63 results on '"Pocillopora"'
Search Results
2. Branching coral growth and visual health during bleaching and recovery on the central Great Barrier Reef.
- Author
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Anderson-King, K. D., Wayman, C., Stephenson, S., Heron, S. F., Lough, J. M., McWilliam, M., Richardson, L. E., Scott, M. E., and Cantin, N. E.
- Subjects
CORALS ,CORAL reefs & islands ,INDEPENDENT variables ,CORAL bleaching ,REEFS - Abstract
Coral reefs are under threat from cumulative impacts such as cyclones, crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) outbreaks and climate-driven coral bleaching events. Branching corals are more severely impacted by these events than other coral morphologies due to their sensitivity to heat stress and weaker skeletons and COTS preferred prey. The central Great Barrier Reef experienced unprecedented back-to-back bleaching events in 2016 and 2017. This study commenced in 2017 at the peak of heat stress and examined the impact of the heatwave on the survival and recovery of corals by assessing the growth, health (based on the visual health index) and physiological parameters (chlorophyll a, zooxanthellae density, lipid and protein content) of two species, Acropora millepora and Pocillopora acuta (N = 60 colonies for each species). It was conducted across a gradient of turbidity at three reefs, Pandora, Orpheus and Rib, that experienced in April 2017, degree heating weeks (DHW) of 9, 8 and 7, respectively. Orpheus experienced the worst bleaching, based on visual health score, followed by Rib and Pandora. Rib experienced the greatest mortality (78% by Nov 2017); however, this was attributed to the presence of actively feeding crown-of-thorns starfish. Growth rates of A. millepora were almost twice the rate of P. acuta. Both species showed significant seasonal variation with growth of A. millepora and P. acuta 35–40% and 23–33% significantly greater in the summer, respectively. Differences in growth rates were best explained by indicators of energy acquisition. For example, the most important predictor variable in determining higher growth rates and visual health score in A. millepora was chlorophyll a content. For P. acuta, visual health score was the best predictor variable for higher growth rates. This study highlights the important role that chlorophyll a and associated symbionts play in growth and survival in these corals during and after a heat stress event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Reef location has a greater impact than coral bleaching severity on the microbiome of Pocillopora acuta.
- Author
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Botté, Emmanuelle S., Cantin, Neal E., Mocellin, Véronique J. L., O'Brien, Paul A., Rocker, Melissa M., Frade, Pedro R., and Webster, Nicole S.
- Subjects
CORAL bleaching ,LIFE history theory ,REEFS ,CORAL reefs & islands ,CORAL communities ,BACTERIAL communities - Abstract
Coral reefs are increasingly threatened by heat stress events leading to coral bleaching. In 2016, a mass bleaching event affected large parts of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Whilst bleaching severity and coral mortality are usually monitored throughout major bleaching events, other health indicators, such as changes in microbial partners, are rarely assessed. We examined the impact of the 2016 bleaching event on the composition of the microbial communities in the coral Pocillopora acuta at Havannah Island Pandora reef, separated by 12 km on the inshore central GBR. Corals experienced moderate heat stress (3.6 and 5.3 degree heating weeks), inducing major bleaching (30–60%) at the coral community level. Samples were partitioned according to Symbiodiniaceae densities into three bleaching severity categories (mild, moderate, and severe). Whilst Symbiodiniaceae densities were similar at both reef locations, sequencing of the Symbiodiniaceae ITS2 and prokaryotic 16S rRNA genes revealed that microbial communities were significantly different between reefs, but not according to bleaching severity. Symbiodiniaceae composition was dominated by the genus Cladocopium with low abundances of Durusdinium detected in moderately and severely bleached colonies at both sites, despite site-specific ITS2 profiles. Bacterial communities were dominated by Proteobacteria and were almost entirely lacking the common Pocilloporid associate Endozoicomonas regardless of bleaching severity. Strikingly, only 11.2% of the bacterial Amplicon Sequencing Variants (ASVs) were shared between sites. This reef specificity was driven by 165 ASVs, mainly from the family Rhodobacteraceae. Comparison with previous studies suggests that the moderate heat stress experienced on the central GBR in 2016 caused the near-complete absence of Endozoicomonas. Symbiodiniaceae and bacteria (particularly Rhodobacteraceae) can be vertically transmitted in P. acuta, and larval propagation can be spatially restricted for this brooding species. Our results demonstrate that, unlike bleaching severity, location-specific factors and species-specific life history traits might have been paramount in shaping the P. acuta microbiome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. Effect of species, provenance, and coral physiology on the composition of Hawaiian coral-associated microbial communities.
- Author
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Price, James T., McLachlan, Rowan H., Jury, Christopher P., Toonen, Robert J., Wilkins, Michael J., and Grottoli, Andréa G.
- Subjects
MICROBIAL communities ,CORALS ,ECOPHYSIOLOGY ,PHYSIOLOGY ,CORAL communities ,CLIMATE change - Abstract
The resistance of corals to a changing climate has been linked to physiological parameters including heterotrophic capacity and energy reserves. Recently, the potential flexibility and diversity of coral-associated microbial communities have also been related to coral health and resistance to environmental stress. This study uses the island of O'ahu in Hawai'i, USA, as a natural laboratory to explore variability in the microbial community composition of four coral species (Porites compressa, Porites lobata, Pocillopora acuta, and Pocillopora meandrina) across a gradient of natural ocean conditions. In addition, we assessed potential relationships between the composition of coral-associated microbial communities with coral physiology. We found that microbial community composition differed among all coral species, as well as among several of the collection sites within species. Microbial community assembly appeared to be governed by a combination of deterministic and stochastic processes, and the composition of these communities was more often related to measurements of coral physiology than environmental parameters among the collection sites. Specifically, coral lipid and protein levels, two components of coral energy reserves, explained significant portions of microbial community composition in Porites lobata and Pocillopora acuta, respectively. Further, microbial community diversity decreased as the proportionate contribution of heterotrophy relative to photoautotrophy in coral tissues increased in Porites compressa and Pocillopora acuta, but the opposite was true for Porites lobata. These findings suggest that if coral heterotrophy increases with warming oceans, it could co-occur with shifts in microbial community diversity in some coral species, possibly from decreased production of photosynthates and/or changes in the nutritional makeup of the mucus layer. Overall, connections with energy reserves and heterotrophy suggest a role for coral resource use in shaping the composition of coral-associated microbial communities across a range of natural ocean conditions, a relationship that may be important as some corals acclimatize to global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Environmental gradients drive physiological variation in Hawaiian corals.
- Author
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McLachlan, Rowan H., Price, James T., Muñoz-Garcia, Agustí, Weisleder, Noah L., Jury, Christopher P., Toonen, Robert J., and Grottoli, Andréa G.
- Subjects
CORAL reef conservation ,CORALS ,OCEAN temperature ,PORITES ,CORAL reefs & islands ,CORAL bleaching ,BOUNDARY layer (Aerodynamics) ,HAWAIIANS - Abstract
To evaluate potential coral adaptive mechanisms, we investigated physiological traits (biomass, lipid, protein, chlorophyll, and isotopic proxies for trophic strategy) in eight Hawaiian corals species along an environmental gradient of significant wave height, sea surface temperature, and seawater chlorophyll a concentration around the island of O'ahu, Hawai'i. We used the amount of physiological variation expressed in corals, and the proportion of this variation that could be explained by environmental variables, to construct hypotheses about the relative capacity for each species to adapt or acclimatize to differing conditions. Genus-level analyses indicated that Montipora and Pocillopora phenotypes are influenced more strongly by the environment than Porites corals. Species-level analyses revealed that Montipora capitata and Pocillopora acuta have the widest physiological niche boundaries, whereas Porites evermanni and Pocillopora meandrina are more physiologically restricted. Correlations between individual traits and the environmental gradient provided insight into potential adaptive mechanisms employed by each species that allow them to persist in reefs such as those within Kāne'ohe Bay, where water flow is lowest, and temperature, acidity, and nutrient concentrations are highest relative to other reefs around O'ahu. Potential adaptive mechanisms included (a) increased surface-area-to-volume ratios to facilitate higher material flux across the diffusive boundary layer and/or to maximize light harvesting (M. capitata and P. acuta), (b) strategic investment of metabolic energy toward energy reserves (Montipora and Pocillopora), (c) changes in protein management likely via differential expression and function (Porites), and d) increased chlorophyll concentration per Symbiodiniaceae cell to maximize photosynthesis (Porites compressa). Comparison of our results with established patterns in the relative abundance of these species around O'ahu suggests that species with wide physiological niche boundaries like M. capitata and M. flabellata might be expected to do better under predicted future ocean conditions and outcompete species such as P. evermanni and P. meandrina, making them potential candidates for coral conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. Quantifying life history demographics of the scleractinian coral genus Pocillopora at Palmyra Atoll.
- Author
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Kodera, Sho M., Edwards, Clinton B., Petrovic, Vid, Pedersen, Nicole E., Eynaud, Yoan, and Sandin, Stuart A.
- Subjects
SCLERACTINIA ,CORAL reefs & islands ,LIFE history theory ,DEMOGRAPHIC surveys ,CORALS ,CORAL reef ecology ,HISTORY of colonies - Abstract
Characterizations of colony-specific fate are necessary to predict trajectories of coral population change accurately, and a research challenge exists to collect more robust data describing coral demographic rates and the factors that influence them. Colonial, reef-building corals present challenges to the study of demography, given that the size of individual colonies can be decoupled from age, and rates of colony growth and shrinkage can be effectively indeterminate. In this study, we use a large-area imaging approach to quantify demographic rates of the coral genus Pocillopora and test for the influence of colony-specific predictors on net change in live tissue area (labeled growth and shrinkage) and whole-colony mortality. We found that a colony's fate was linked to its initial size, with larger colonies experiencing far lower probability of mortality, but higher probability of shrinkage, than smaller colonies. Historical effects also significantly affected colony fate, as colonies with a recent history of tissue loss experienced a higher probability of subsequent shrinkage and mortality the following year. Finally, significant variability in growth and mortality rates was linked to intra-island site differences, which we hypothesize may be driven by differences in food availability and heterotrophic feeding rates. Our work highlights the importance of colony-specific characteristics, including size and historical effects, in influencing demographic fates of corals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. Rarity of the “common” coral Pocillopora damicornis in the western Philippine archipelago.
