most species of the family Meandrinadae (maze corals) and subfamily Faviinae (brain corals) sustained losses >50%. This single event further modified the coral communities across the region by increasing the relative dominance of weedy corals and reducing reef functionality, both in terms of functional diversity and calcium carbonate production. This emergent disease is likely to become the most lethal disturbance ever recorded in the Caribbean, and it will likely result in the onset of a new functional regime where key reef-building and complex branching acroporids, an apparently unaffected genus that underwent severe population declines decades ago and retained low population levels, will once again become conspicuous structural features in reef systems with yet even lower levels of physical functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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, Quintana Roo, México.
| | - 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, Quintana Roo, México
| | - Esmeralda Pérez-Cervantes
- 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
| | - 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
| | - Nuria Estrada-Saldívar
- 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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19
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Dimos B, Emery M, Beavers K, MacKnight N, Brandt M, Demuth J, Mydlarz L. Adaptive Variation in Homolog Number Within Transcript Families Promotes Expression Divergence in Reef-Building Coral. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:2594-2610. [PMID: 35229964 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Gene expression, especially in multi-species experiments, is used to gain insight into the genetic basis of how organisms adapt and respond to changing environments. However, evolutionary processes which can influence gene expression patterns between species such as the presence of paralogs which arise from gene duplication events are rarely accounted for. Paralogous transcripts can alter the transcriptional output of a gene and thus exclusion of these transcripts can obscure important biological differences between species. To address this issue, we investigated how differences in transcript family size is associated with divergent gene expression patterns in five species of Caribbean reef-building corals. We demonstrate that transcript families that are rapidly evolving in terms of size have increased levels of expression divergence. Additionally, these rapidly evolving transcript families are enriched for multiple biological processes, with genes involved in the coral innate immune system demonstrating pronounced variation in homolog number between species. Overall, this investigation demonstrates the importance of incorporating paralogous transcripts when comparing gene expression across species by influencing both transcriptional output and the number of transcripts within biological processes. As this investigation was based on transcriptome assemblies, additional insights into the relationship between gene duplications and expression patterns will likely emergence once more genome assemblies are available for study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradford Dimos
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Madison Emery
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Kelsey Beavers
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Nicholas MacKnight
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Marilyn Brandt
- Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, 00802, USA
| | - Jeffery Demuth
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Laura Mydlarz
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
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20
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Reverter M, Helber SB, Rohde S, de Goeij JM, Schupp PJ. Coral reef benthic community changes in the Anthropocene: Biogeographic heterogeneity, overlooked configurations, and methodology. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:1956-1971. [PMID: 34951504 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Non-random community changes are becoming more frequent in many ecosystems. In coral reefs, changes towards communities dominated by other than hard corals are increasing in frequency, with severe impacts on ecosystem functioning and provision of ecosystem services. Although new research suggests that a variety of alternative communities (i.e. not dominated by hard corals) exist, knowledge on the global diversity and functioning of alternative coral reef benthic communities, especially those not dominated by algae, remains scattered. In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 523 articles, we analyse the different coral reef benthic community changes reported to date and discuss the advantages and limitations of the methods used to study these changes. Furthermore, we used field cover data (1116 reefs from the ReefCheck database) to explore the biogeographic and latitudinal patterns in dominant benthic organisms. We found a mismatch between literature focus on coral-algal changes (over half of the studies analysed) and observed global natural patterns. We identified strong biogeographic patterns, with the largest and most biodiverse biogeographic regions (Western and Central Indo-Pacific) presenting previously overlooked soft-coral-dominated communities as the most abundant alternative community. Finally, we discuss the potential biases associated with methods that overlook ecologically important cryptobenthic communities and the potential of new technological advances in improving monitoring efforts. As coral reef communities inevitably and swiftly change under changing ocean conditions, there is an urgent need to better understand the distribution, dynamics as well as the ecological and societal impacts of these new communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Reverter
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Stephanie B Helber
