1
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Quigley KM, Baird AH. Future climate warming threatens coral reef function on World Heritage reefs. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17407. [PMID: 39011806 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Climate change is the most significant threat to natural World Heritage (WH) sites, especially in the oceans. Warming has devastated marine faunas, including reef corals, kelp, and seagrass. Here, we project future declines in species and ecosystem functions across Australia's four WH coral reef regions. Model simulations estimating species-level abundances and probabilities of ecological persistence were combined with trait space reconstructions at "present," 2050 (+1.5°C of warming), and 2100 (+2°C) to explore biogeographical overlaps and identify key functional differences and forecast changes in function through time. Future climates varied by region, with Shark Bay projected to warm the most (>1.29°C), followed by Lord Howe, when standardized to marine park size. By 2050, ~40% of the Great Barrier Reef will exceed critical thresholds set by the warmest summer month (mean monthly maximum [MMM]), triggering mortality. Functional diversity was greatest at Ningaloo. At +1.5°C of warming, species and regions varied drastically in their functional responses, declined 20.2% in species richness (~70 extinctions) and lost functions across all reefs. At +2°C, models predicted a complete collapse of functions, consistent with IPCC forecasts. This variability suggests a bespoke management approach is needed for each region and is critical for understanding WH vulnerability to climate change, identifying thresholds, and quantifying uncertainty of impacts. This knowledge will aid in focusing management, policy and conservation actions to direct resources, rapid action, and set biodiversity targets for these reefs of global priority. As reefs reassemble into novel or different configurations, determining the winners and losers of functional space will be critical for meeting global landmark biodiversity goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate M Quigley
- Minderoo Foundation, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Andrew H Baird
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
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2
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Goodbody-Gringley G, Martinez S, Bellworthy J, Chequer A, Nativ H, Mass T. Irradiance driven trophic plasticity in the coral Madracis pharensis from the Eastern Mediterranean. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3646. [PMID: 38351312 PMCID: PMC10864392 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54217-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The distribution of symbiotic scleractinian corals is driven, in part, by light availability, as host energy demands are partially met through translocation of photosynthate. Physiological plasticity in response to environmental conditions, such as light, enables the expansion of resilient phenotypes in the face of changing environmental conditions. Here we compared the physiology, morphology, and taxonomy of the host and endosymbionts of individual Madracis pharensis corals exposed to dramatically different light conditions based on colony orientation on the surface of a shipwreck at 30 m depth in the Bay of Haifa, Israel. We found significant differences in symbiont species consortia, photophysiology, and stable isotopes, suggesting that these corals can adjust multiple aspects of host and symbiont physiology in response to light availability. These results highlight the potential of corals to switch to a predominantly heterotrophic diet when light availability and/or symbiont densities are too low to sustain sufficient photosynthesis, which may provide resilience for corals in the face of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephane Martinez
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, Morris Kahn Marine Research Station, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Jessica Bellworthy
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, Morris Kahn Marine Research Station, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Alex Chequer
- Reef Ecology and Evolution, Central Caribbean Marine Institute, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands
| | - Hagai Nativ
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, Morris Kahn Marine Research Station, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Tali Mass
- Department of Marine Biology, Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, Morris Kahn Marine Research Station, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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3
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Matthews JL, Ueland M, Bartels N, Lawson CA, Lockwood TE, Wu Y, Camp EF. Multi-Chemical Omics Analysis of the Symbiodiniaceae Durusdinium trenchii under Heat Stress. Microorganisms 2024; 12:317. [PMID: 38399721 PMCID: PMC10893086 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12020317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The urgency of responding to climate change for corals necessitates the exploration of innovative methods to swiftly enhance our understanding of crucial processes. In this study, we employ an integrated chemical omics approach, combining elementomics, metabolomics, and volatilomics methodologies to unravel the biochemical pathways associated with the thermal response of the coral symbiont, Symbiodiniaceae Durusdinium trenchii. We outline the complimentary sampling approaches and discuss the standardised data corrections used to allow data integration and comparability. Our findings highlight the efficacy of individual methods in discerning differences in the biochemical response of D. trenchii under both control and stress-inducing temperatures. However, a deeper insight emerges when these methods are integrated, offering a more comprehensive understanding, particularly regarding oxidative stress pathways. Employing correlation network analysis enhanced the interpretation of volatile data, shedding light on the potential metabolic origins of volatiles with undescribed functions and presenting promising candidates for further exploration. Elementomics proves to be less straightforward to integrate, likely due to no net change in elements but rather elements being repurposed across compounds. The independent and integrated data from this study informs future omic profiling studies and recommends candidates for targeted research beyond Symbiodiniaceae biology. This study highlights the pivotal role of omic integration in advancing our knowledge, addressing critical gaps, and guiding future research directions in the context of climate change and coral reef preservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Matthews
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Maiken Ueland
