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Tanner JE, Connell JH. Coral community data Heron Island Great Barrier Reef 1962-2016. Sci Data 2022; 9:617. [PMID: 36224212 PMCID: PMC9556736 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01747-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we describe benthic composition data derived from benthic photoquadrats collected over 41 surveys between 1962 and 2016 at four sites on Heron reef, at the southern end of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, to assess change in coral composition over time. Surveys have often been annual, in a few years sub-annual, and the longest gap is six years. A subset of the data from two sites with the most complete records has been fully processed to allow the size of all individual colonies, and changes in species composition and cover, to be tracked over time. The taxonomy in these quadrats has been carefully checked for internal consistency, and is generally at the species level. A second subset has been processed, but has not been through full quality control, while a third subset exists as images only. This is the longest, 56 years, regular photographic record of coral cover in existence, and provides a valuable temporal contrast dating back in time to more recent studies of greater geographic extent and/or resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason E Tanner
- South Australian Research and Development Institute, PO Box 120, Henley Beach, SA, 5022, Australia.
| | - Joseph H Connell
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA
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2
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O'Connor MI, Mori AS, Gonzalez A, Dee LE, Loreau M, Avolio M, Byrnes JEK, Cheung W, Cowles J, Clark AT, Hautier Y, Hector A, Komatsu K, Newbold T, Outhwaite CL, Reich PB, Seabloom E, Williams L, Wright A, Isbell F. Grand challenges in biodiversity-ecosystem functioning research in the era of science-policy platforms require explicit consideration of feedbacks. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210783. [PMID: 34641733 PMCID: PMC8511742 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Feedbacks are an essential feature of resilient socio-economic systems, yet the feedbacks between biodiversity, ecosystem services and human wellbeing are not fully accounted for in global policy efforts that consider future scenarios for human activities and their consequences for nature. Failure to integrate feedbacks in our knowledge frameworks exacerbates uncertainty in future projections and potentially prevents us from realizing the full benefits of actions we can take to enhance sustainability. We identify six scientific research challenges that, if addressed, could allow future policy, conservation and monitoring efforts to quantitatively account for ecosystem and societal consequences of biodiversity change. Placing feedbacks prominently in our frameworks would lead to (i) coordinated observation of biodiversity change, ecosystem functions and human actions, (ii) joint experiment and observation programmes, (iii) more effective use of emerging technologies in biodiversity science and policy, and (iv) a more inclusive and integrated global community of biodiversity observers. To meet these challenges, we outline a five-point action plan for collaboration and connection among scientists and policymakers that emphasizes diversity, inclusion and open access. Efforts to protect biodiversity require the best possible scientific understanding of human activities, biodiversity trends, ecosystem functions and—critically—the feedbacks among them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary I O'Connor
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Akira S Mori
- Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences, Yokohama National University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Andrew Gonzalez
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Laura E Dee
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Michel Loreau
- Theoretical and Empirical Ecology Station, CNRS, Moulis, France
| | - Meghan Avolio
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Jarrett E K Byrnes
- College of Science and Mathematics, University of Massachusetts-Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - William Cheung
- Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jane Cowles
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA
| | - Adam T Clark
- Institute of Biology, University of Graz, Holteigasse 6, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Yann Hautier
- Ecology and Biodiversity Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew Hector
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Tim Newbold
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Charlotte L Outhwaite
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Peter B Reich
- Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108 USA.,Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2753, Australia.,Institute for Global Change Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.,School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Eric Seabloom
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA
| | - Laura Williams
- Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108 USA
| | - Alexandra Wright
- Biological Sciences Department, California State University Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Forest Isbell
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA
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3
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Noriega JA, Santos AMC, Calatayud J, Chozas S, Hortal J. Short- and long-term temporal changes in the assemblage structure of Amazonian dung beetles. Oecologia 2021; 195:719-736. [PMID: 33569745 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04831-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Species diversity varies in space and time. Temporal changes in the structure and dynamics of communities can occur at different scales. We investigated the temporal changes of dung beetle assemblages in the Amazonian region along seasons, years, and successional stages. We evaluated if assemblage structure changes between temporal scales and whether such changes affect the functional structure of communities. To achieve these goals, we sampled dung beetles using linear transects of baited pitfall traps during the dry and rainy seasons at two natural reserves in the Amazon region, each representing different time scales: one covering successional variations (80, 30, 5, and 1 years of recovery from logging) and the other one encompassing three consecutive years at two successional stages (20 and 10 years from logging). We used Generalized Linear Models to analyze interannual and successional changes in diversity, described assemblage structure with a NMDS, and examined compositional variation by partitioning beta diversity into its nestedness and turnover components. Abundance and richness decrease from the rainy to the dry season and towards earlier successional stages but do not differ between years. Assemblage diversity changes differently in interannual and successional scales. During succession, dung beetle assemblages change drastically, following a nested structure due to the appearance of species and functional groups in later successional stages. In contrast, functional group composition does not show consistent changes between years, displaying a turnover structure. This pattern supports non-deterministic changes in dung beetle assemblage structure along forest succession.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Ari Noriega
- Departament of Biogeography & Global Change, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain.