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Sven Rohde
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Jasper M de Goeij
- Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology (FAME), Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter J Schupp
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB), Oldenburg, Germany
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21
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Cook KM, Yamagiwa H, Beger M, Masucci GD, Ross S, Lee HYT, Stuart‐Smith RD, Reimer JD. A community and functional comparison of coral and reef fish assemblages between four decades of coastal urbanisation and thermal stress. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8736. [PMID: 35356574 PMCID: PMC8939291 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Urbanized coral reefs experience anthropogenic disturbances caused by coastal development, pollution, and nutrient runoff, resulting in turbid, marginal conditions in which only certain species can persist. Mortality effects are exacerbated by increasingly regular thermal stress events, leading to shifts towards novel communities dominated by habitat generalists and species with low structural complexity.There is limited data on the turnover processes that occur due to this convergence of anthropogenic stressors, and how novel urban ecosystems are structured both at the community and functional levels. As such, it is unclear how they will respond to future disturbance events.Here, we examine the patterns of coral reef community change and determine whether ecosystem functions provided by specialist species are lost post-disturbance. We present a comparison of community and functional trait-based changes for scleractinian coral genera and reef fish species assemblages subject to coastal development, coastal modification, and mass bleaching between two time periods, 1975-1976 and 2018, in Nakagusuku Bay, Okinawa, Japan.We observed an increase in fish habitat generalists, a dominance shift from branching to massive/sub-massive corals and increasing site-based coral genera richness between years. Fish and coral communities significantly reassembled, but functional trait-based multivariate space remained constant, indicating a turnover of species with similar traits. A compression of coral habitat occurred, with shallow (<5 m) and deep (>8 m) coral genera shifting towards the mid-depths (5-8 m).We show that although reef species assemblages altered post disturbance, new communities retained similar ecosystem functions. This result could be linked to the stressors experienced by urban reefs, which reflect those that will occur at an increasing frequency globally in the near future. Yet, even after shifts to disturbed communities, these fully functioning reef systems may maintain high conservation value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie M. Cook
- School of BiologyFaculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Hirotaka Yamagiwa
- Molecular Invertebrate Systematics and Ecology LaboratoryGraduate School of Engineering and ScienceUniversity of the RyukyusNishiharaJapan
| | - Maria Beger
- School of BiologyFaculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation ScienceSchool of Biological SciencesThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | - Giovanni Diego Masucci
- Molecular Invertebrate Systematics and Ecology LaboratoryGraduate School of Engineering and ScienceUniversity of the RyukyusNishiharaJapan
| | - Stuart Ross
- School of BiologyFaculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Hui Yian Theodora Lee
- Molecular Invertebrate Systematics and Ecology LaboratoryGraduate School of Engineering and ScienceUniversity of the RyukyusNishiharaJapan
- Experimental Marine Ecology LaboratoryDepartment of Biological SciencesNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Rick D. Stuart‐Smith
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesUniversity of TasmaniaTaroonaTasmaniaAustralia
| | - James Davis Reimer
- Molecular Invertebrate Systematics and Ecology LaboratoryGraduate School of Engineering and ScienceUniversity of the RyukyusNishiharaJapan
- Tropical Biosphere Research CenterUniversity of the RyukyusNishiharaJapan
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22
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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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23
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Koester A, Ford AK, Ferse SCA, Migani V, Bunbury N, Sanchez C, Wild C. First insights into coral recruit and juvenile abundances at remote Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260516. [PMID: 34874982 PMCID: PMC8651144 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral recruitment and successive growth are essential for post-disturbance reef recovery. As coral recruit and juvenile abundances vary across locations and under different environmental regimes, their assessment at remote, undisturbed reefs improves our understanding of early life stage dynamics of corals. Here, we first explored changes in coral juvenile abundance across three locations (lagoon, seaward west and east) at remote Aldabra Atoll (Seychelles) between 2015 and 2019, which spanned the 2015/16 global coral bleaching event. Secondly, we measured variation in coral recruit abundance on settlement tiles from two sites (lagoon, seaward reef) during August 2018-August 2019. Juvenile abundance decreased from 14.1 ± 1.2 to 7.4 ± 0.5 colonies m-2 (mean ± SE) during 2015-2016 and increased to 22.4 ± 1.2 colonies m-2 during 2016-2019. Whilst juvenile abundance increased two- to three-fold at the lagoonal and seaward western sites during 2016-2018 (from 7.7-8.3 to 17.3-24.7 colonies m-2), increases at the seaward eastern sites occurred later (2018-2019; from 5.8-6.9 to 16.6-24.1 colonies m-2). The composition of coral recruits on settlement tiles was dominated by Pocilloporidae (64-92% of all recruits), and recruit abundance was 7- to 47-fold higher inside than outside the lagoon. Recruit abundance was highest in October-December 2018 (2164 ± 453 recruits m-2) and lowest in June-August 2019 (240 ± 98 recruits m-2). As Acroporid recruit abundance corresponded to this trend, the results suggest that broadcast spawning occurred during October-December, when water temperature increased from 26 to 29°C. This study provides the first published record on coral recruit abundance in the Seychelles Outer Islands, indicates a rapid (2-3 years) increase of juvenile corals following a bleaching event, and provides crucial baseline data for future research on reef resilience and connectivity within the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Koester