- Author
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Torres, Andrew F. and Ravago-Gotanco, Rachel
- Subjects
PLANT morphology ,SPECIES distribution ,CORAL reefs & islands ,PLANT species ,TAXONOMY - Abstract
Extensive phenotypic plasticity generally confounds identification of the common reef-building coral Pocillopora damicornis. With the recognition of P. damicornis genetic lineages as taxonomic species, this study surveyed genetic lineages within P. damicornis sensu lato (Veron and Pichon in Scleractinia of Eastern Australia, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Australia, 1976) in the Philippines. Employing a PCR-RFLP assay of the mitochondrial control region and sequencing of the mitochondrial open reading frame for lineage identification, we examined 694 P. damicornis s.l. colonies from 16 locations across the Philippine archipelago to characterize Pocillopora species distribution in the region. Genetic identification reveals the occurrence of P. acuta and the absence of P. damicornis in the Philippines. This study highlights the need to revisit the distributional limits of this extensively studied species complex and the necessity of using genetic information for taxonomic identification where morphological identification is unreliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
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8. Latitudinal variation in growth and survival of juvenile corals in the West and South Pacific
- Author
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Yoko Nozawa, Ronald D. Villanueva, Jean J. B. Tanangonan, Go Suzuki, Takuma Mezaki, Put O. Ang, Munasik Munasik, Takashi Kawai, James R. Guest, Peter J. Edmunds, Kakaskasen Andreas Roeroe, and Seiji Arakaki
- Subjects
education.field_of_study ,food.ingredient ,Annual growth rate ,Ecology ,Coral ,Population ,Porites ,Aquatic Science ,Biology ,biology.organism_classification ,Fecundity ,food ,Dipsastraea ,Acropora ,Pocillopora ,education - Abstract
Reef-building corals are found across > 30° of latitude from tropical to temperate regions, where they occupy habitats greatly differing in seawater temperature and light regimes. It remains largely unknown, however, how the demography of corals differs across this gradient of environmental conditions. Variation in coral growth is especially important to coral populations, because aspects of coral demography are dependent on colony size, with both fecundity and survivorship increasing with larger colonies. Here we tested for latitudinal variation in annual growth rate and survival of juvenile corals, using 11 study locations extending from 17° S to 33° N in the West and South Pacific. Regression analyses revealed a significant decline in annual growth rates with increasing latitude, whereas no significant latitudinal pattern was detected in annual survival. Seawater temperature showed a significant and positive association with annual growth rates. Growth rates varied among the four common genera, allowing them to be ranked Acropora > Pocillopora > Porites > Dipsastraea. Acropora and Pocillopora showed more variation in growth rates across latitudes than Porites and Dipsastraea. Although the present data have limitations with regard to difference in depths, survey periods, and replication among locations, they provide evidence that a higher capacity for growth of individual colonies may facilitate population growth, and hence population recovery following disturbances, at lower latitudes. These trends are likely to be best developed in Acropora and Pocillopora, which have high rates of colony growth.
- Published
- 2021
9. Environmental gradients drive physiological variation in Hawaiian corals
- Author
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Noah Weisleder, Christopher P. Jury, Robert J. Toonen, James T. Price, Rowan H. McLachlan, Agustí Muñoz-Garcia, and Andréa G. Grottoli
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Montipora capitata ,biology ,Ecology ,Porites compressa ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Coral ,Porites ,15. Life on land ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Montipora ,Pocillopora meandrina ,14. Life underwater ,Pocillopora ,Relative species abundance - Abstract
To evaluate potential coral adaptive mechanisms, we investigated physiological traits (biomass, lipid, protein, chlorophyll, and isotopic proxies for trophic strategy) in eight Hawaiian corals species along an environmental gradient of significant wave height, sea surface temperature, and seawater chlorophyll a concentration around the island of O‘ahu, Hawai‘i. We used the amount of physiological variation expressed in corals, and the proportion of this variation that could be explained by environmental variables, to construct hypotheses about the relative capacity for each species to adapt or acclimatize to differing conditions. Genus-level analyses indicated that Montipora and Pocillopora phenotypes are influenced more strongly by the environment than Porites corals. Species-level analyses revealed that Montipora capitata and Pocillopora acuta have the widest physiological niche boundaries, whereas Porites evermanni and Pocillopora meandrina are more physiologically restricted. Correlations between individual traits and the environmental gradient provided insight into potential adaptive mechanisms employed by each species that allow them to persist in reefs such as those within Kāne’ohe Bay, where water flow is lowest, and temperature, acidity, and nutrient concentrations are highest relative to other reefs around O‘ahu. Potential adaptive mechanisms included (a) increased surface-area-to-volume ratios to facilitate higher material flux across the diffusive boundary layer and/or to maximize light harvesting (M. capitata and P. acuta), (b) strategic investment of metabolic energy toward energy reserves (Montipora and Pocillopora), (c) changes in protein management likely via differential expression and function (Porites), and d) increased chlorophyll concentration per Symbiodiniaceae cell to maximize photosynthesis (Porites compressa). Comparison of our results with established patterns in the relative abundance of these species around O‘ahu suggests that species with wide physiological niche boundaries like M. capitata and M. flabellata might be expected to do better under predicted future ocean conditions and outcompete species such as P. evermanni and P. meandrina, making them potential candidates for coral conservation efforts.
- Published
- 2021
10. Chronic low-level nutrient enrichment benefits coral thermal performance in a fore reef habitat
- Author
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Rebecca Vega Thurber, Danielle M. Becker, Nyssa J. Silbiger, Deron E. Burkepile, Hollie M. Putnam, and Thomas C. Adam
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Coral ,Effects of global warming on oceans ,Aquatic Science ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,natural sciences ,Ecosystem ,14. Life underwater ,Reef ,geography ,Biomass (ecology) ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Ecology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,fungi ,technology, industry, and agriculture ,Coral reef ,biochemical phenomena, metabolism, and nutrition ,15. Life on land ,biology.organism_classification ,Holobiont ,13. Climate action ,Pocillopora ,geographic locations - Abstract
Global- and local-scale anthropogenic stressors have been the main drivers of coral reef decline, causing shifts in coral reef community composition and ecosystem functioning. Excess nutrient enrichment can make corals more vulnerable to ocean warming by suppressing calcification and reducing photosynthetic performance. However, in some environments, corals can exhibit higher growth rates and thermal performance in response to nutrient enrichment. In this study, we measured how chronic nutrient enrichment at low concentrations affected coral physiology, including endosymbiont and coral host response variables, and holobiont metabolic responses of Pocillopora spp. colonies in Mo'orea, French Polynesia. We experimentally enriched corals with dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphate for 15 months on an oligotrophic fore reef in Mo'orea. We first characterized symbiont and coral physiological traits due to enrichment and then used thermal performance curves to quantify the relationship between metabolic rates and temperature for experimentally enriched and control coral colonies. We found that endosymbiont densities and total tissue biomass were 54% and 22% higher in nutrient-enriched corals, respectively, relative to controls. Algal endosymbiont nitrogen content cell−1 was 44% lower in enriched corals relative to the control colonies. In addition, thermal performance metrics indicated that the maximal rate of performance for gross photosynthesis was 29% higher and the rate of oxygen evolution at a reference temperature (26.8 °C) for gross photosynthesis was 33% higher in enriched colonies compared to the control colonies. These differences were not attributed to symbiont community composition between corals in different treatments, as C42, a symbiont type in the Cladocopium genus, was the dominant endosymbiont type found in all corals. Together, our results show that in an oligotrophic fore reef environment, nutrient enrichment can cause changes in coral endosymbiont physiology that increase the performance of the coral holobiont.
- Published
- 2021
11. Niche differences in co-occurring cryptic coral species (Pocillopora spp.)
- Author
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James J. Leichter, Scott C. Burgess, Alex S. J. Wyatt, and Erika C. Johnston
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0106 biological sciences ,Species complex ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Ecology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Coral ,Niche ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Abundance (ecology) ,Genus ,Pocillopora ,Relative species abundance ,Reef - Abstract
Cryptic species that are morphologically similar co-occur because either the rate of competitive exclusion is very slow, or because they are not, in fact, ecologically similar. The processes that maintain cryptic local diversity may, therefore, be particularly subtle and difficult to identify. Here, we uncover differences among several cryptic species in their relative abundance across a depth gradient within a dominant and ecologically important genus of hard coral, Pocillopora. From extensive sampling unbiased toward morphological characters, at multiple depths on the fore reef around the island of Mo’orea, French Polynesia, we genetically identified 673 colonies in the Pocillopora species complex. We identified 14 mitochondrial Open Reading Frame haplotypes (mtORFs, a well-studied and informative species marker used for pocilloporids), which included at least six nominal species, and uncovered differences among haplotypes in their relative abundance at 5, 10, and 20 m at four sites around the island. Differences in relative haplotype abundance across depths were greater than differences among sites separated by several kilometers. The four most abundant species are often visibly indistinguishable at the gross colony level, yet they exhibited stark differences in their associations with light irradiance and daily water temperature variance. The pattern of community composition was associated with frequent cooling in deeper versus shallower water more than warmer temperatures in shallow water. Our results indicate that these cryptic species are not all ecologically similar. The differential abundance of Pocillopora cryptic species across depth should promote their coexistence at the reef scale, as well as promote resilience through response diversity.
- Published
- 2021
12. Linking population size structure, heat stress and bleaching responses in a subtropical endemic coral
- Author
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James Cant, John M. Pandolfi, Maria Beger, Brigitte Sommer, Liam Lachs, Hamish A. Malcolm, and Jessica M. Hodge
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,geography ,education.field_of_study ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Ecology ,Coral bleaching ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Population size ,Coral ,Population ,Climate change ,Coral reef ,Aquatic Science ,Biology ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,13. Climate action ,14. Life underwater ,Pocillopora ,education ,Reef - Abstract
Anthropocene coral reefs are faced with increasingly severe marine heatwaves and mass coral bleaching mortality events. The ensuing demographic changes to coral assemblages can have long-term impacts on reef community organisation. Thus, understanding the dynamics of subtropical scleractinian coral populations is essential to predict their recovery or extinction post-disturbance. Here we present a 10-yr demographic assessment of a subtropical endemic coral, Pocillopora aliciae (Schmidt-Roach et al. in Zootaxa 3626:576–582, 2013) from the Solitary Islands Marine Park, eastern Australia, paired with long-term temperature records. These coral populations are regularly affected by storms, undergo seasonal thermal variability, and are increasingly impacted by severe marine heatwaves. We examined the demographic processes governing the persistence of these populations using inference from size-frequency distributions based on log-transformed planar area measurements of 7196 coral colonies. Specifically, the size-frequency distribution mean, coefficient of variation, skewness, kurtosis, and coral density were applied to describe population dynamics. Generalised Linear Mixed Effects Models were used to determine temporal trends and test demographic responses to heat stress. Temporal variation in size-frequency distributions revealed various population processes, from recruitment pulses and cohort growth, to bleaching impacts and temperature dependencies. Sporadic recruitment pulses likely support population persistence, illustrated in 2010 by strong positively skewed size-frequency distributions and the highest density of juvenile corals measured during the study. Increasing mean colony size over the following 6 yr indicates further cohort growth of these recruits. Severe heat stress in 2016 resulted in mass bleaching mortality and a 51% decline in coral density. Moderate heat stress in the following years was associated with suppressed P. aliciae recruitment and a lack of early recovery, marked by an exponential decrease of juvenile density (i.e. recruitment) with increasing heat stress. Here, population reliance on sporadic recruitment and susceptibility to heat stress underpin the vulnerability of subtropical coral assemblages to climate change.
