1
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Adam AAS, Thomas L, Underwood J, Gilmour J, Richards ZT. Population connectivity and genetic offset in the spawning coral Acropora digitifera in Western Australia. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:3533-3547. [PMID: 35567512 PMCID: PMC9328316 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Anthropogenic climate change has caused widespread loss of species biodiversity and ecosystem productivity across the globe, particularly on tropical coral reefs. Predicting the future vulnerability of reef-building corals, the foundation species of coral reef ecosystems, is crucial for cost-effective conservation planning in the Anthropocene. In this study, we combine regional population genetic connectivity and seascape analyses to explore patterns of genetic offset (the mismatch of gene-environmental associations under future climate conditions) in Acropora digitifera across 12 degrees of latitude in Western Australia. Our data revealed a pattern of restricted gene flow and limited genetic connectivity among geographically distant reef systems. Environmental association analyses identified a suite of loci strongly associated with the regional temperature variation. These loci helped forecast future genetic offset in gradient forest and generalised dissimilarity models. These analyses predicted pronounced differences in the response of different reef systems in Western Australia to rising temperatures. Under the most optimistic future warming scenario (RCP 2.6), we predicted a general pattern of increasing genetic offset with latitude. Under the extreme climate scenario (RCP 8.5 in 2090-2100), coral populations at the Ningaloo World Heritage Area were predicted to experience a higher mismatch between current allele frequencies and those required to cope with local environmental change, compared to populations in the inshore Kimberley region. The study suggests complex and spatially heterogeneous patterns of climate-change vulnerability in coral populations across Western Australia, reinforcing the notion that regionally tailored conservation efforts will be most effective at managing coral reef resilience into the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne A S Adam
- Coral Conservation and Research Group, Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia.,Australian Institute of Marine Science, IOMRC, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia
| | - Luke Thomas
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, IOMRC, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia.,The UWA Oceans Institute, Oceans Graduate School, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia
| | - Jim Underwood
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, IOMRC, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia
| | - James Gilmour
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, IOMRC, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia
| | - Zoe T Richards
- Coral Conservation and Research Group, Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia.,Collections and Research, Western Australian Museum, Welshpool, Western Australia
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2
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Doropoulos C, Gómez-Lemos LA, Salee K, McLaughlin MJ, Tebben J, Van Koningsveld M, Feng M, Babcock RC. Limitations to coral recovery along an environmental stress gradient. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2558. [PMID: 35112758 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2558] [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: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Positive feedbacks driving habitat-forming species recovery and population growth are often lost as ecosystems degrade. For such systems, identifying mechanisms that limit the re-establishment of critical positive feedbacks is key to facilitating recovery. Theory predicts the primary drivers limiting system recovery shift from biological to physical as abiotic stress increases, but recent work has demonstrated that this seldom happens. We combined field and laboratory experiments to identify variation in limitations to coral recovery along an environmental stress gradient at Ningaloo Reef and Exmouth Gulf in northwest Australia. Many reefs in the region are coral depauperate due to recent cyclones and thermal stress. In general, recovery trajectories are prolonged due to limited coral recruitment. Consistent with theory, clearer water reefs under low thermal stress appear limited by biological interactions: competition with turf algae caused high mortality of newly settled corals and upright macroalgal stands drove mortality in transplanted juvenile corals. Laboratory experiments showed a positive relationship between crustose coralline algae cover and coral settlement, but only in the absence of sedimentation. Contrary to expectation, coral recovery does not appear limited by the survival or growth of recruits on turbid reefs under higher thermal stress, but to exceptionally low larval supply. Laboratory experiments showed that larval survival and settlement are unaffected by seawater quality across the study region. Rather, connectivity models predicted that many of the more turbid reefs in the Gulf are predominantly self seeded, receiving limited supply under degraded reef states. Overall, we find that the influence of oceanography can overwhelm the influences of physical and biological interactions on recovery potential at locations where environmental stressors are high, whereas populations in relatively benign physical conditions are predominantly structured by local ecological drivers. Such context-dependent information can help guide expectations and assist managers in optimizing strategies for spatial conservation planning for system recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luis A Gómez-Lemos
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede de La Paz - Escuela de Pregrados, La Paz, Colombia
| | - Kinam Salee
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Jan Tebben
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Mark Van Koningsveld
- Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors B.V., Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Ports and Waterways, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Ming Feng
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
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3
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Adam AAS, Garcia RA, Galaiduk R, Tomlinson S, Radford B, Thomas L, Richards ZT. Diminishing potential for tropical reefs to function as coral diversity strongholds under climate change conditions. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Arne A. S. Adam
- Coral Conservation and Research Group Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Bentley WA Australia
| | - Rodrigo A. Garcia
- Coral Conservation and Research Group Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Bentley WA Australia