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology & Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Seychelles Islands Foundation, Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles
| | - Amanda K. Ford
- School of Agriculture, Geography, Environment, Ocean and Natural Sciences, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji
| | - Sebastian C. A. Ferse
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology & Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research, Bremen, Germany
| | - Valentina Migani
- Institute for Ecology, Faculty of Biology & Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Nancy Bunbury
- Seychelles Islands Foundation, Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, United Kingdom
| | - Cheryl Sanchez
- Seychelles Islands Foundation, Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Christian Wild
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology & Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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24
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Sayol F, Cooke RSC, Pigot AL, Blackburn TM, Tobias JA, Steinbauer MJ, Antonelli A, Faurby S. Loss of functional diversity through anthropogenic extinctions of island birds is not offset by biotic invasions. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabj5790. [PMID: 34757780 PMCID: PMC8580305 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj5790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Human impacts reshape ecological communities through the extinction and introduction of species. The combined impact of these factors depends on whether non-native species fill the functional roles of extinct species, thus buffering the loss of functional diversity. This question has been difficult to address, because comprehensive information about past extinctions and their traits is generally lacking. We combine detailed information about extinct, extant, and established alien birds to quantify historical changes in functional diversity across nine oceanic archipelagos. We found that alien species often equal or exceed the number of anthropogenic extinctions yet apparently perform a narrower set of functional roles as current island assemblages have undergone a substantial and ubiquitous net loss in functional diversity and increased functional similarity among assemblages. Our results reveal that the introduction of alien species has not prevented anthropogenic extinctions from reducing and homogenizing the functional diversity of native bird assemblages on oceanic archipelagos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferran Sayol
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Robert S. C. Cooke
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Maclean Building, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Alex L. Pigot
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Tim M. Blackburn
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, UK
| | - Joseph A. Tobias
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London Silwood Park, Ascot, UK
| | - Manuel J. Steinbauer
- University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research and Sport Ecology, Department of Sport Science, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Alexandre Antonelli
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, UK
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Søren Faurby
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Rodgers KS, Richards Donà A, Stender YO, Tsang AO, Han JHJ, Weible RM, Prouty N, Storlazzi C, Graham AT. Rebounds, regresses, and recovery: A 15-year study of the coral reef community at Pila'a, Kaua'i after decades of natural and anthropogenic stress events. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 171:112306. [PMID: 34456034 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112306] [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: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Pila'a reef on the north shore of Kaua'i, Hawai'i was subjected to a major flood event in 2001 that deposited extensive sediment on the reef flat, resulting in high coral mortality. To document potential recovery, this study replicated benthic and sediment surveys conducted immediately following the event and 15 years later. Coral cores were analyzed to determine coral growth rates and density. Our results suggest that significant reduction in terrigenous sediments has led to partial ecosystem recovery based on coral species and colony increases, more balanced size frequency distributions, improved coral condition, and enhanced coral recruitment despite lack of recovery of large dead coral colonies. However, within this 15-year period, episodic storms and a bleaching event impeded the recovery process, preventing full recovery and continuously threatening the coral reef community. As climate change progresses, the intensity and frequency of these disturbances are predicted to increase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuʻulei S Rodgers
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Angela Richards Donà
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Yuko O Stender
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Anita O Tsang
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Ji Hoon J Han
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Rebecca M Weible
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA.