- Published
- 2021
13. Seaweed allelopathy to corals: are active compounds on, or in, seaweeds?
- Author
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Longo, G. and Hay, M.
- Subjects
ALLELOPATHY ,MARINE algae ,METABOLITES ,BIOACTIVE compounds ,GREEN algae ,BROWN algae - Abstract
Numerous seaweeds produce secondary metabolites that are allelopathic to corals. To date, most of the compounds identified in this interaction are lipid-soluble instead of water-soluble. Thus, understanding whether these compounds are stored internally where they would not contact corals, or occur on external surfaces where they could be transferred to corals, is critical to understanding seaweed-coral interactions and to informing realistic experiments on chemically mediated interactions. We conducted field experiments assessing the effects of lipid-soluble extracts from macroalgal surfaces alone versus total lipid-soluble extracts from both internal and external tissues on the coral Pocillopora verrucosa. Extracts of the red algae Amansia rhodantha and Asparagopsis taxiformis, the green alga Chlorodesmis fastigiata, and the brown alga Dictyota bartayresiana suppressed coral photochemical efficiency; in these bioactive species, the total lipid-soluble extracts were not more potent than surface-only extracts despite the concentration of total extracts being many times greater than surface-only extracts. This suggests that previous assays with total extracts may be ecologically meaningful, but also that future assays should be conducted with the simpler, less concentrated, and more ecologically relevant surface extracts. Allelopathic effects of As. taxiformis and C. fastigiata were significantly greater than the effect of D. bartayresiana, with effects of Am. rhodantha intermediate between these groups. Neither surface-only nor total lipid-soluble extracts of the seaweed Turbinaria ornata were allelopathic, and its lack of potency differed significantly from all other species. Our results suggest that lipid-soluble, allelopathic compounds are usually deployed on seaweed surfaces where they can be effective in surface-mediated interactions against other species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. Length–weight relationships to quantify biomass for motile coral reef cryptofauna
- Author
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Kennedy Wolfe, Peter J. Mumby, Amelia Desbiens, and Jessica Stella
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Ecology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Coral ,Biodiversity ,Coral reef ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Habitat ,Acropora ,Ecosystem ,Pocillopora ,Trophic level - Abstract
Length–weight relationships (LWRs) are a fundamental tool for the non-intrusive determination of biomass, a unit of measure that facilitates the quantification of ecosystem and fisheries productivity. LWRs have been defined and broadly applied for many marine species across a range of ecosystems, especially regarding fishes. However, LWRs are yet to be determined for the majority of marine taxa, particularly for small cryptic organisms that are difficult to census and poorly described. On coral reefs, the motile cryptofauna represent the greatest density and diversity of metazoan taxa that likely support critical steps in trophic pathways, but little empirical data exist beyond biodiversity assessments. We evaluated LWRs for 42 groups of motile cryptofauna across four microhabitats (live Acropora, live Pocillopora, dead branching coral and coral rubble) in Palau, Western Micronesia. We employed a robust methodology to determine LWRs by comparing the suitability of a series of linear, quadratic, polynomial and power models. Using the best-fit equations for each group, we provide the first documented LWRs for motile cryptofauna, namely at the level of family. LWRs were well fit (R2 > 0.90) for 45% of the groups and reasonable (R2 > 0.70) for 76%. The presence, size and weight of cryptofauna varied among microhabitats with the size distribution of 13 groups significantly influenced by habitat type. Establishment of these LWRs provides critical baseline information regarding an overlooked group on coral reefs, making population data on the cryptofauna more accessible to support future research aiming to characterise the roles of these taxa in ecosystem functioning and trophodynamics.
- Published
- 2020
15. The influence of urban pressures on coral physiology on marginal coral reefs of the Mexican Pacific
- Author
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Alma Paola Rodríguez-Troncoso, Jeimy Denisse Santiago-Valentín, Amílcar L. Cupul-Magaña, and Violeta Martínez-Castillo
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,geography ,Chlorophyll a ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Ecology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Coral ,fungi ,Porites ,Coral reef ,biochemical phenomena, metabolism, and nutrition ,Aquatic Science ,Sedimentation ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Nitrate ,chemistry ,Pocillopora ,Reef - Abstract
Coral ecosystems in the central Mexican Pacific inhabit environmental conditions considered as suboptimal for reef development, such as wide ranges in temperature, low pH, and cyclonic activity. In addition, they are facing increasing nutrient and sediment inputs as a consequence of urban growth and tourism. While the global effects of anthropogenic stressors to coral communities have been described, the local response and microscale variations remain unknown. Therefore, the present study evaluates three physiological markers during 2018 (total lipid content, symbiont density, and chlorophyll a concentration) in the main reef-building coral genera (Pocillopora, Porites, and Pavona) from two coral communities: one coastal site next to a luxury touristic development with high sedimentation rates and elevated nutrient inputs from golf courses, and one at an insular MPA 6 km distant from the coast and where human activities are regulated. At each coral sampling site, nitrite, nitrate, and phosphate concentrations as well as sedimentation rates were measured. The analyses of the physiological markers showed significant differences in the lipid content and symbiont density between sites, with corals at Isla Larga presenting higher lipid content but lower symbiont density, while pigment concentration only differed across months. When assessing differences among coral genera, Pocillopora colonies presented the highest lipid content, while Pavona showed more symbionts and Porites colonies the uppermost pigment concentrations, with significant differences among genera and across the studied months. Environmental characterization showed significant differences between sites in the nitrate concentration and sedimentation rates. Generalized nonlinear models evidence that lipid concentration is related to sedimentation rates and temperatures, symbiont density to nitrite and phosphate concentrations, and pigment concentrations to nitrate and phosphate concentrations as well as sedimentation rates.
- Published
- 2020
16. Sea urchins (diadematids) promote coral recovery via recruitment on Taiwanese reefs
- Author
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Pei-Jie Meng, Yoko Nozawa, and Che-Hung Lin
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Ecology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Coral ,fungi ,Porites ,technology, industry, and agriculture ,Coral reef ,biochemical phenomena, metabolism, and nutrition ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,biology.animal ,population characteristics ,Acropora ,Juvenile ,Pocillopora ,Reef ,Sea urchin ,geographic locations - Abstract
Coral reefs are of global concern in the face of increasing anthropogenic disturbance. Much research has focused on the negative factors associated with coral reef decline, but few have documented the positive factors in relation to recovering coral reefs. Here, we report a positive quantitative association between sea urchins (diadematids), coral recruitment and coral recovery, recorded along Taiwanese coral reefs. We monitored coral cover change, juvenile coral density, herbivore density (fishes, sea urchins, gastropods) and macroalgal cover, along three reefs between 2012 and 2015. Multivariable regression analyses revealed that sea urchin (diadematids) density was the primary (positive) driver, explaining 74% of variation in coral cover change and 89% in coral juvenile density among sites and years. The relationship between sea urchin density and coral juvenile density was especially evident for four common coral genera: Acropora, Dipsastraea, Pocillopora and Porites. These results suggest that diadematid urchins enhance coral recovery on these reefs by promoting the recruitment of corals. The density of juvenile corals was also found to explain 67% of variation in coral cover change, highlighting the potential use of coral juvenile density as a proxy for coral recovery potential in coral resilience studies.
- Published
- 2020
17. Coral community resilience to successive years of bleaching in Kāne‘ohe Bay, Hawai‘i
- Author
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Ruth D. Gates and Raphael Ritson-Williams
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Montipora capitata ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Porites compressa ,Coral bleaching ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Coral ,Zoology ,Coral reef ,Pocillopora damicornis ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Pocillopora ,Bay - Abstract
The Hawaiian Islands are at the northern edge of coral reef distributions, and corals found there are exposed to large seasonal temperature changes. Historically, coral bleaching in the Hawaiian Islands was extremely rare and had only occurred in 1996. However, in the summers of both 2014 and 2015, successive bleaching events occurred in Kāne‘ohe Bay, O‘ahu. Seawater temperatures were above 28 °C for approximately 1 month in 2014 and 3 months in 2015 and peaked above 30 °C in both years. Patterns of bleaching did not vary among the three sites within Kāne‘ohe Bay. Severe bleaching and paling covered 77 and 55% of reefs in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Different species showed a range of susceptibility with 80–100% of Pocillopora spp. bleaching in both years, but less than 50% bleaching of Porites compressa and Montipora capitata in Kāne‘ohe Bay. Less than 1% of the encrusting coral Leptastrea purpurea colonies bleached in both years. Sixty individual colonies of P. compressa and M. capitata and 28 colonies of Pocillopora damicornis were tagged and monitored for rates of bleaching, recovery and mortality throughout the two-year period. Most of the colonies that bleached recovered their symbionts within 3–4 months, though P. compressa visually recovered more rapidly than M. capitata and P. damicornis. Cumulatively, 19% of P. damicornis, 10% of M. capitata and no P. compressa died by May 2016. Partial mortality within a colony did not occur in 2014, but impacted 13% of the colonies in 2015, with P. damicornis and M. capitata having higher rates of partial mortality than P. compressa. Relatively, low susceptibility in the dominant species and low rates of mortality combined with rapid rates of recovery show coral resilience to anomalously high temperatures in Kāne‘ohe Bay, O‘ahu.
- Published
- 2020
18. Quantifying life history demographics of the scleractinian coral genus Pocillopora at Palmyra Atoll
- Author
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Nicole E. Pedersen, Yoan Eynaud, Stuart A. Sandin, Clinton B. Edwards, Vid Petrovic, and Sho M. Kodera
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0106 biological sciences ,biology ,Demographics ,Palmyra Atoll ,Ecology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Coral ,Mortality rate ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Genus ,Population growth ,Pocillopora ,Life history - Abstract
Characterizations of colony-specific fate are necessary to predict trajectories of coral population change accurately, and a research challenge exists to collect more robust data describing coral demographic rates and the factors that influence them. Colonial, reef-building corals present challenges to the study of demography, given that the size of individual colonies can be decoupled from age, and rates of colony growth and shrinkage can be effectively indeterminate. In this study, we use a large-area imaging approach to quantify demographic rates of the coral genus Pocillopora and test for the influence of colony-specific predictors on net change in live tissue area (labeled growth and shrinkage) and whole-colony mortality. We found that a colony’s fate was linked to its initial size, with larger colonies experiencing far lower probability of mortality, but higher probability of shrinkage, than smaller colonies. Historical effects also significantly affected colony fate, as colonies with a recent history of tissue loss experienced a higher probability of subsequent shrinkage and mortality the following year. Finally, significant variability in growth and mortality rates was linked to intra-island site differences, which we hypothesize may be driven by differences in food availability and heterotrophic feeding rates. Our work highlights the importance of colony-specific characteristics, including size and historical effects, in influencing demographic fates of corals.