- School of Earth Sciences The University of Western Australia Crawley WA Australia
- School for the Environment University of Massachusetts Boston Boston MA USA
| | - Ronen Galaiduk
- Australian Institute of Marine Science IOMRC The University of Western Australia Crawley WA Australia
| | - Sean Tomlinson
- School of Biological Sciences University of Adelaide North Terrace SA Australia
- Kings Park Science Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions West Perth WA Australia
| | - Ben Radford
- Australian Institute of Marine Science IOMRC The University of Western Australia Crawley WA Australia
- The UWA Oceans Institute Oceans Graduate School The University of Western Australia Crawley WA Australia
| | - Luke Thomas
- Australian Institute of Marine Science IOMRC The University of Western Australia Crawley WA Australia
- The UWA Oceans Institute Oceans Graduate School The University of Western Australia Crawley WA Australia
| | - Zoe T. Richards
- Coral Conservation and Research Group Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Bentley WA Australia
- Collections and Research Western Australian Museum Welshpool WA Australia
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4
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Thomson DP, Babcock RC, Haywood MDE, Vanderklift MA, Pillans RD, Bessey C, Cresswell AK, Orr M, Boschetti F, Wilson SK. Zone specific trends in coral cover, genera and growth-forms in the World-Heritage listed Ningaloo Reef. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 160:105020. [PMID: 32858265 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105020] [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: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
On coral reefs, changes in the cover and relative abundance of hard coral taxa often follow disturbance. Although the ecological responses of common coral taxa have been well documented, little is known about the ecological responses of uncommon coral taxa or of coral morphological groups across multiple adjacent reef zones. We used Multivariate Auto-Regressive State-Space modelling to assess the rate and direction of change of hard coral cover across a variety of coral genera, growth forms, and susceptibility to bleaching and physical damage covering multiple reef zones at northern Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia. Trends were assessed between 2007 and 2016, during which multiple episodic disturbances occurred including cyclones and a heatwave. We provide evidence of zone specific trends, not only in total hard coral cover, but also in taxonomic and morphological groups of corals at Ningaloo Reef. Declines in total coral cover on the reef flat corresponded with declines in fast growing corals, particularly Acropora. In contrast, total coral cover on the reef slope and inshore (lagoon) did not undergo significant change, despite divergent trajectories of individual genera. Importantly, we also show that changes in the composition of coral assemblages can be detected using a morphological based approach when changes are not evident using a taxonomic approach. Therefore, we recommend that future assessments of coral reef trends incorporate not just standard metrics such as total coral cover, but also metrics that provide for detailed descriptions of trends in common and uncommon taxa and morphological groups across multiple reef zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian P Thomson
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - Russell C Babcock
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, Qld, 4001, Australia
| | - Michael DE Haywood
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, Qld, 4001, Australia
| | - Mathew A Vanderklift
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Richard D Pillans
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, Qld, 4001, Australia
| | - Cindy Bessey
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Anna K Cresswell
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia; Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Melanie Orr
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Fabio Boschetti
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Shaun K Wilson
- Marine Science Program, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, W.A., 6151, Australia; Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
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5
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Dalton SJ, Carroll AG, Sampayo E, Roff G, Harrison PL, Entwistle K, Huang Z, Salih A, Diamond SL. Successive marine heatwaves cause disproportionate coral bleaching during a fast phase transition from El Niño to La Niña. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 715:136951. [PMID: 32014776 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.136951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves that result in coral bleaching events have increased over recent decades and led to catastrophic losses of reef-building corals in many regions. The high-latitude coral assemblages at Lord Howe Island, which is a UNESCO listed site is the world southernmost coral community, were exposed to successive thermal anomalies following a fast phase-transition of the record-breaking 2009 to 2010 warm pool El Niño in the Central Pacific to a strong La Niña event in late 2010. The coral community experienced severe and unprecedented consecutive bleaching in both 2010 and 2011. Coral health surveys completed between March 2010 and September 2012 quantified the response and recovery of approximately 43,700 coral colonies to these successive marine heatwaves. In March 2010, coral bleaching ranged from severe, with 99% of colonies bleached at some shallow lagoon sites, to mild at deeper reef slope sites, with only 17% of individuals affected. Significant immediate mortality from thermal stress was evident during the peak of the bleaching event. Overall, species in the genera Pocillopora, Stylophora, Seriatopora and Porites were the most affected, while minimal bleaching and mortality was recorded among members of other coral families (e.g. Acroporidae, Dendrophyllidae & Merulinidae). Surviving corals underwent a subsequent, but much less intense, thermal anomaly in 2011 that led to a disproportionate bleaching response among susceptible taxa. While this observation indicates that the capacity of thermally susceptible high-latitude corals to acclimatize to future ocean warming may be limited, particularly if bleaching events occur annually, our long-term survey data shows that coral cover at most sites recovered to pre-bleaching levels within three years in the absence of further thermal anomalies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Dalton
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; National Marine Science Centre, Southern Cross University, PO Box 4321, Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450, Australia.