| | - Nancy Prouty
- U.S. Geological Survey Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Curt Storlazzi
- U.S. Geological Survey Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Andrew T Graham
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
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Dangerous demographics in post-bleach corals reveal boom-bust versus protracted declines. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18787. [PMID: 34552159 PMCID: PMC8458526 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98239-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Thermal-stress events have changed the structure, biodiversity, and functioning of coral reefs. But how these disturbances affect the dynamics of individual coral colonies remains unclear. By tracking the fate of 1069 individual Acropora and massive Porites coral colonies for up to 5 years, spanning three bleaching events, we reveal striking genus-level differences in their demographic response to bleaching (mortality, growth, and recruitment). Although Acropora colonies were locally extirpated, substantial local recruitment and fast growth revealed a marked capacity for apparent recovery. By contrast, almost all massive Porites colonies survived and the majority grew in area; yet no new colonies were detected over the 5 years. Our results highlight contrasting dynamics of boom-and-bust vs. protracted declines in two major coral groups. These dangerous demographics emphasise the need for caution when documenting the susceptibility and perceived resistance or recovery of corals to disturbances.
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Reverter M, Jackson M, Rohde S, Moeller M, Bara R, Lasut MT, Segre Reinach M, Schupp PJ. High taxonomic resolution surveys and trait-based analyses reveal multiple benthic regimes in North Sulawesi (Indonesia). Sci Rep 2021; 11:16554. [PMID: 34400684 PMCID: PMC8367970 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95905-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
As coral reef communities change and reorganise in response to increasing disturbances, there is a growing need for understanding species regimes and their contribution to ecosystem processes. Using a case study on coral reefs at the epicentre of tropical marine biodiversity (North Sulawesi, Indonesia), we explored how application of different biodiversity approaches (i.e., use of major taxonomic categories, high taxonomic resolution categories and trait-based approaches) affects the detection of distinct fish and benthic communities. Our results show that using major categories fails to identify distinct coral reef regimes. We also show that monitoring of only scleractinian coral communities is insufficient to detect different benthic regimes, especially communities dominated by non-coral organisms, and that all types of benthic organisms need to be considered. We have implemented the use of a trait-based approach to study the functional diversity of whole coral reef benthic assemblages, which allowed us to detect five different community regimes, only one of which was dominated by scleractinian corals. Furthermore, by the parallel study of benthic and fish communities we provide new insights into key processes and functions that might dominate or be compromised in the different community regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Reverter
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) at the Carl Von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
| | - Matthew Jackson
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) at the Carl Von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Sven Rohde
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) at the Carl Von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Mareen Moeller
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) at the Carl Von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Robert Bara
- Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Sam Ratulangi University, Jl. Kampus UNSRAT Bahu, 95115, Manado, Sulawesi Utara, Indonesia
| | - Markus T Lasut
- Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Sam Ratulangi University, Jl. Kampus UNSRAT Bahu, 95115, Manado, Sulawesi Utara, Indonesia
| | | | - Peter J Schupp
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) at the Carl Von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB), 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
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28
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Cheutin MC, Villéger S, Hicks CC, Robinson JPW, Graham NAJ, Marconnet C, Restrepo CXO, Bettarel Y, Bouvier T, Auguet JC. Microbial Shift in the Enteric Bacteriome of Coral Reef Fish Following Climate-Driven Regime Shifts. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9081711. [PMID: 34442789 PMCID: PMC8398123 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9081711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Replacement of coral by macroalgae in post-disturbance reefs, also called a “coral-macroalgal regime shift”, is increasing in response to climate-driven ocean warming. Such ecosystem change is known to impact planktonic and benthic reef microbial communities but few studies have examined the effect on animal microbiota. In order to understand the consequence of coral-macroalgal shifts on the coral reef fish enteric bacteriome, we used a metabarcoding approach to examine the gut bacteriomes of 99 individual fish representing 36 species collected on reefs of the Inner Seychelles islands that, following bleaching, had either recovered to coral domination, or shifted to macroalgae. While the coral-macroalgal shift did not influence the diversity, richness or variability of fish gut bacteriomes, we observed a significant effect on the composition (R2 = 0.02; p = 0.001), especially in herbivorous fishes (R2 = 0.07; p = 0.001). This change is accompanied by a significant increase in the proportion of fermentative bacteria (Rikenella, Akkermensia, Desulfovibrio, Brachyspira) and associated metabolisms (carbohydrates metabolism, DNA replication, and nitrogen metabolism) in relation to the strong turnover of Scarinae and Siganidae fishes. Predominance of fermentative metabolisms in fish found on macroalgal dominated reefs indicates that regime shifts not only affect the taxonomic composition of fish bacteriomes, but also have the potential to affect ecosystem functioning through microbial functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Charlotte Cheutin
- UMR MARBEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, 34095 Montpellier, France; (S.V.); (C.M.); (C.X.O.R.); (Y.B.); (T.B.); (J.-C.A.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Sébastien Villéger
- UMR MARBEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, 34095 Montpellier, France; (S.V.); (C.M.); (C.X.O.R.); (Y.B.); (T.B.); (J.-C.A.)