- Laboratory of Zoology and Aquatic Ecology - LAZOEA, University of los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.
| | - Ana M C Santos
- Global Change Ecology & Evolution (GLOCEE) Group, Department of Life Sciences, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- cE3c - Centre for Ecology Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG-UAM), Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Joaquín Calatayud
- Departament of Biogeography & Global Change, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
- Area of Biodiversity and Conservation, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/Tulipán s/n., 28933 Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergio Chozas
- cE3c - Centre for Ecology Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Joaquín Hortal
- Departament of Biogeography & Global Change, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
- cE3c - Centre for Ecology Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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Sandin SA, Edwards CB, Pedersen NE, Petrovic V, Pavoni G, Alcantar E, Chancellor KS, Fox MD, Stallings B, Sullivan CJ, Rotjan RD, Ponchio F, Zgliczynski BJ. Considering the rates of growth in two taxa of coral across Pacific islands. ADVANCES IN MARINE BIOLOGY 2020; 87:167-191. [PMID: 33293010 DOI: 10.1016/bs.amb.2020.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Reef-building coral taxa demonstrate considerable flexibility and diversity in reproduction and growth mechanisms. Corals take advantage of this flexibility to increase or decrease size through clonal expansion and loss of live tissue area (i.e. via reproduction and mortality of constituent polyps). The biological lability of reef-building corals may be expected to map onto varying patterns of demography across environmental contexts which can contribute to geographic variation in population dynamics. Here we explore the patterns of growth of two common coral taxa, corymbose Pocillopora and massive Porites, across seven islands in the central and south Pacific. The islands span a natural gradient of environmental conditions, including a range of pelagic primary production, a metric linked to the relative availability of inorganic nutrients and heterotrophic resources for mixotrophic corals, and sea surface temperature and thermal histories. Over a multi-year sampling interval, most coral colonies experienced positive growth (greater planar area of live tissue in second relative to first time point), though the distributions of growth varied across islands. Island-level median growth did not relate simply to estimated pelagic primary productivity or temperature. However, at locations that experienced an extreme warm-water event during the sampling interval, most Porites colonies experienced net losses of live tissue and nearly all Pocillopora colonies experienced complete mortality. While descriptive statistics of demographics offer valuable insights into trends and variability in colony change through time, simplified models predicting growth patterns based on summarized oceanographic metrics appear inadequate for robust demographic prediction. We propose that the complexity of life history strategies among colonial reef-building corals introduces unique demographic flexibility for colonies to respond to a wide breadth of environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart A Sandin
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.