| | - Andrew G Carroll
- Marine Ecology Research Centre, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia; National Earth and Marine Observations Branch, Geoscience Australia, GPO Box 378, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Eugenia Sampayo
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - George Roff
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Peter L Harrison
- Marine Ecology Research Centre, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia
| | - Kristina Entwistle
- Marine Ecology Research Centre, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia
| | - Zhi Huang
- National Earth and Marine Observations Branch, Geoscience Australia, GPO Box 378, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Anya Salih
- Western Sydney University, Confocal Bio-Imaging Facility, Hawkesbury Campus, PO Box 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
| | - Sandra L Diamond
- Western Sydney University, School of Science and Health, Hawkesbury Campus, Box 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
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6
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Kusumoto B, Costello MJ, Kubota Y, Shiono T, Wei C, Yasuhara M, Chao A. Global distribution of coral diversity: Biodiversity knowledge gradients related to spatial resolution. Ecol Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Buntarou Kusumoto
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Richmond UK
- Faculty of Science University of the Ryukyus Okinawa Japan
- Okinawa Prefecture Environment Science Center Okinawa Japan
| | - Mark J. Costello
- School of Environment The University of Auckland Auckland New Zealand
| | - Yasuhiro Kubota
- Faculty of Science University of the Ryukyus Okinawa Japan
- Marine and Terrestrial Field Ecology, Tropical Biosphere Research Center University of the Ryukyus Okinawa Japan
| | | | - Chi‐Lin Wei
- Institute of Oceanography National Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan
| | - Moriaki Yasuhara
- School of Biological Sciences and Swire Institute of Marine Science The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong China
| | - Anne Chao
- Institute of Statistics National Tsing Hua University Hsin‐Chu Taiwan
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7
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Vanderklift MA, Babcock RC, Boschetti F, Haywood MDE, Pillans RD, Thomson DP. Declining abundance of coral reef fish in a World-Heritage-listed marine park. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15524. [PMID: 31664119 PMCID: PMC6820736 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52016-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most robust metrics for assessing the effectiveness of protected areas is the temporal trend in the abundance of the species they are designed to protect. We surveyed coral-reef fish and living hard coral in and adjacent to a sanctuary zone (SZ: where all forms of fishing are prohibited) in the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Marine Park during a 10-year period. There were generally more individuals and greater biomass of many fish taxa (especially emperors and parrotfish) in the SZ than the adjacent recreation zone (RZ: where recreational fishing is allowed) — so log response ratios of abundance were usually positive in each year. However, despite this, there was an overall decrease in both SZ and RZ in absolute abundance of some taxa by up to 22% per year, including taxa that are explicitly targeted (emperors) by fishers and taxa that are neither targeted nor frequently captured (most wrasses and butterflyfish). A concomitant decline in the abundance (measured as percentage cover) of living hard coral of 1–7% per year is a plausible explanation for the declining abundance of butterflyfish, but declines in emperors might be more plausibly due to fishing. Our study highlights that information on temporal trends in absolute abundance is needed to assess whether the goals of protected areas are being met: in our study, patterns in absolute abundance across ten years of surveys revealed trends that simple ratios of abundance did not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathew A Vanderklift
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - Russell C Babcock
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Queensland Biosciences Precinct, St Lucia, QLD, 4067, Australia
| | - Fabio Boschetti
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Michael D E Haywood
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Queensland Biosciences Precinct, St Lucia, QLD, 4067, Australia
| | - Richard D Pillans
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Queensland Biosciences Precinct, St Lucia, QLD, 4067, Australia
| | - Damian P Thomson
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
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8
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Wilson SK, Depcyznski M, Fisher R, Holmes TH, Noble MM, Radford BT, Rule M, Shedrawi G, Tinkler P, Fulton CJ. Climatic forcing and larval dispersal capabilities shape the replenishment of fishes and their habitat-forming biota on a tropical coral reef. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:1918-1928. [PMID: 29435264 PMCID: PMC5792527 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Revised: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Fluctuations in marine populations often relate to the supply of recruits by oceanic currents. Variation in these currents is typically driven by large-scale changes in climate, in particular ENSO (El Nino Southern Oscillation). The dependence on large-scale climatic changes may, however, be modified by early life history traits of marine taxa. Based on eight years of annual surveys, along 150 km of coastline, we examined how ENSO influenced abundance of juvenile fish, coral spat, and canopy-forming macroalgae. We then investigated what traits make populations of some fish families more reliant on the ENSO relationship than others. Abundance of juvenile fish and coral recruits was generally positively correlated with the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), higher densities recorded during La Niña years, when the ENSO-influenced Leeuwin Current is stronger and sea surface temperature higher. The relationship is typically positive and stronger among fish families with shorter pelagic larval durations and stronger swimming abilities. The relationship is also stronger at sites on the coral back reef, although the strongest of all relationships were among the lethrinids (r = .9), siganids (r = .9), and mullids (r = .8), which recruit to macroalgal meadows in the lagoon. ENSO effects on habitat seem to moderate SOI-juvenile abundance relationship. Macroalgal canopies are higher during La Niña years, providing more favorable habitat for juvenile fish and strengthening the SOI effect on juvenile abundance. Conversely, loss of coral following a La Niña-related heat wave may have compromised postsettlement survival of coral dependent species, weakening the influence of SOI on their abundance. This assessment of ENSO effects on tropical fish and habitat-forming biota and how it is mediated by functional ecology improves our ability to predict and manage changes in the replenishment of marine populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaun K. Wilson
- Marine Science ProgramDepartment of Biodiversity, Conservation and AttractionsKensingtonWAAustralia
- Oceans InstituteUniversity of Western AustraliaCrawleyWAAustralia
| | - Martial Depcyznski
- Oceans InstituteUniversity of Western AustraliaCrawleyWAAustralia
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceCrawleyWAAustralia
| | - Rebecca Fisher
- Oceans InstituteUniversity of Western AustraliaCrawleyWAAustralia
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceCrawleyWAAustralia
| | - Thomas H. Holmes
- Marine Science ProgramDepartment of Biodiversity, Conservation and AttractionsKensingtonWAAustralia
- Oceans InstituteUniversity of Western AustraliaCrawleyWAAustralia
| | - Mae M. Noble
- Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraACTAustralia
| | - Ben T. Radford
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceCrawleyWAAustralia
| | - Michael Rule
- Marine Science ProgramDepartment of Biodiversity, Conservation and AttractionsKensingtonWAAustralia
- Oceans InstituteUniversity of Western AustraliaCrawleyWAAustralia
| | - George Shedrawi
- Marine Science ProgramDepartment of Biodiversity, Conservation and AttractionsKensingtonWAAustralia
| | - Paul Tinkler
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceCrawleyWAAustralia
- Deakin UniversitySchool of Life and Environmental SciencesWarrnamboolVic.Australia
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9
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Zinke J, Gilmour JP, Fisher R, Puotinen M, Maina J, Darling E, Stat M, Richards ZT, McClanahan TR, Beger M, Moore C, Graham NAJ, Feng M, Hobbs JPA, Evans SN, Field S, Shedrawi G, Babcock RC, Wilson SK. Gradients of disturbance and environmental conditions shape coral community structure for south-eastern Indian Ocean reefs. DIVERS DISTRIB 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jens Zinke
- Section Paleontology; Freie Universität Berlin; Berlin Germany
- UWA Oceans Institute; Australian Institute of Marine Science; Crawley WA Australia
- Department of Environment and Agriculture; Curtin University of Technology; Bentley WA Australia
- UWA Oceans Institute; University of Western Australia; Crawley WA Australia
| | - James P. Gilmour
- UWA Oceans Institute; Australian Institute of Marine Science; Crawley WA Australia
- UWA Oceans Institute; University of Western Australia; Crawley WA Australia
| | - Rebecca Fisher
- UWA Oceans Institute; Australian Institute of Marine Science; Crawley WA Australia
- UWA Oceans Institute; University of Western Australia; Crawley WA Australia
| | - Marji Puotinen
- UWA Oceans Institute; Australian Institute of Marine Science; Crawley WA Australia
- UWA Oceans Institute; University of Western Australia; Crawley WA Australia
| | - Joseph Maina
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions; School of Biological Sciences; The University of Queensland; Brisbane Qld Australia
- Department of Environmental Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Emily Darling
- Wildlife Conservation Society; Marine Programs; Bronx NY USA
- Department of Biology; The University of North Carolina; Chapel Hill NC USA
| | - Michael Stat
- Department of Environment and Agriculture; Curtin University of Technology; Bentley WA Australia
| | - Zoe T. Richards
- Department of Environment and Agriculture; Curtin University of Technology; Bentley WA Australia
- Department of Aquatic Zoology; Western Australian Museum; Welshpool WA Australia
| | | | - Maria Beger
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions; School of Biological Sciences; The University of Queensland; Brisbane Qld Australia
- School of Biology; Faculty of Biological Sciences; University of Leeds; Leeds UK
| | - Cordelia Moore
- UWA Oceans Institute; Australian Institute of Marine Science; Crawley WA Australia
- Department of Environment and Agriculture; Curtin University of Technology; Bentley WA Australia
| | - Nicholas A. J. Graham
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies; James Cook University; Townsville Qld Australia
- Lancaster Environment Centre; Lancaster University; Lancaster UK
| | - Ming Feng