- Published
- 2020
19. Fine-scale delineation of Symbiodiniaceae genotypes on a previously bleached central Red Sea reef system demonstrates a prevalence of coral host-specific associations
- Author
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Christian R. Voolstra, Benjamin C. C. Hume, Michael L. Berumen, and Alejandro Mejia-Restrepo
- Subjects
geography ,food.ingredient ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Ecology ,Coral bleaching ,Coral ,Porites ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,Fire coral ,food ,ddc:570 ,Galaxea ,Pocillopora ,Seriatopora ,GeneralLiterature_REFERENCE(e.g.,dictionaries,encyclopedias,glossaries) ,Reef - Abstract
Widespread coral bleaching occurred in the central Red Sea in 2010 and 2015. During both events, a cross-shelf and depth gradient of bleaching severity was identified within the Thuwal reef system, central Red Sea, Saudi Arabia. While bleaching and survival of coral taxa were monitored, neither in situ reef temperatures nor coral-associated algal communities (family Symbiodiniaceae) were characterized. Here, we determined coral host-associated Symbiodiniaceae communities and monitored temperatures along the same cross-shelf and depth gradient on six reefs in 2017 to better understand the role of these factors in the observed bleaching patterns and to generate a baseline for further studies. We characterized > 600 coral–algal associations across winter and summer in six genera of scleractinian coral (Pocillopora, Stylophora, Seriatopora, Galaxea, Gardineroseris, and Porites) and one fire coral (Family Milleporidae) using ITS2 next-generation sequencing in conjunction with the SymPortal analytical framework. We show that previous bleaching patterns correlate poorly with the largely coral host-specific structure of the 2017 Symbiodiniaceae community and are in better agreement with absolute and intraday sea water temperature variations monitored on the reefs. We demonstrate a greater distinctiveness of Symbiodiniaceae communities at the more severely bleached inshore reefs compared to those reefs further offshore. However, the potential Symbiodiniaceae community changes at these reefs prior to our sampling prevent us from evaluating this distinctiveness as determinative of the differences in bleaching severities. Based on our analyses, we discuss how fine-scale delineation of algal genotypes, including host-specific putative genotypes of Durusdinium trenchii that represent alluring targets for further taxonomic identification, corroborate a niche-adapted rather than generalist character of many coral–Symbiodiniaceae associations. In conclusion, as studies such as this one continue to build the global catalogue of coral–Symbiodiniaceae associations, we may be afforded a better oversight of how specialized coral–algal associations really are and how restricted their modification may be, both of which are critical considerations in predicting the adaptive potential of corals and the reef ecosystems they build.
- Published
- 2020
20. Settlement ecology of scleractinian corals of the Northeastern Tropical Pacific
- Author
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Eric Bautista-Guerrero, Andrés López-Pérez, Amílcar L. Cupul-Magaña, Jeimy Denisse Santiago-Valentín, and Alma Paola Rodríguez-Troncoso
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Ecology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Coral ,fungi ,Porites ,technology, industry, and agriculture ,Coralline algae ,social sciences ,Coral reef ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Habitat ,population characteristics ,Pocillopora ,Crustose ,Reef ,geographic locations - Abstract
Reproduction and recruitment are essential processes for the continued success of coral communities. Islas Marias Archipelago is considered a connectivity node among coral communities distributed along the Northeastern Tropical Pacific (NTP); as such, sexual reproduction of scleractinian corals affects the maintenance of the local populations and the long-distance connectivity of reefs across the region. In this study, successful sexual reproduction in the species of the three most abundant scleractinian corals genera was demonstrated, in part by documenting gamete presence and maturation in tissues and spatio-temporal variability in juvenile coral settlement, which were quantified across substrate type, habitat quality, and environmental factors. Only 12 larvae recruited (ten Porites, two Pavona) to artificial substrates, and monthly recruitment density of 1.82 ± 0.23 recruits m−2 (n = 383) was recorded on natural substrates. There were significant differences between genera, with Porites producing the highest density of recruits (0.60 ± 0.45 recruits m−2, followed by Pavona (0.52 ± 0.24 recruits m−2) and Pocillopora (0.28 ± 0.06 recruits m−2). The highest coral recruitment was observed at Baby Reef (2.57 ± 0.46 recruits m−2), followed by Cleofas II (1.81 ± 0.21 recruits m−2) and Japanese Garden (1.24 ± 0.46 recruits m−2); the former site was characterized by the highest cover of crustose coralline algae. We found successful recruitment of the main reef-forming species in the Mexican Pacific and suggest that Islas Marias is a region of critical importance in terms of its function as a source of genetic variability, and, the generation of, new individuals that will be key to sustaining coral reef ecosystems in the NTP.
- Published
- 2019
21. Boom and bust of keystone structure on coral reefs
- Author
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Karen M. Chong-Seng, James P. W. Robinson, Jan Robinson, Nicholas A. J. Graham, and Shaun K. Wilson
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Coral bleaching ,Coral reef fish ,Ecology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Coral ,Coral reef ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Acroporidae ,Acropora ,Pocillopora ,Reef - Abstract
Repeated bouts of coral bleaching threaten the long-term persistence of coral reefs and associated communities. Here, we document the short- and long-term impacts of heatwave events on coral and fish assemblages, based on regular surveys of 18 reefs of the granitic islands of Seychelles over 23 yr. Extreme heat events in 1998 and 2016 led to bleaching-associated declines in coral cover, whilst between these years there was an interim period of coral recovery on some reefs. Coral decline and recovery were primarily due to changes in the cover of branching coral, particularly those from the families Acroporidae and Pocilloporidae. Surveys during the 2016 bleaching found that 95% of the 468 Acropora and Pocillopora colonies observed were either bleached or recently dead. The extent of bleaching and subsequent mortality were best explained by a priori assessments of community susceptibility to heat stress. One year later (2017), coral cover had fallen by 70% and average coverage across the 18 reefs was at 6%, similar to levels recorded in 2005, 7 yr after the 1998 bleaching. Decline in coral following the 2016 bleaching coincided with reduced abundance of fish < 11 cm TL, particularly corallivores, invertivores and mixed diet feeders. These changes are likely to foreshadow more widespread loss once the habitat structure erodes. Accordingly, 7 yr after the 1998 bleaching, when coral skeletons and reef structure had collapsed on some reefs, abundance of both large- and small-bodied fish had declined. We show that fluctuation in the cover of branching coral is positively associated with changes in the abundance of small-bodied fish which contribute to ecological processes and high diversity, suggesting branching corals are a keystone structure. Increased frequency of bleaching threatens the capacity of branching corals to fully recover after disturbances, reducing the amplitude of boom bust cycles of these corals and the keystone habitat structure they provide reef fish.
- Published
- 2019
22. Abundance and reproductive patterns of the excavating sponge Cliona vermifera: a threat to Pacific coral reefs?
- Author
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Bautista-Guerrero, Eric, Carballo, José, and Maldonado, Manuel
- Subjects
BORING sponges ,CORAL reef environmental conditions ,SNAKE reproduction ,SPONGES (Invertebrates) ,CORAL bleaching ,SEX ratio - Abstract
Cliona vermifera is a common excavating sponge in coral reefs from the East Pacific. Abundance and reproductive patterns of the sponge in a Mexican Pacific coral reef over a 4-year period are herein described. Sponge abundance was estimated along three transects 50 m long which were randomly placed on the reef, and along each one, a piece of coral rubble and a branch of a live coral from the Pocillopora spp. coral colony closest to the transect were collected at random, approximately every 2 m, yielding 25 pieces of each category per transect (and 75 pieces total of each category). A 2-way ANOVA revealed that invasion was significantly higher in living coral colonies (34.8 %) than in rubble (13.7 %). It also indicated that the abundance in both coralline substrates showed a temporal variation without a clear pattern of increase over the years. It was estimated that 60-85 % of sponges in the population reproduced sexually every year. The sponge proved gonochoristic, with a sex ratio strongly departing from parity (1 male: 3 females). Over the 4-year study period, at least two cohorts of oocytes with densities of up to 3.5 oocytes per mm tissue were observed. Spermatogenesis lasted about a month, but often producing more than a pulse from July to November, coupled with peaks of oocyte maturation. Fertilization occurred internally to produce encapsulated zygotes that were released in one or more spawning events from July to November. In the following months (December to February), which were the periods of lowest temperature (~18.5-20 °C), no gametic activity occurred in the sponges. Because anomalous temperature rises that are detrimental to corals do not appear to negatively affect the reproduction and abundance of C. vermifera, it is likely that the excavating activity of this sponge may be compromising the health of those coral reefs that are recurrently affected by episodes of thermal stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. Rarity of the 'common' coral Pocillopora damicornis in the western Philippine archipelago
- Author
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Rachel Ravago-Gotanco and Andrew F. Torres
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,mtDNA control region ,geography ,Species complex ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Lineage (evolution) ,Scleractinia ,Zoology ,Pocillopora damicornis ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Sensu ,Archipelago ,Pocillopora - Abstract
Extensive phenotypic plasticity generally confounds identification of the common reef-building coral Pocillopora damicornis. With the recognition of P. damicornis genetic lineages as taxonomic species, this study surveyed genetic lineages within P. damicornis sensu lato (Veron and Pichon in Scleractinia of Eastern Australia, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Australia, 1976) in the Philippines. Employing a PCR–RFLP assay of the mitochondrial control region and sequencing of the mitochondrial open reading frame for lineage identification, we examined 694 P. damicornis s.l. colonies from 16 locations across the Philippine archipelago to characterize Pocillopora species distribution in the region. Genetic identification reveals the occurrence of P. acuta and the absence of P. damicornis in the Philippines. This study highlights the need to revisit the distributional limits of this extensively studied species complex and the necessity of using genetic information for taxonomic identification where morphological identification is unreliable.
- Published
- 2018
24. Flexible associations between Pocillopora corals and Symbiodinium limit utility of symbiosis ecology in defining species.
- Author
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Cunning, R., Glynn, P., and Baker, A.