| | - Clinton B Edwards
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Nicole E Pedersen
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Vid Petrovic
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Gaia Pavoni
- Visual Computing Lab, Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologie dell'Informazione "A. Faedo", Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pisa, Italy
| | - Esmeralda Alcantar
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | | | - Michael D Fox
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, United States
| | - Brenna Stallings
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Randi D Rotjan
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Federico Ponchio
- Visual Computing Lab, Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologie dell'Informazione "A. Faedo", Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pisa, Italy
| | - Brian J Zgliczynski
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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5
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Kayal M, Lenihan HS, Brooks AJ, Holbrook SJ, Schmitt RJ, Kendall BE. Predicting coral community recovery using multi‐species population dynamics models. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:605-615. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Kayal
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management University of California Santa Barbara CA93106 USA
- UPVD‐CNRS Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens UMR 5110 52 avenue Paul Alduy 66860 Perpignan France
- Centre de Recherche sur les Ecosystèmes Marins (CREM) impasse du solarium 66420 Port‐Barcarès France
| | - Hunter S. Lenihan
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management University of California Santa Barbara CA93106 USA
| | - Andrew J. Brooks
- Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara CA93106USA
| | - Sally J. Holbrook
- Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara CA93106USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology University of California Santa Barbara CA93106 USA
| | - Russell J. Schmitt
- Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara CA93106USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology University of California Santa Barbara CA93106 USA
| | - Bruce E. Kendall
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management University of California Santa Barbara CA93106 USA
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6
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Punongbayan AT. Markov chain analysis of sessile community dynamics in a degraded Philippine reef to support restoration of coral populations. POPUL ECOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/1438-390x.1009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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7
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Edmunds PJ, Nelson HR, Bramanti L. Density‐dependence mediates coral assemblage structure. Ecology 2018; 99:2605-2613. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. Edmunds
- Department of Biology California State University 18111 Nordhoff Street Northridge California 91330‐8303 USA
| | - Hannah R. Nelson
- Department of Biology California State University 18111 Nordhoff Street Northridge California 91330‐8303 USA
- Center for Population Biology University of California, Davis One Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Lorenzo Bramanti
- Department of Biology California State University 18111 Nordhoff Street Northridge California 91330‐8303 USA
- Sorbonne Université CNRS Laboratoire d'Ecogeochimie des Environnements Benthiques (LECOB) Observatoire Oceanologique 66650 Banyuls sur Mer France
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8
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Kayal M, Lenihan HS, Brooks AJ, Holbrook SJ, Schmitt RJ, Kendall BE. Predicting coral community recovery using multi‐species population dynamics models. Ecol Lett 2018; 21:1790-1799. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Kayal
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
- UPVD‐CNRS Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens UMR 5110 52 avenue Paul Alduy 66860 Perpignan France
- Centre de Recherche sur les Ecosystèmes Marins (CREM) impasse du solarium 66420 Port‐Barcarès France
| | - Hunter S. Lenihan
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
| | - Andrew J. Brooks
- Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
| | - Sally J. Holbrook
- Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
| | - Russell J. Schmitt
- Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
| | - Bruce E. Kendall
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
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9
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Fukaya K, Royle JA, Okuda T, Nakaoka M, Noda T. A multistate dynamic site occupancy model for spatially aggregated sessile communities. Methods Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Keiichi Fukaya
- The Institute of Statistical Mathematics 10‐3 Midoricho, Tachikawa Tokyo 190‐8562 Japan
| | - J. Andrew Royle
- USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center 12100 Beech Forest Road Laurel MD 20708 USA
| | - Takehiro Okuda
- National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency 2‐12‐4 Fukuura, Kanazawa‐ku Yokohama Kanagawa 236‐8648Japan
| | - Masahiro Nakaoka
- Akkeshi Marine Station, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere Hokkaido University Aikappu, Akkeshi Hokkaido 088‐1113 Japan
| | - Takashi Noda
- Faculty of Environmental Earth Science Hokkaido University N10W5, Kita‐ku Sapporo Hokkaido 060‐0810 Japan
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Doropoulos C, Ward S, Roff G, González-Rivero M, Mumby PJ. Linking demographic processes of juvenile corals to benthic recovery trajectories in two common reef habitats. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0128535. [PMID: 26009892 PMCID: PMC4444195 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Tropical reefs are dynamic ecosystems that host diverse coral assemblages with different life-history strategies. Here, we quantified how juvenile (<50 mm) coral demographics influenced benthic coral structure in reef flat and reef slope habitats on the southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Permanent plots and settlement tiles were monitored every six months for three years in each habitat. These environments exhibited profound differences: the reef slope was characterised by 95% less macroalgal cover, and twice the amount of available settlement substrata and rates of coral settlement than the reef flat. Consequently, post-settlement coral survival in the reef slope was substantially higher than that of the reef flat, and resulted in a rapid increase in coral cover from 7 to 31% in 2.5 years. In contrast, coral cover on the reef flat remained low (~10%), whereas macroalgal cover increased from 23 to 45%. A positive