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere; Floreat WA Australia
| | - Jean-Paul A. Hobbs
- Department of Environment and Agriculture; Curtin University of Technology; Bentley WA Australia
| | - Scott N. Evans
- Western Australian Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories; Department of Fisheries; Government of Western Australia; North Beach WA Australia
| | - Stuart Field
- Section Paleontology; Freie Universität Berlin; Berlin Germany
- Department of Parks and Wildlife; Perth WA Australia
| | | | | | - Shaun K. Wilson
- UWA Oceans Institute; University of Western Australia; Crawley WA Australia
- Department of Parks and Wildlife; Perth WA Australia
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10
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Zhang N, Feng M, Hendon HH, Hobday AJ, Zinke J. Opposite polarities of ENSO drive distinct patterns of coral bleaching potentials in the southeast Indian Ocean. Sci Rep 2017; 7:2443. [PMID: 28550298 PMCID: PMC5446420 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02688-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Episodic anomalously warm sea surface temperature (SST) extremes, or marine heatwaves (MHWs), amplify ocean warming effects and may lead to severe impacts on marine ecosystems. MHW-induced coral bleaching events have been observed frequently in recent decades in the southeast Indian Ocean (SEIO), a region traditionally regarded to have resilience to global warming. In this study, we assess the contribution of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) to MHWs across the mostly understudied reefs in the SEIO. We find that in extended summer months, the MHWs at tropical and subtropical reefs (divided at ~20°S) are driven by opposite ENSO polarities: MHWs are more likely to occur at the tropical reefs during eastern Pacific El Niño, driven by enhanced solar radiation and weaker Australian Monsoon, some likely alleviated by positive Indian Ocean Dipole events, and at the subtropical reefs during central Pacific La Niña, mainly caused by increased horizontal heat transport, and in some cases reinforced by local air-sea interactions. Madden-Julian Oscillations (MJO) also modulate the MHW occurrences. Projected future increases in ENSO and MJO intensity with greenhouse warming will enhance thermal stress across the SEIO. Implementing forecasting systems of MHWs can be used to anticipate future coral bleaching patterns and prepare management responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningning Zhang
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, IOMRC, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.,School of Marine Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Ming Feng
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, IOMRC, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia. .,Western Australia Marine Science Institution, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
| | | | | | - Jens Zinke
- Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Bentley, Australia.,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Crawley, Australia.,School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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11
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Davies HN, Beckley LE, Kobryn HT, Lombard AT, Radford B, Heyward A. Integrating Climate Change Resilience Features into the Incremental Refinement of an Existing Marine Park. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0161094. [PMID: 27529820 PMCID: PMC4986976 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 07/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine protected area (MPA) designs are likely to require iterative refinement as new knowledge is gained. In particular, there is an increasing need to consider the effects of climate change, especially the ability of ecosystems to resist and/or recover from climate-related disturbances, within the MPA planning process. However, there has been limited research addressing the incorporation of climate change resilience into MPA design. This study used Marxan conservation planning software with fine-scale shallow water (<20 m) bathymetry and habitat maps, models of major benthic communities for deeper water, and comprehensive human use information from Ningaloo Marine Park in Western Australia to identify climate change resilience features to integrate into the incremental refinement of the marine park. The study assessed the representation of benthic habitats within the current marine park zones, identified priority areas of high resilience for inclusion within no-take zones and examined if any iterative refinements to the current no-take zones are necessary. Of the 65 habitat classes, 16 did not meet representation targets within the current no-take zones, most of which were in deeper offshore waters. These deeper areas also demonstrated the highest resilience values and, as such, Marxan outputs suggested minor increases to the current no-take zones in the deeper offshore areas. This work demonstrates that inclusion of fine-scale climate change resilience features within the design process for MPAs is feasible, and can be applied to future marine spatial planning practices globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harriet N. Davies
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Lynnath E. Beckley
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Halina T. Kobryn
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Amanda T. Lombard
- Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Ben Radford
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Andrew Heyward
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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12