- Subjects
CORALS ,SYMBIOSIS ,SYMBIODINIUM ,CORAL reefs & islands ,ECOLOGICAL disturbances ,THERMAL tolerance (Physiology) - Abstract
Corals in the genus Pocillopora are the primary framework builders of eastern tropical Pacific (ETP) reefs. These corals typically associate with algal symbionts (genus Symbiodinium) in clade C and/or D, with clade D associations having greater thermal tolerance and resistance to bleaching. Recently, cryptic "species" delineations within both Pocillopora and Symbiodinium have been suggested, with host-symbiont specificity used as a supporting taxonomic character in both genera. In particular, it has been suggested that three lineages of Pocillopora (types 1-3) exist in the ETP, of which type 1 is the exclusive host of heat-tolerant Symbiodinium D1. This host specificity has been used to support the species name " Symbiodinium glynni" for this symbiont. To validate these host-symbiont relationships and their taxonomic utility, we identified Pocillopora types and their associated Symbiodinium at three sites in the ETP. We found greater flexibility in host-symbiont combinations than previously reported, with both Pocillopora types 1 and 3 able to host and be dominated by Symbiodinium in clade C or D. The prevalence of certain combinations did vary among sites, showing that a gradient of specificity exists which may be mediated by evolutionary relationships and environmental disturbance history. However, these results limit the utility of apparent host-symbiont specificity (which may have been a result of undersampling) in defining species boundaries in either corals or Symbiodinium. They also suggest that a greater diversity of corals may benefit from the thermal tolerance of clade D symbionts, affirming the need to conserve Pocillopora across its entire geographic and environmental range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. Contrasting clonal structure among Pocillopora (Scleractinia) communities at two environmentally distinct sites in the Gulf of California.
- Author
-
Pinzón, J., Reyes-Bonilla, H., Baums, I., and LaJeunesse, T.
- Subjects
SCLERACTINIA ,HABITATS ,MICROSATELLITE repeats ,GENOTYPE-environment interaction - Abstract
The contributions of sexual versus asexual reproduction are thought to play an important role in the abundance and ecological success of corals, especially in marginal habitats. Pocillopora corals are distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific and dominate shallow hard-bottom communities in the eastern Pacific where broad seasonal fluctuations in temperature and water turbidity create suboptimal conditions for reef community development. Previous work had revealed three genetic clades in the eastern Pacific that show little correspondence with colony morphology; the broad distribution of type 1 extends into the subtropical southern Gulf of California. Here we examine genetic and clonal structure of two type 1 communities separated by 10 km with microsatellite data. Samples were collected randomly in six 10 m radius circular plots (20 colonies per plot, 3 plots per site). Sites differed in their relative clonality because clonemates (ramets) from a single clone (genet) dominated a large portion (90.9 m long) of the protected leeward side of Gaviota Island (Number of genets/Number of samples = 0.35; observed Genotypic diversity/expected Genotypic diversity = 0.087), while an exposed community at the entrance to La Paz Bay, Punta Galeras, exhibited high genotypic diversity ( N/ N = 0.85; G/ G = 0.714). Gene flow was unrestricted between sites indicating these communities comprised a single population. The relative proportion of asexual colonies found between community aggregations of Pocillopora in the Gulf of California differed significantly and suggests factors at local, not regional, scales affect these patterns. The possibility that heterogeneity in clonal structure is common throughout the eastern Pacific and across the west Indo-Pacific requires further study. Finally, since morphological variation in Pocillopora has been underappreciated and is in need of taxonomic revision, the use of a consistent field-sampling protocol and high-resolution makers will advance ecological research and aid in the conservation of these corals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. Using hierarchical sampling to understand scales of spatial variation in early coral recruitment.
- Author
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O'Leary, J. and Potts, D.
- Subjects
PATTERN formation (Biology) ,SPATIAL variation ,RECRUITMENT (Population biology) ,CORALS ,HABITATS - Abstract
Ecological patterns are created by processes acting over multiple spatial and temporal scales. By combining spatially explicit sampling with variance components models, the relative importance of spatial scale to overall variability can be determined. We used a spatially structured experimental design in the Mombasa Marine National Park in Kenya to quantify variation in coral recruitment across four spatial scales (~1-1,000 m) and to generate hypotheses about processes affecting recruitment and potential sources of post-settlement mortality during early life history. For the dominant recruiting corals ( Pocillopora spp.), variation in recruitment on surfaces protected from fish grazing was greatest at the largest spatial scale examined (1,000 m). We hypothesize that recruitment on protected surfaces varies mainly with larval delivery due to different lagoonal circulation and water flow between sites. Conversely, variation on surfaces exposed to fishes was greatest at the smallest spatial scale (1 m). We hypothesize that recruitment on exposed surfaces mainly reflects local differences in the scale and intensity of fish grazing, which may obscure larval delivery patterns. Spatial variation in recruitment can affect many ecological processes and factors, including growth, survival to maturity, the distribution of habitat, and variation in species interaction strengths. This study demonstrates how spatially explicit sampling, followed by variance components modeling to partition variance across scales, can help to identify potential drivers of patterns at each relevant scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. Many corals host thermally resistant symbionts in high-temperature habitat.
- Author
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Oliver, T. A. and Palumbi, S. R.
- Subjects
CORALS ,ACROPORA ,DINOFLAGELLATES ,RECOMBINANT DNA ,CHLOROPLAST DNA ,CORAL bleaching - Abstract
Physiologically distinct lines of dinoflagellate symbionts, Symbiodinium spp., may confer distinct thermal tolerance thresholds on their host corals. Therefore, if a coral can alternately host distinct symbionts, changes in their Symbiodinium communities might allow corals to better tolerate increasing environmental temperatures. However, researchers are currently debating how commonly coral species can host different symbiont types. We sequenced chloroplast 23 s rDNA from the Symbiodinium communities of nine reef-building coral species across two thermally distinct lagoon pools separated by ~500 m. The hotter of these pools reaches 35°C in the summer months, while the other pool's maximum temperature is 1.5°C cooler. Across 217 samples from nine species, we found a single haplotype in both Symbiodinium clades A and D, but four haplotypes in Symbiodinium clade C. Eight of nine species hosted a putatively thermally resistant member of clade D Symbiodinium at least once, one of which hosted this clade D symbiont exclusively. Of the remaining seven that hosted multiple Symbiodinium types, six species showed higher proportions of the clade D symbiont in the hotter pool. Average percentage rise in the frequency of the clade D symbiont from the hotter to cooler pool was 52% across these six species. Even though corals hosted members of both the genetically divergent clades D and C Symbiodinium, some showed patterns of host-symbiont specificity within clade C. Both Acropora species that hosted clade C exclusively hosted a member of sub-clade C2, while all three Pocillopora species hosted a member of sub-clade C1 (sensu van Oppen et al. ). Our results suggest that coral-algal symbioses often conform to particular temperature environments through changes in the identity of the algal symbiont. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. Guard crabs alleviate deleterious effects of vermetid snails on a branching coral.
- Author
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Stier, A. C., McKeon, C. S., Osenberg, C. W., and Shima, J. S.
- Subjects
CORALS ,PREDATOR management ,CRAB behavior ,SNAILS ,SYMBIOSIS ,ANIMAL behavior - Abstract
Stony corals provide important structural habitat for microbes, invertebrates, and fishes, which in some cases has led to the evolution of beneficial interactions that may protect corals from environmental factors such as thermal stress, nutrient limitation, competitors, or predators. For example, guard crabs ( Trapezia spp.) protect corals ( Pocillopora sp.) from attacks by crown-of-thorn seastar and sedimentation. Here, a field experiment demonstrates that guard crabs ( Trapezia serenei) also ameliorate the strong negative effects of the giant vermetid ( Dendropoma maximum) on growth of Pocillopora. This experiment highlights the importance of this crab-coral mutualism: guard crabs facilitate the growth of corals in stressful environments (e.g., where vermetids are abundant), thereby preserving the ecological goods and services (e.g., food and shelter) that these corals may provide to other reef-associated species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. The recovery of coral genetic diversity in the Sunda Strait following the 1883 eruption of Krakatau.
- Author
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Starger, C., Barber, P., Ambariyanto, and Baker, A.
- Subjects
CORAL reef animals ,WILDLIFE recovery ,CORAL reefs & islands ,MICROSATELLITE repeats - Abstract
Surveys of microsatellite variation show that genetic diversity has largely recovered in two reef-building corals, Pocillopora damicornis and Seriatopora hystrix (Scleractinia: Pocilloporidae), on reefs which were decimated by the eruption of the volcano Krakatau in 1883. Assignment methods and gene flow estimates indicate that the recolonization of Krakatau occurred mainly from the closest upstream reef system, Pulau Seribu, but that larval input from other regions has also occurred. This pattern is clearer in S. hystrix, which is traditionally the more dispersal-limited species. Despite these observed patterns of larval dispersal, self-recruitment appears to now be the most important factor in supplying larvae to coral populations in Krakatau. This suggests that the colonization of devastated reefs can occur quickly through larval dispersal; however, their survival requires local sources of larvae for self-recruitment. This research supports the observation that the recovery of genetic diversity in coral reef animals can occur on the order of decades and centuries rather than millennia. Conservation measures aimed at sustaining coral reef populations in Krakatau and elsewhere should include both the protection of upstream source populations for larval replenishment should disaster occur as well as the protection of large adult colonies to serve as local larval sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. Molecular identification of symbiotic dinoflagellates in Pacific corals in the genus Pocillopora.
- Author
-
Magalon, H., Flot, J.-F., and Baudry, E.
- Subjects
DINOFLAGELLATES ,SYMBIOSIS ,CORALS ,CORAL reefs & islands ,DNA ,MOLECULAR biology ,ALGAE ,CLADISTIC analysis ,BIOLOGICAL classification - Abstract
This study focused on the association between corals of the genus Pocillopora, a major constituent of Pacific reefs, and their zooxanthellae. Samples of P. meandrina, P. verrucosa, P. damicornis, P. eydouxi, P. ligulata and P. molokensis were collected from French Polynesia, Tonga, Okinawa and Hawaii. Symbiodinium diversity was explored by looking at the 28S and ITS1 regions of the ribosomal DNA. Most zooxanthellae were found to belong to clade C, sub-clade C1, with little differentiation between populations. Interestingly, individuals of P. damicornis harbored sub-clade C1, clade D and clade A, depending on location. The symbiotic association of P. damicornis with its zooxanthellae may be somewhat more flexible than those of other Pocillopora species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2007
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. Spring "bleaching" among Pocillopora in the Sea of Cortez, Eastern Pacific.
- Author
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LaJeunesse, T. C., Reyes-Bonilla, H., and Warner, M. E.