stock-recruitment relationship was found in brooding corals in both habitats; however, brooding corals were not directly responsible for the observed changes in coral cover. Rather, the rapid increase on the reef slope resulted from high abundances of broadcast spawning Acropora recruits. Incorporating our results into transition matrix models demonstrated that most corals escape mortality once they exceed 50 mm, but for smaller corals mortality in brooders was double those of spawners (i.e. acroporids and massive corals). For corals on the reef flat, sensitivity analysis demonstrated that growth and mortality of larger juveniles (21–50 mm) highly influenced population dynamics; whereas the recruitment, growth and mortality of smaller corals (<20 mm) had the highest influence on reef slope population dynamics. Our results provide insight into the population dynamics and recovery trajectories in disparate reef habitats, and highlight the importance of acroporid recruitment in driving rapid increases in coral cover following large-scale perturbation in reef slope environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Doropoulos
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Selina Ward
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - George Roff
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Peter J. Mumby
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
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Darling ES, McClanahan TR, Côté IM. Life histories predict coral community disassembly under multiple stressors. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2013; 19:1930-40. [PMID: 23504982 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2013] [Revised: 02/18/2013] [Accepted: 02/20/2013] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is reshaping biological communities against a background of existing human pressure. Evaluating the impacts of multiple stressors on community dynamics can be particularly challenging in species-rich ecosystems, such as coral reefs. Here, we investigate whether life-history strategies and cotolerance to different stressors can predict community responses to fishing and temperature-driven bleaching using a 20-year time series of coral assemblages in Kenya. We found that the initial life-history composition of coral taxa largely determined the impacts of bleaching and coral loss. Prior to the 1998 bleaching event, coral assemblages within no-take marine reserves were composed of three distinct life histories - competitive, stress-tolerant and weedy- and exhibited strong declines following bleaching with limited subsequent recovery. In contrast, fished reefs had lower coral cover, fewer genera and were composed of stress-tolerant and weedy corals that were less affected by bleaching over the long term. Despite these general patterns, we found limited evidence for cotolerance as coral genera and life histories were variable in their sensitivities to fishing and bleaching. Overall, fishing and bleaching have reduced coral diversity and led to altered coral communities of 'survivor' species with stress-tolerant and weedy life histories. Our findings are consistent with expectations that climate change interacting with existing human pressure will result in the loss of coral diversity and critical reef habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily S Darling
- Earth to Ocean Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Dr, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
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12
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Lowe PK, Bruno JF, Selig ER, Spencer M. Empirical models of transitions between coral reef states: effects of region, protection, and environmental change. PLoS One 2011; 6:e26339. [PMID: 22073157 PMCID: PMC3206808 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2011] [Accepted: 09/25/2011] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
There has been substantial recent change in coral reef communities. To date, most analyses have focussed on static patterns or changes in single variables such as coral cover. However, little is known about how community-level changes occur at large spatial scales. Here, we develop Markov models of annual changes in coral and macroalgal cover in the Caribbean and Great Barrier Reef (GBR) regions. We analyzed reef surveys from the Caribbean and GBR (1996–2006). We defined a set of reef states distinguished by coral and macroalgal cover, and obtained Bayesian estimates of the annual probabilities of transitions between these states. The Caribbean and GBR had different transition probabilities, and therefore different rates of change in reef condition. This could be due to differences in species composition, management or the nature and extent of disturbances between these regions. We then estimated equilibrium probability distributions for reef states, and coral and macroalgal cover under constant environmental conditions. In both regions, the current distributions are close to equilibrium. In the Caribbean, coral cover is much lower and macroalgal cover is higher at equilibrium than in the GBR. We found no evidence for differences in transition probabilities between the first and second halves of our survey period, or between Caribbean reefs inside and outside marine protected areas. However, our power to detect such differences may have been low. We also examined the effects of altering transition probabilities on the community state equilibrium, along a continuum from unfavourable (e.g., increased sea surface temperature) to favourable (e.g., improved management) conditions. Both regions showed similar qualitative responses, but different patterns of uncertainty. In the Caribbean, uncertainty was greatest about effects of favourable changes, while in the GBR, we are most uncertain about effects of unfavourable changes. Our approach could be extended to provide risk analysis for management decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip K Lowe
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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13
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Fukaya K, Okuda T, Nakaoka M, Hori M, Noda T. Seasonality in the strength and spatial scale of processes determining intertidal barnacle population growth. J Anim Ecol 2010; 79:1270-9. [PMID: 20636347 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2010.01727.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Keiichi Fukaya
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, N10W5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan.
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14
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Clancy D, Tanner JE, McWilliam S, Spencer M. Quantifying parameter uncertainty in a coral reef model using Metropolis-Coupled Markov Chain Monte Carlo. Ecol Modell 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2010.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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