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Gilmour J, Speed CW, Babcock R. Coral reproduction in Western Australia. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2010. [PMID: 27231651 PMCID: PMC4878369 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Larval production and recruitment underpin the maintenance of coral populations, but these early life history stages are vulnerable to extreme variation in physical conditions. Environmental managers aim to minimise human impacts during significant periods of larval production and recruitment on reefs, but doing so requires knowledge of the modes and timing of coral reproduction. Most corals are hermaphroditic or gonochoric, with a brooding or broadcast spawning mode of reproduction. Brooding corals are a significant component of some reefs and produce larvae over consecutive months. Broadcast spawning corals are more common and display considerable variation in their patterns of spawning among reefs. Highly synchronous spawning can occur on reefs around Australia, particularly on the Great Barrier Reef. On Australia’s remote north-west coast there have been fewer studies of coral reproduction. The recent industrial expansion into these regions has facilitated research, but the associated data are often contained within confidential reports. Here we combine information in this grey-literature with that available publicly to update our knowledge of coral reproduction in WA, for tens of thousands of corals and hundreds of species from over a dozen reefs spanning 20° of latitude. We identified broad patterns in coral reproduction, but more detailed insights were hindered by biased sampling; most studies focused on species of Acropora sampled over a few months at several reefs. Within the existing data, there was a latitudinal gradient in spawning activity among seasons, with mass spawning during autumn occurring on all reefs (but the temperate south-west). Participation in a smaller, multi-specific spawning during spring decreased from approximately one quarter of corals on the Kimberley Oceanic reefs to little participation at Ningaloo. Within these seasons, spawning was concentrated in March and/or April, and October and/or November, depending on the timing of the full moon. The timing of the full moon determined whether spawning was split over two months, which was common on tropical reefs. There were few data available for non-Acropora corals, which may have different patterns of reproduction. For example, the massive Porites seemed to spawn through spring to autumn on Kimberley Oceanic reefs and during summer in the Pilbara region, where other common corals (e.g. Turbinaria & Pavona) also displayed different patterns of reproduction to the Acropora. The brooding corals (Isopora & Seriatopora) on Kimberley Oceanic reefs appeared to planulate during many months, possibly with peaks from spring to autumn; a similar pattern is likely on other WA reefs. Gaps in knowledge were also due to the difficulty in identifying species and issues with methodology. We briefly discuss some of these issues and suggest an approach to quantifying variation in reproductive output throughout a year.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Gilmour
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, The UWA Oceans Institute, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia; Western Australian Marine Science Institution, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Conrad W Speed
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, The UWA Oceans Institute, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia; Western Australian Marine Science Institution, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Russ Babcock
- Western Australian Marine Science Institution, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Oceans and Atmosphere, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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13
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Bento R, Hoey AS, Bauman AG, Feary DA, Burt JA. The implications of recurrent disturbances within the world's hottest coral reef. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2016; 105:466-472. [PMID: 26478453 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Revised: 09/25/2015] [Accepted: 10/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Determining how coral ecosystems are structured within extreme environments may provide insights into how coral reefs are impacted by future climate change. Benthic community structure was examined within the Persian Gulf, and adjacent Musandam and northern Oman regions across a 3-year period (2008-2011) in which all regions were exposed to major disturbances. Although there was evidence of temporal switching in coral composition within regions, communities predominantly reflected local environmental conditions and the disturbance history of each region. Gulf reefs showed little change in coral composition, being dominated by stress-tolerant Faviidae and Poritidae across the 3 years. In comparison, Musandam and Oman coral communities were comprised of stress-sensitive Acroporidae and Pocilloporidae; Oman communities showed substantial declines in such taxa and increased cover of stress-tolerant communities. Our results suggest that coral communities may persist within an increasingly disturbed future environment, albeit in a much more structurally simple configuration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Bento
- ICBAS, Porto University, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira no. 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; Emirates Diving Association, PO Box 33220 Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Andrew S Hoey
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville Q4811, Australia.