- Subjects
CORALS ,ANTHOZOA ,DINOFLAGELLATES ,FLUORESCENCE ,THERMAL stresses ,SOLAR radiation ,BAYS - Abstract
A mild bleaching event was observed among Pocillopora spp. in the southern Gulf of California in the spring of 2006. Uniform bleaching occurred in numerous colonies on the upper portions of their branches. Most (∼90%) colonies that exhibited bleaching contained a species of endosymbiotic dinoflagellate, Symbiodinium C1b-c, which differed from the Symbiodinium D1 found inhabiting most unbleached colonies. Analysis of chlorophyll fluorescence, indicated a decline in photosystem II photochemical activity, especially among colonies populated with C1b-c. By early August, most affected colonies had recovered their normal pigmentation and fluorescence values were once again high for all colonies. No mortality was observed among tagged bleached colonies nor did symbiont species composition change during recovery. This unusual episode of bleaching did not appear to be a response to thermal stress, but may have been triggered by high levels of solar radiation during a period of unseasonally high water clarity in the early spring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2007
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
32. Predation by feeding aggregations of Drupella spp. inhibits the recovery of reefs damaged by a mass bleaching event
- Author
-
Andrew W. Bruckner, Tipwimon Rattanawongwan, Kathyrn Bimson, and Georgia Coward
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Ecology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Porites ,Coral reef ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Montipora ,Astreopora ,Acropora ,Drupella ,Pocillopora ,Reef - Abstract
High densities of two corallivorous gastropods, Drupella cornus and D. rugosa, may delay the recovery of coral reefs impacted by mass bleaching events by aggregating on the remaining corals. Following severe bleaching in April/May 2016 that resulted in the loss of up to 80% of the living coral cover from reefs in South Male, Maldives, aggregations of up to 250 Drupella per coral were recorded on surviving colonies. The distribution of snails was not random; larger aggregations were seen on reefs with fewer remaining live corals and also on the largest corals. Branching, digitate and tabular corals, especially species of Acropora and Pocillopora, sustained the highest mortality from the bleaching. Remaining colonies of these taxa exhibited the highest occurrence of snails and the most extensive snail predation, although less-preferred taxa such as Montipora, Porites, Astreopora, Cyphastrea and Pachyseris were also targeted. Drupella also concentrated on broken Acropora branches and overturned colonies; on some reefs, these were the only surviving acroporids, and many of them did not bleach. Continued predation pressure from Drupella may eliminate formerly dominant corals, including genets that are resistant to higher sea water temperatures.
- Published
- 2017
33. Seaweed allelopathy to corals: are active compounds on, or in, seaweeds?
- Author
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Guilherme O. Longo and Mark E. Hay
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,biology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Coral ,Red algae ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Pocillopora verrucosa ,Algae ,Turbinaria ornata ,Botany ,Asparagopsis taxiformis ,Pocillopora ,Allelopathy - Abstract
Numerous seaweeds produce secondary metabolites that are allelopathic to corals. To date, most of the compounds identified in this interaction are lipid-soluble instead of water-soluble. Thus, understanding whether these compounds are stored internally where they would not contact corals, or occur on external surfaces where they could be transferred to corals, is critical to understanding seaweed–coral interactions and to informing realistic experiments on chemically mediated interactions. We conducted field experiments assessing the effects of lipid-soluble extracts from macroalgal surfaces alone versus total lipid-soluble extracts from both internal and external tissues on the coral Pocillopora verrucosa. Extracts of the red algae Amansia rhodantha and Asparagopsis taxiformis, the green alga Chlorodesmis fastigiata, and the brown alga Dictyota bartayresiana suppressed coral photochemical efficiency; in these bioactive species, the total lipid-soluble extracts were not more potent than surface-only extracts despite the concentration of total extracts being many times greater than surface-only extracts. This suggests that previous assays with total extracts may be ecologically meaningful, but also that future assays should be conducted with the simpler, less concentrated, and more ecologically relevant surface extracts. Allelopathic effects of As. taxiformis and C. fastigiata were significantly greater than the effect of D. bartayresiana, with effects of Am. rhodantha intermediate between these groups. Neither surface-only nor total lipid-soluble extracts of the seaweed Turbinaria ornata were allelopathic, and its lack of potency differed significantly from all other species. Our results suggest that lipid-soluble, allelopathic compounds are usually deployed on seaweed surfaces where they can be effective in surface-mediated interactions against other species.
- Published
- 2016
34. Spatial refugia mediate juvenile coral survival during coral–predator interactions
- Author
-
Christopher Doropoulos and Clare Gallagher
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,biology ,Ecology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Coral ,Butterflyfish ,Porites ,Triggerfish ,Pocillopora damicornis ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Wrasse ,Porites lobata ,Pocillopora - Abstract
Coral recruitment and juvenile growth are essential processes for coral population maintenance and recovery. A growing body of research has evaluated the influence of reef microstructure on coral settlement and post-settlement survival, showing that physical refugia enhance recruitment. These studies have evaluated coral recruit morality from competition with macroalgae and indirect predation by grazing organisms, but the impact of direct predation by corallivorous piscine species on juvenile corals and how this interacts with reef microstructure is relatively unknown. This study examined whether refugia provided by micro-crevices enhance juvenile coral survival from corallivory. Juvenile corals from two different functional groups, the slow-growing massive Porites lobata and fast-growing branching Pocillopora damicornis, with average nubbin sizes of 1.4 cm × 0.3 cm and 0.5 cm × 1.0 cm (diameter × height), respectively, were attached to experimental tiles using small (1.44 cm3) and large (8.0 cm3) crevice sizes and were monitored for 29 d on a forereef in Palau. Full crevices (four sided) enhanced coral survival compared to exposed microhabitats in both coral taxa, but crevice size did not alter survival rates. Corallivores targeted recruits within crevices regardless of crevice size; dominant predators included small triggerfish (Balistidae), butterflyfish (Chaetodon), and wrasse (Cheilinus). Overall, Pocillopora suffered much higher rates of mortality than Porites. All Pocillopora were consumed by day 8 of the experiment, but mortality was significantly delayed in full crevices compared to exposed and partial crevice (three sided) microhabitats. In contrast, Por. lobata located in all microhabitats survived the entire experiment up to 29 d, with high survival in full (>90%) and partial crevices (70%), but only 28% survival in exposed microhabitats. These findings show the importance of crevices as spatial refugia from predators for juvenile corals and highlight the importance of structural complexity for juvenile coral growth and survival that enhances reef recovery.
- Published
- 2016
35. Temporal consistency in background mortality of four dominant coral taxa along Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
- Author
-
Kristen G. Anderson, Morgan S. Pratchett, and Chiara Pisapia
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,education.field_of_study ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Ecology ,Coral bleaching ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Coral ,Porites ,Population ,Coral reef ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Montipora ,Pocillopora ,education ,Reef - Abstract
Studies on the population and community dynamics of scleractinian corals typically focus on catastrophic mortality associated with acute disturbances (e.g., coral bleaching and outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish), though corals are subject to high levels of background mortality and injuries caused by routine and chronic processes. This study quantified prevalence (proportion of colonies with injuries) and severity (areal extent of injuries on individual colonies) of background mortality and injuries for four common coral taxa (massive Porites, encrusting Montipora, Acropora hyacinthus and branching Pocillopora) on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Sampling was conducted over three consecutive years during which there were no major acute disturbances. A total of 2276 adult colonies were surveyed across 27 sites, within nine reefs and three distinct latitudinal sectors. The prevalence of injuries was very high (>83%) across all four taxa, but highest for Porites (91%) and Montipora (85%). For these taxa (Montipora and Pocillopora), there was also significant temporal and spatial variation in prevalence of partial mortality. The severity of injuries ranged from 3% to more than 80% and varied among coral taxa, but was fairly constant spatially and temporally. This shows that some injuries have considerable longevity and that corals may invest relatively little in regenerating tissue over sites of previous injuries. Inter-colony variation in the severity of injury also had no apparent effect on the realized growth of individual colonies, suggesting that energy diverted to regeneration has a limited bearing on overall energetic allocation, or impacts on other life-history processes (e.g., reproduction) rather than growth. Establishing background levels of injury and regeneration is important for understanding energy investment and life-history consequences for reef-building corals as well as for predicting susceptibility to, and capacity to recover from, acute disturbances.
- Published
- 2016
36. A fluorescence-based quantitative real-time PCR assay for accurate Pocillopora damicornis species identification
- Author
-
Michael Stat, Richard D. Evans, W. Jason Kennington, and Luke Thomas
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Sanger sequencing ,Phenotypic plasticity ,Species complex ,biology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Pocillopora damicornis ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Gene flow ,symbols.namesake ,Evolutionary biology ,Genotype ,Botany ,symbols ,Biological dispersal ,Pocillopora - Abstract
Pocillopora damicornis is one of the most extensively studied coral species globally, but high levels of phenotypic plasticity within the genus make species identification based on morphology alone unreliable. As a result, there is a compelling need to develop cheap and time-effective molecular techniques capable of accurately distinguishing P. damicornis from other congeneric species. Here, we develop a fluorescence-based quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay to genotype a single nucleotide polymorphism that accurately distinguishes P. damicornis from other morphologically similar Pocillopora species. We trial the assay across colonies representing multiple Pocillopora species and then apply the assay to screen samples of Pocillopora spp. collected at regional scales along the coastline of Western Australia. This assay offers a cheap and time-effective alternative to Sanger sequencing and has broad applications including studies on gene flow, dispersal, recruitment and physiological thresholds of P. damicornis.
- Published
- 2016
37. An Indo-West Pacific ‘zooxanthella’ invasive to the western Atlantic finds its way to the Eastern Pacific via an introduced Caribbean coral
- Author
-
Todd C. LaJeunesse, Zac H. Forsman, and Drew C. Wham
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,0301 basic medicine ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Ecology ,Coral ,fungi ,Endangered species ,Introduced species ,biochemical phenomena, metabolism, and nutrition ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,03 medical and health sciences ,Symbiodinium ,030104 developmental biology ,Biological dispersal ,14. Life underwater ,Pocillopora ,Clade ,Reef - Abstract
Phylogenetic evidence indicates that Siderastrea glynni, a species of coral thought to be endemic to the Eastern Pacific, is actually more likely to be Si. siderea introduced from the Atlantic. Our analyses of the endosymbionts of Si. glynni (Symbiodinium) substantiate this as an introduced species; attempts to conserve and list Si. glynni as an endangered species are probably unwarranted. The specimens we examined harbored Symbiodinium trenchii and some also contained Sy. goreaui, symbionts that occur with Si. siderea in the Atlantic. Moreover, the genotype of Sy. trenchii (a single strain defined by ten diallelic microsatellite loci) was genetically distinct from genotypes of Sy. ‘glynni,’ also in Clade D, found abundantly in colonies of Pocillopora throughout the region. Furthermore, the strain of Sy. trenchii grouped with genotypes from the Greater Caribbean, an inbred population that was recently introduced from the Indo-West Pacific. This secondary introduction suggests that strains of Caribbean Sy. trenchii are capable of dispersal into new reef coral communities where this symbiont does not presently exist.