| | - Christina C. Hicks
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK; (C.C.H.); (J.P.W.R.); (N.A.J.G.)
| | - James P. W. Robinson
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK; (C.C.H.); (J.P.W.R.); (N.A.J.G.)
| | - Nicholas A. J. Graham
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK; (C.C.H.); (J.P.W.R.); (N.A.J.G.)
| | - Clémence Marconnet
- UMR MARBEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, 34095 Montpellier, France; (S.V.); (C.M.); (C.X.O.R.); (Y.B.); (T.B.); (J.-C.A.)
| | - Claudia Ximena Ortiz Restrepo
- UMR MARBEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, 34095 Montpellier, France; (S.V.); (C.M.); (C.X.O.R.); (Y.B.); (T.B.); (J.-C.A.)
| | - Yvan Bettarel
- UMR MARBEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, 34095 Montpellier, France; (S.V.); (C.M.); (C.X.O.R.); (Y.B.); (T.B.); (J.-C.A.)
| | - Thierry Bouvier
- UMR MARBEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, 34095 Montpellier, France; (S.V.); (C.M.); (C.X.O.R.); (Y.B.); (T.B.); (J.-C.A.)
| | - Jean-Christophe Auguet
- UMR MARBEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, 34095 Montpellier, France; (S.V.); (C.M.); (C.X.O.R.); (Y.B.); (T.B.); (J.-C.A.)
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29
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Tebbett SB, Morais RA, Goatley CHR, Bellwood DR. Collapsing ecosystem functions on an inshore coral reef. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 289:112471. [PMID: 33812145 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112471] [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: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystem functions underpin productivity and key services to humans, such as food provision. However, as the severity of environmental stressors intensifies, it is becoming increasingly unclear if, and to what extent, critical functions and services can be sustained. This issue is epitomised on coral reefs, an ecosystem at the forefront of environmental transitions. We provide a functional profile of a coral reef ecosystem, linking time-series data to quantified processes. The data reveal a prolonged collapse of ecosystem functions in this previously resilient system. The results suggest that sediment accumulation in algal turfs has led to a decline in resource yields to herbivorous fishes and a decrease in fish-based ecosystem functions, including a collapse of both fish biomass and productivity. Unfortunately, at present, algal turf sediment accumulation is rarely monitored nor managed in coral reef systems. Our examination of functions through time highlights the value of directly assessing functions, their potential vulnerability, and the capacity of algal turf sediments to overwhelm productive high-diversity coral reef ecosystems.
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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.