| | - Andrew G Bauman
- Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore
| | - David A Feary
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - John A Burt
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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14
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Selective Impact of Disease on Coral Communities: Outbreak of White Syndrome Causes Significant Total Mortality of Acropora Plate Corals. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0132528. [PMID: 26147291 PMCID: PMC4493122 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral diseases represent a significant and increasing threat to coral reefs. Among the most destructive diseases is White Syndrome (WS), which is increasing in distribution and prevalence throughout the Indo-Pacific. The aim of this study was to determine taxonomic and spatial patterns in mortality rates of corals following the 2008 outbreak of WS at Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean. WS mainly affected Acropora plate corals and caused total mortality of 36% of colonies across all surveyed sites and depths. Total mortality varied between sites but was generally much greater in the shallows (0–96% of colonies at 5 m depth) compared to deeper waters (0–30% of colonies at 20 m depth). Site-specific mortality rates were a reflection of the proportion of corals affected by WS at each site during the initial outbreak and were predicted by the initial cover of live Acropora plate cover. The WS outbreak had a selective impact on the coral community. Following the outbreak, live Acropora plate coral cover at 5 m depth decreased significantly from 7.0 to 0.8%, while the cover of other coral taxa remained unchanged. Observations five years after the initial outbreak revealed that total Acropora plate cover remained low and confirmed that corals that lost all their tissue due to WS did not recover. These results demonstrate that WS represents a significant and selective form of coral mortality and highlights the serious threat WS poses to coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific.
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Addison PFE, Flander LB, Cook CN. Are we missing the boat? Current uses of long-term biological monitoring data in the evaluation and management of marine protected areas. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2015; 149:148-156. [PMID: 25463580 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2014.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2014] [Revised: 09/29/2014] [Accepted: 10/19/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Protected area management agencies are increasingly using management effectiveness evaluation (MEE) to better understand, learn from and improve conservation efforts around the globe. Outcome assessment is the final stage of MEE, where conservation outcomes are measured to determine whether management objectives are being achieved. When quantitative monitoring data are available, best-practice examples of outcome assessments demonstrate that data should be assessed against quantitative condition categories. Such assessments enable more transparent and repeatable integration of monitoring data into MEE, which can promote evidence-based management and improve public accountability and reporting. We interviewed key informants from marine protected area (MPA) management agencies to investigate how scientific data sources, especially long-term biological monitoring data, are currently informing conservation management. Our study revealed that even when long-term monitoring results are available, management agencies are not using them for quantitative condition assessment in MEE. Instead, many agencies conduct qualitative condition assessments, where monitoring results are interpreted using expert judgment only. Whilst we found substantial evidence for the use of long-term monitoring data in the evidence-based management of MPAs, MEE is rarely the sole mechanism that facilitates the knowledge transfer of scientific evidence to management action. This suggests that the first goal of MEE (to enable environmental accountability and reporting) is being achieved, but the second and arguably more important goal of facilitating evidence-based management is not. Given that many MEE approaches are in their infancy, recommendations are made to assist management agencies realize the full potential of long-term quantitative monitoring data for protected area evaluation and evidence-based management.
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Affiliation(s)
- P F E Addison
- School of Botany, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
| | - L B Flander
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - C N Cook
- School of Botany, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
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