- Published
- 2015
38. Live coral cover may provide resilience to damage from the vermetid gastropod Dendropoma maximum by preventing larval settlement
- Author
-
Craig W. Osenberg, Jeffrey S. Shima, and Nicole E. Phillips
- Subjects
geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Ecology ,Coral ,fungi ,technology, industry, and agriculture ,social sciences ,Coral reef ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,Substrate (marine biology) ,Fishery ,population characteristics ,Porites lobata ,Quadrat ,Pocillopora ,Aquaculture of coral ,Reef ,geographic locations - Abstract
Dendropoma maximum is a vermetid gastropod (a sessile tube-forming snail) commonly associated with living corals throughout shallow-water reefs of the Indo- Pacific. Recent work suggests that, once established, this species can adversely affect growth and survival of corals. Here, we test the hypotheses that disturbances to live coral substrates (e.g., creation of bare patches) facilitate suc- cessful larval settlement and subsequent population growth of D. maximum, and conversely, that live coral inhibits D. maximum settlement. In the shallow lagoon of Moorea, French Polynesia, we selected patch reefs where D. maxi- mum was either present or absent (to evaluate potential effects of resident adult conspecifics on recruitment) and established focal quadrats on each reef. In each quadrat, we either experimentally removed 50 % of live coral cover or left the quadrat with 100 % live coral cover. In addition, we deployed units of bare substrate (coral rubble) to each reef. We conducted a census of deployed substrates and quadrats after 6 months and found that D. maximum settled irrespective of resident vermetid populations, and only onto nonliving surfaces (i.e., cleared patches in quadrats, coral rubble, and marine epoxy). In laboratory experiments, we exposed larvae of D. maximum to live coral and found species-specific effects on survival of D. maximum larvae. Porites lobata and Pocillopora sp. killed larvae of D. maximum, Porites rus caused weaker mortality, and Millepora sp. had no effect on larval survival. Collectively, these results suggest that D. maximum requires distur- bances that create bare patches to successfully settle onto reefs, and that a high cover of living corals contributes resilience to reefs by limiting settlement opportunities of a species known to reduce coral growth and survival.
- Published
- 2014
39. Fish corallivory on a pocilloporid reef and experimental coral responses to predation
- Author
-
Fernando A. Zapata, Maria M. Palacios, and Carlos Munoz
- Subjects
education.field_of_study ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Tropical Eastern Pacific ,Ecology ,Coral ,fungi ,Population ,biology.animal_breed ,Arothron ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,Predation ,Pocillopora ,education ,Reef ,Guineafowl - Abstract
This study examined the effects of the Guineafowl pufferfish (Arothron meleagris), a major corallivore in the Eastern Pacific, on pocilloporid corals on a reef at Gorgona Island, Colombia. Pufferfish occurred at a density of 171.2 individuals ha−1 and fed at a rate of 1.8 bites min−1, which produced a standing bite density of 366.2 bites m−2. We estimate that approximately 15.6 % of the annual pocilloporid carbonate production is removed by the pufferfish population. Examination of the predation effect on individual pocilloporid colonies revealed that although nubbins exposed to corallivory had lower linear growth, they gained similar weight and became thicker than those protected from it. Additionally, colonies with simulated predation injuries (on up to 75 % of branch tips) healed successfully and maintained growth rates similar to those of uninjured colonies. Despite the high corallivore pressure exerted by pufferfish on this reef, we conclude that they have a low destructive impact on Pocillopora colonies as corals can maintain their carbonate production rate while effectively recovering from partial predation. Due to its influence on colony morphology, pufferfish predation may increase environmentally induced morphological variability in Pocillopora.
- Published
- 2014
40. Flexible associations between Pocillopora corals and Symbiodinium limit utility of symbiosis ecology in defining species
- Author
-
Peter W. Glynn, Andrew C. Baker, and Ross Cunning
- Subjects
Systematics ,Host (biology) ,Range (biology) ,Ecology ,fungi ,biochemical phenomena, metabolism, and nutrition ,Aquatic Science ,Biology ,biology.organism_classification ,Symbiodinium ,Symbiosis ,Genus ,Pocillopora ,Clade - Abstract
Corals in the genus Pocillopora are the primary framework builders of eastern tropical Pacific (ETP) reefs. These corals typically associate with algal symbionts (genus Symbiodinium) in clade C and/or D, with clade D associations having greater thermal tolerance and resistance to bleaching. Recently, cryptic "species" delineations within both Pocillopora and Symbiodinium have been suggested, with host–symbiont specificity used as a supporting taxonomic character in both genera. In particular, it has been suggested that three lineages of Pocillopora (types 1–3) exist in the ETP, of which type 1 is the exclusive host of heat-tolerant Symbiodinium D1. This host specificity has been used to support the species name "Symbiodinium glynni" for this symbiont. To validate these host–symbiont relationships and their taxonomic utility, we identified Pocillopora types and their associated Symbiodinium at three sites in the ETP. We found greater flexibility in host–symbiont combinations than previously reported, with both Pocillopora types 1 and 3 able to host and be dominated by Symbiodinium in clade C or D. The prevalence of certain combinations did vary among sites, showing that a gradient of specificity exists which may be mediated by evolutionary relationships and environmental disturbance history. However, these results limit the utility of apparent host–symbiont specificity (which may have been a result of undersampling) in defining species boundaries in either corals or Symbiodinium. They also suggest that a greater diversity of corals may benefit from the thermal tolerance of clade D symbionts, affirming the need to conserve Pocillopora across its entire geographic and environmental range.
- Published
- 2013
41. Contrasting clonal structure among Pocillopora (Scleractinia) communities at two environmentally distinct sites in the Gulf of California
- Author
-
Todd C. LaJeunesse, Jorge H. Pinzón, Iliana B. Baums, and Héctor Reyes-Bonilla
- Subjects
geography ,education.field_of_study ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Ecology ,Population ,Scleractinia ,Asexual reproduction ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,Habitat ,Abundance (ecology) ,Pocillopora ,education ,Reef ,Bay - Abstract
The contributions of sexual versus asexual reproduction are thought to play an important role in the abundance and ecological success of corals, especially in marginal habitats. Pocillopora corals are distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific and dominate shallow hard-bottom communities in the eastern Pacific where broad seasonal fluctuations in temperature and water turbidity create suboptimal conditions for reef community development. Previous work had revealed three genetic clades in the eastern Pacific that show little correspondence with colony morphology; the broad distribution of type 1 extends into the subtropical southern Gulf of California. Here we examine genetic and clonal structure of two type 1 communities separated by 10 km with microsatellite data. Samples were collected randomly in six 10 m radius circular plots (20 colonies per plot, 3 plots per site). Sites differed in their relative clonality because clonemates (ramets) from a single clone (genet) dominated a large portion (90.9 m long) of the protected leeward side of Gaviota Island (Number of genets/Number of samples = 0.35; observed Genotypic diversity/expected Genotypic diversity = 0.087), while an exposed community at the entrance to La Paz Bay, Punta Galeras, exhibited high genotypic diversity (Ng/N = 0.85; Go/Ge = 0.714). Gene flow was unrestricted between sites indicating these communities comprised a single population. The relative proportion of asexual colonies found between community aggregations of Pocillopora in the Gulf of California differed significantly and suggests factors at local, not regional, scales affect these patterns. The possibility that heterogeneity in clonal structure is common throughout the eastern Pacific and across the west Indo-Pacific requires further study. Finally, since morphological variation in Pocillopora has been underappreciated and is in need of taxonomic revision, the use of a consistent field-sampling protocol and high-resolution makers will advance ecological research and aid in the conservation of these corals.
- Published
- 2012
42. Using hierarchical sampling to understand scales of spatial variation in early coral recruitment
- Author
-
Jennifer K. O'Leary and Donald C. Potts
- Subjects
biology ,Habitat ,Ecology ,Water flow ,Coral ,Spatial ecology ,Sampling (statistics) ,Spatial variability ,Aquatic Science ,Pocillopora ,biology.organism_classification ,Temporal scales - Abstract
Ecological patterns are created by processes acting over multiple spatial and temporal scales. By com- bining spatially explicit sampling with variance compo- nents models, the relative importance of spatial scale to overall variability can be determined. We used a spatially structured experimental design in the Mombasa Marine National Park in Kenya to quantify variation in coral recruitment across four spatial scales (*1-1,000 m) and to generate hypotheses about processes affecting recruitment and potential sources of post-settlement mortality during early life history. For the dominant recruiting corals (Pocillopora spp.), variation in recruitment on surfaces protected from fish grazing was greatest at the largest spatial scale examined (1,000 m). We hypothesize that recruitment on protected surfaces varies mainly with larval delivery due to different lagoonal circulation and water flow between sites. Conversely, variation on surfaces exposed to fishes was greatest at the smallest spatial scale (1 m). We hypothesize that recruitment on exposed sur- faces mainly reflects local differences in the scale and intensity of fish grazing, which may obscure larval delivery patterns. Spatial variation in recruitment can affect many ecological processes and factors, including growth, sur- vival to maturity, the distribution of habitat, and variation in species interaction strengths. This study demonstrates how spatially explicit sampling, followed by variance components modeling to partition variance across scales, can help to identify potential drivers of patterns at each relevant scale.
- Published
- 2011
43. Many corals host thermally resistant symbionts in high-temperature habitat
- Author
-
Thomas A. Oliver and Stephen R. Palumbi
- Subjects
Ecology ,Coral ,fungi ,food and beverages ,Scleractinia ,biochemical phenomena, metabolism, and nutrition ,Aquatic Science ,Biology ,biology.organism_classification ,Platygyra ,Symbiodinium ,Acropora ,Pocillopora ,Clade ,Coelenterata - Abstract
Physiologically distinct lines of dinoflagellate symbionts, Symbiodinium spp., may confer distinct thermal tolerance thresholds on their host corals. Therefore, if a coral can alternately host distinct symbionts, changes in their Symbiodinium communities might allow corals to better tolerate increasing environmental temperatures. However, researchers are currently debating how commonly coral species can host different symbiont types. We sequenced chloroplast 23 s rDNA from the Symbiodinium communities of nine reef-building coral species across two thermally distinct lagoon pools separated by ~500 m. The hotter of these pools reaches 35°C in the summer months, while the other pool’s maximum temperature is 1.5°C cooler. Across 217 samples from nine species, we found a single haplotype in both Symbiodinium clades A and D, but four haplotypes in Symbiodinium clade C. Eight of nine species hosted a putatively thermally resistant member of clade D Symbiodinium at least once, one of which hosted this clade D symbiont exclusively. Of the remaining seven that hosted multiple Symbiodinium types, six species showed higher proportions of the clade D symbiont in the hotter pool. Average percentage rise in the frequency of the clade D symbiont from the hotter to cooler pool was 52% across these six species. Even though corals hosted members of both the genetically divergent clades D and C Symbiodinium, some showed patterns of host–symbiont specificity within clade C. Both Acropora species that hosted clade C exclusively hosted a member of sub-clade C2, while all three Pocillopora species hosted a member of sub-clade C1 (sensu van Oppen et al. 2001). Our results suggest that coral–algal symbioses often conform to particular temperature environments through changes in the identity of the algal symbiont.