| | - Renato A 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
| | - Christopher H R Goatley
- Function, Evolution and Anatomy Research Lab and Palaeoscience Research Centre, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2351, Australia; Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney, New South Wales, 2010, 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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30
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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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31
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Gómez‐Gras D, Linares C, Dornelas M, Madin JS, Brambilla V, Ledoux J, López‐Sendino P, Bensoussan N, Garrabou J. Climate change transforms the functional identity of Mediterranean coralligenous assemblages. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1038-1051. [PMID: 33728823 PMCID: PMC8252474 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13718] [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: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Quantifying changes in functional community structure driven by disturbance is critical to anticipate potential shifts in ecosystem functioning. However, how marine heatwaves (MHWs) affect the functional structure of temperate coral-dominated communities is poorly understood. Here, we used five long-term (> 10 years) records of Mediterranean coralligenous assemblages in a multi-taxa, trait-based analysis to investigate MHW-driven changes in functional structure. We show that, despite stability in functional richness (i.e. the range of species functional traits), MHW-impacted assemblages experienced long-term directional changes in functional identity (i.e. their dominant trait values). Declining traits included large sizes, long lifespans, arborescent morphologies, filter-feeding strategies or calcified skeletons. These traits, which were mostly supported by few sensitive and irreplaceable species from a single functional group (habitat-forming octocorals), disproportionally influence certain ecosystem functions (e.g. 3D-habitat provision). Hence, MHWs are leading to assemblages that are deficient in key functional traits, with likely consequences for the ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gómez‐Gras
- Departament de Biologia MarinaInstitut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Cristina Linares
- Departament de Biologia EvolutivaEcologia i Ciències AmbientalsInstitut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO)Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Maria Dornelas
- Centre for Biological Diversity and Scottish Oceans InstituteSchool of BiologyUniversity of StAndrews, St AndrewsUK
| | - Joshua S. Madin
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine BiologyUniversity of Hawai‘i at MānoaKaneoheHIUSA
| | - Viviana Brambilla
- Centre for Biological Diversity and Scottish Oceans InstituteSchool of BiologyUniversity of StAndrews, St AndrewsUK
| | - Jean‐Baptiste Ledoux
- Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIIMAR)PortoPortugal
| | - Paula López‐Sendino
- Departament de Biologia MarinaInstitut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC)BarcelonaSpain
| | | | - Joaquim Garrabou
- Departament de Biologia MarinaInstitut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC)BarcelonaSpain
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32
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Wall CB, Ricci CA, Wen AD, Ledbetter BE, Klinger DE, Mydlarz LD, Gates RD, Putnam HM. Shifting baselines: Physiological legacies contribute to the response of reef corals to frequent heatwaves. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B. Wall
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Kāne'ohe HI USA
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Honolulu HI USA
| | - Contessa A. Ricci
- Department of Biology University of Texas at Arlington Arlington TX USA
| | - Alexandra D. Wen
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Kāne'ohe HI USA
- Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science University of Miami Miami FL USA
| | - Bren E. Ledbetter
- Department of Biology University of Texas at Arlington Arlington TX USA
| | | | - Laura D. Mydlarz
- Department of Biology University of Texas at Arlington Arlington TX USA
| | - Ruth D. Gates
- Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Kāne'ohe HI USA
| | - Hollie M. Putnam
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Rhode Island Kingston RI USA
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33
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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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Coral Disease Causes, Consequences, and Risk within Coral Restoration. Trends Microbiol 2020; 28:793-807. [PMID: 32739101 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2020.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
As a result of increased reef degradation, restoration efforts are now being widely applied on coral reefs. However, outplanted coral survival in restoration zones varies substantially, and coral mortality can be a significant limitation to the success of restoration efforts. With reef restoration now occurring within, and adjacent to, nationally preserved and managed marine parks, the potential risks of mortality events and disease spread to adjacent marine populations need to be considered, particularly as these ecosystems continue to decline. We review the causes and consequences of coral mortality and disease outbreaks within the context of coral restoration, highlighting knowledge gaps in our understanding of the restored coral microbiome and discussing management practices for assessing coral disease. We identify the need for research efforts into monitoring and diagnostics of disease within coral restoration, as well as practices to mitigate and manage coral disease risks in restoration.
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McWilliam M, Pratchett MS, Hoogenboom MO, Hughes TP. Deficits in functional trait diversity following recovery on coral reefs. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20192628. [PMID: 31910784 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The disturbance regimes of ecosystems are changing, and prospects for continued recovery remain unclear. New assemblages with altered species composition may be deficient in key functional traits. Alternatively, important traits may be sustained by species that replace those in decline (response diversity). Here, we quantify the recovery and response diversity of coral assemblages using case studies of disturbance in three locations. Despite return trajectories of coral cover, the original assemblages with diverse functional attributes failed to recover at each location. Response diversity and the reassembly of trait space was limited, and varied according to biogeographic differences in the attributes of dominant, rapidly recovering species. The deficits in recovering assemblages identified here suggest that the return of coral cover cannot assure the reassembly of reef trait diversity, and that shortening intervals between disturbances can limit recovery among functionally important species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike McWilliam
- Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.,Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Kaneohe, HI 96744, USA
| | - Morgan S Pratchett
- Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Mia O Hoogenboom
- Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia.,Marine Biology and Aquaculture, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
| | - Terry P Hughes
- Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia
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