- Published
- 2010
44. Guard crabs alleviate deleterious effects of vermetid snails on a branching coral
- Author
-
Jeffrey S. Shima, Adrian C. Stier, C. S. McKeon, and Craig W. Osenberg
- Subjects
Cnidaria ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Ecology ,Decapoda ,Coral ,Coral reef ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,Pocillopora ,Coelenterata ,Trapezia ,Invertebrate - Abstract
Stony corals provide important structural habitat for microbes, invertebrates, and fishes, which in some cases has led to the evolution of beneficial interactions that may protect corals from environmental factors such as thermal stress, nutrient limitation, competitors, or predators. For example, guard crabs (Trapezia spp.) protect corals (Pocillopora sp.) from attacks by crown-of-thorn seastar and sedimentation. Here, a field experiment demonstrates that guard crabs (Trapezia serenei) also ameliorate the strong negative effects of the giant vermetid (Dendropoma maximum) on growth of Pocillopora. This experiment highlights the importance of this crab-coral mutualism: guard crabs facilitate the growth of corals in stressful environments (e.g., where vermetids are abundant), thereby preserving the ecological goods and services (e.g., food and shelter) that these corals may provide to other reef-associated species.
- Published
- 2010
45. Organic matter release by dominant hermatypic corals of the Northern Red Sea
- Author
-
Christoph Mayr, Christian Wild, Andreas F. Haas, Ulrich Struck, Malik S. Naumann, and Mohammad el-Zibdah
- Subjects
chemistry.chemical_classification ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Coral ,Hermatypic coral ,Coral reef ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,Fire coral ,chemistry ,Environmental chemistry ,Botany ,Dissolved organic carbon ,Acropora ,Organic matter ,Pocillopora - Abstract
Particulate organic matter (POM) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) release by six dominant hermatypic coral genera (Acropora, Fungia, Goniastrea, Millepora, Pocillopora and Stylophora) were measured under undisturbed conditions by laboratory incubations during four seasonal expeditions to the Northern Red Sea. In addition, the influence of environmental factors (water temperature, light availability and ambient inorganic nutrient concentrations) was evaluated. Particulate organic carbon (POC) and particulate nitrogen (PN) release were always detectable and genus-specific, with Stylophora releasing most POM (6.5 mg POC and 0.5 mg PN m−2 coral surface area h−1) during all seasons. The fire coral Millepora released significantly less POM (0.3 mg POC and 0.04 mg PN m−2 coral surface area h−1) than all investigated anthozoan genera. The average POC:PN ratio of POM released by all coral genera was 12 ± 1, indicating high carbon/low nitrogen content of coral-derived organic matter. POM release showed little seasonal variation, but average values of POC and PN release rates correlated with water temperature, light availability and ambient nitrate concentrations. DOC net release and elevated DOC:POC ratios were detectable for Acropora, Goniastrea and Millepora, revealing maximum values for Acropora (30.7 mg DOC m−2 coral surface area h−1), whilst predominant DOC uptake was observed for Pocillopora, Fungia and Stylophora. Depth-mediated light availability influenced DOC fluxes of Acropora and Fungia, while fluctuations in water temperature and ambient inorganic nutrient concentrations showed no correlation. These comprehensive data provide an important basis for the understanding of coral reef organic matter dynamics and relevant environmental factors.
- Published
- 2010
46. The recovery of coral genetic diversity in the Sunda Strait following the 1883 eruption of Krakatau
- Author
-
Andrew C. Baker, Paul H. Barber, Ambariyanto, and Craig J. Starger
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Freshwater & Marine Ecology ,food.ingredient ,Coral reef fish ,ved/biology.organism_classification_rank.species ,Pocilloporidae ,Pocillopora damicornis ,Aquatic Science ,Oceanography ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,food ,Recovery ,Pocillopora ,14. Life underwater ,Seriatopora ,Volcano ,Seriatopora hystrix ,Reef ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,ved/biology ,Ecology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,fungi ,technology, industry, and agriculture ,Life Sciences ,Microsatellite ,Dispersal ,social sciences ,Coral reef ,biology.organism_classification ,population characteristics ,geographic locations - Abstract
Surveys of microsatellite variation show that genetic diversity has largely recovered in two reef-building corals, Pocillopora damicornis and Seriatopora hystrix (Scleractinia: Pocilloporidae), on reefs which were decimated by the eruption of the volcano Krakatau in 1883. Assignment methods and gene flow estimates indicate that the recolonization of Krakatau occurred mainly from the closest upstream reef system, Pulau Seribu, but that larval input from other regions has also occurred. This pattern is clearer in S. hystrix, which is traditionally the more dispersal-limited species. Despite these observed patterns of larval dispersal, self-recruitment appears to now be the most important factor in supplying larvae to coral populations in Krakatau. This suggests that the colonization of devastated reefs can occur quickly through larval dispersal; however, their survival requires local sources of larvae for self-recruitment. This research supports the observation that the recovery of genetic diversity in coral reef animals can occur on the order of decades and centuries rather than millennia. Conservation measures aimed at sustaining coral reef populations in Krakatau and elsewhere should include both the protection of upstream source populations for larval replenishment should disaster occur as well as the protection of large adult colonies to serve as local larval sources.
- Published
- 2010
47. An alternative to ITS, a hypervariable, single-copy nuclear intron in corals, and its use in detecting cryptic species within the octocoral genus Carijoa
- Author
-
Samuel E. Kahng, D. Wagner, Gregory T. Concepcion, Marc W. Crepeau, and Robert J. Toonen
- Subjects
Mitochondrial DNA ,Species complex ,Nuclear gene ,biology ,ved/biology ,Ecology ,ved/biology.organism_classification_rank.species ,Locus (genetics) ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,Analysis of molecular variance ,Carijoa riisei ,Evolutionary biology ,Pocillopora ,Gene - Abstract
Here we report a highly variable nuclear marker that can be used for both soft and stony corals. Primers that amplify a ∼177 bp fragment from the nuclear gene encoding the 54 kDa subunit of the signal recognition particle (SRP54) were developed for the octocoral genus Carijoa. Cloning results from 141 individuals suggest that this hypervariable nuclear locus is a single-copy gene. Sequencing revealed a potential cryptic species previously thought to be Carijoa riisei. Results from an Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) explained 33% of the variation (Fst = 0.54). Using previously reported degenerate primers for SRP54, high levels of sequence variation were found at this locus across both scleractinian and octocorals. For example, pairwise sequence divergence within octocorals was ∼8–13 times greater with SRP54 than with mtDNA, and, up to 2.8% pairwise sequence divergence was found in SRP54 among individuals of Pocillopora whereas no variation at all was found in mtDNA markers. This case study with the octocoral C. riisei shows that variation in SRP54 appears sufficient to address questions of phylogeography as well as systematics of closely related species.
- Published
- 2007
48. Spring 'bleaching' among Pocillopora in the Sea of Cortez, Eastern Pacific
- Author
-
Mark E. Warner, Todd C. LaJeunesse, and Héctor Reyes-Bonilla
- Subjects
Cnidaria ,biology ,Ecology ,Coral bleaching ,Dinoflagellate ,Zoology ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,Symbiodinium ,Algae ,sense organs ,Pocillopora ,Coelenterata ,Chlorophyll fluorescence - Abstract
A mild bleaching event was observed among Pocillopora spp. in the southern Gulf of California in the spring of 2006. Uniform bleaching occurred in numerous colonies on the upper portions of their branches. Most (∼90%) colonies that exhibited bleaching contained a species of endosymbiotic dinoflagellate, Symbiodinium C1b-c, which differed from the Symbiodinium D1 found inhabiting most unbleached colonies. Analysis of chlorophyll fluorescence, indicated a decline in photosystem II photochemical activity, especially among colonies populated with C1b-c. By early August, most affected colonies had recovered their normal pigmentation and fluorescence values were once again high for all colonies. No mortality was observed among tagged bleached colonies nor did symbiont species composition change during recovery. This unusual episode of bleaching did not appear to be a response to thermal stress, but may have been triggered by high levels of solar radiation during a period of unseasonally high water clarity in the early spring.
- Published
- 2007
49. Asexual reproduction does not produce clonal populations of the brooding coral Pocillopora damicornis on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia
- Author
-
Karen Miller, David J. Ayre, and Craig D. H. Sherman
- Subjects
Cnidaria ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Range (biology) ,Ecology ,Coral ,fungi ,Asexual reproduction ,Pocillopora damicornis ,Coral reef ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,Pocillopora ,Reef - Abstract
We have investigated the relationship between genotypic diversity, the mode of production of brooded larvae and disturbance in a range of reef habitats, in order to resolve the disparity between the reproductive mode and population structure reported for the brooding coral Pocillopora damicornis. Within 14 sites across six habitats, the ratio of the observed (G o) to the expected (G e) genotypic diversity ranged from 69 to 100% of that expected for random mating. At three other sites in two habitats the G o /G e ranged from 35 to 53%. Two of these sites were recently bleached, suggesting that asexual recruitment may be favoured after disturbance. Nevertheless, our data suggest that brooded larvae, from each of five habitats surveyed, were asexually produced. While clonal recruitment may be important in disturbed habitats, the lack of clonality detected, both in this and earlier surveys of 40 other sites, implies that a disturbance is normally insufficient to explain this species’ continued investment in clonal reproduction.
- Published
- 2005
50. A model for wave control on coral breakage and species distribution in the Hawaiian Islands
- Author
-
Ku’ulei S. Rodgers, Michael E. Field, Paul L. Jokiel, E. K. Brown, and Curt D. Storlazzi
- Subjects
geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,biology ,Coral ,Fringing reef ,Species distribution ,Porites ,Coral reef ,Aquatic Science ,biology.organism_classification ,Montipora ,Paleontology ,Oceanography ,Pocillopora ,Reef - Abstract
The fringing reef off southern Molokai, Hawaii, is currently being studied as part of a multi-disciplinary project led by the US Geological Survey. As part of this study, modeling and field observations were utilized to help understand the physical controls on reef morphol- ogy and the distribution of different coral species. A model was developed that calculates wave-induced hydrodynamic forces on corals of a specific form and mechanical strength. From these calculations, the wave conditions under which specific species of corals would either be stable or would break due to the imposed wave- induced forces were determined. By combining this hydrodynamic force-balance model with various wave model output for different oceanographic conditions experienced in the study area, we were able to map the locations where specific coral species should be stable (not subject to frequent breakage) in the study area. The combined model output was then compared with data on coral species distribution and coral cover at 12 sites along Molokai's south shore. Observations and model- ing suggest that the transition from one coral species to another may occur when the ratio of the coral colony's mechanical strengths to the applied (wave-induced) forces may be as great as 5:1, and not less than 1:1 when corals would break. This implies that coral colony's mechanical strength and wave-induced forces may be important in defining gross coral community structure over large (orders of 10's of meters) spatial scales.
- Published
- 2004
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