- Centre for Forensic Sciences, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
- Hyphenated Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Natasha Bartels
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Caitlin A. Lawson
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, NSW 2258, Australia
| | - Thomas E. Lockwood
- Hyphenated Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Yida Wu
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Emma F. Camp
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
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4
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Teixidó N, Carlot J, Alliouane S, Ballesteros E, De Vittor C, Gambi MC, Gattuso JP, Kroeker K, Micheli F, Mirasole A, Parravacini V, Villéger S. Functional changes across marine habitats due to ocean acidification. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17105. [PMID: 38273554 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Global environmental change drives diversity loss and shifts in community structure. A key challenge is to better understand the impacts on ecosystem function and to connect species and trait diversity of assemblages with ecosystem properties that are in turn linked to ecosystem functioning. Here we quantify shifts in species composition and trait diversity associated with ocean acidification (OA) by using field measurements at marine CO2 vent systems spanning four reef habitats across different depths in a temperate coastal ecosystem. We find that both species and trait diversity decreased, and that ecosystem properties (understood as the interplay between species, traits, and ecosystem function) shifted with acidification. Furthermore, shifts in trait categories such as autotrophs, filter feeders, herbivores, and habitat-forming species were habitat-specific, indicating that OA may produce divergent responses across habitats and depths. Combined, these findings reveal the importance of connecting species and trait diversity of marine benthic habitats with key ecosystem properties to anticipate the impacts of global environmental change. Our results also generate new insights on the predicted general and habitat-specific ecological consequences of OA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Núria Teixidó
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, Ischia Marine Center, Naples, Italy
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Jérémy Carlot
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | - Samir Alliouane
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
| | | | - Cinzia De Vittor
- National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics-OGS, Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Jean-Pierre Gattuso
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
- Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations, Sciences Po, Paris, France
| | - Kristy Kroeker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Fiorenza Micheli
- Oceans Department, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, California, USA
- Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions, Pacific Grove, California, USA
| | - Alice Mirasole
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, National Institute of Marine Biology, Ecology and Biotechnology, Ischia Marine Center, Naples, Italy
| | - Valeriano Parravacini
- PSL Université Paris: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Université de Perpignan, Perpignan, France
| | - Sébastien Villéger
- MARBEC, Université de Montpellier, CNRS-IRD-IFREMER-UM, Montpellier, France
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5
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Ip YCA, Chang JJM, Tun KPP, Meier R, Huang D. Multispecies environmental DNA metabarcoding sheds light on annual coral spawning events. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:6474-6488. [PMID: 35852023 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Synchronous multispecific coral spawning generally occurs annually and forms an integral part of the coral life cycle. Apart from spawning times and species participation, however, much else remains unknown. Here, we applied environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding to study two tropical reef sites of contrasting coral cover before, during and after coral spawning. Using coral-ITS2 and vertebrate-12S markers, we evaluated eDNA as an alternative monitoring tool by assessing its capabilities in detecting spawning species and tracking relative abundances of coral and fish eDNA. Over 3 years, elevated eDNA coral signals during the event (proportional read increase of up to five-fold) were observed, detecting a total of 38 coral and 133 fish species with all but one of the coral species visually observed to be spawning. This is also the first demonstration that eDNA metabarcoding can be used to infer the diurnal partitioning of night- and day-time spawning, spawning in coral species overlooked by visual surveys, and the associated changes in fish trophic structures as an indicator of spawning events. Our study paves the way for applied quantitative eDNA metabarcoding approaches to better study ephemeral and important biological events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Cheong Aden Ip
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jia Jin Marc Chang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Rudolf Meier
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Danwei Huang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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6
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Cant J, Reimer JD, Sommer B, Cook KM, Kim SW, Sims CA, Mezaki T, O'Flaherty C, Brooks M, Malcolm HA, Pandolfi JM, Salguero‐Gómez R, Beger M. Coral assemblages at higher latitudes favor short-term potential over long-term performance. Ecology 2023; 104:e4138. [PMID: 37458125 PMCID: PMC10909567 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The persistent exposure of coral assemblages to more variable abiotic regimes is assumed to augment their resilience to future climatic variability. Yet, while the determinants of coral population resilience across species remain unknown, we are unable to predict the winners and losers across reef ecosystems exposed to increasingly variable conditions. Using annual surveys of 3171 coral individuals across Australia and Japan (2016-2019), we explore spatial variation across the short- and long-term dynamics of competitive, stress-tolerant, and weedy assemblages to evaluate how abiotic variability mediates the structural composition of coral assemblages. We illustrate how, by promoting short-term potential over long-term performance, coral assemblages can reduce their vulnerability to stochastic environments. However, compared to stress-tolerant, and weedy assemblages, competitive coral taxa display a reduced capacity for elevating their short-term potential. Accordingly, future climatic shifts threaten the structural complexity of coral assemblages in variable environments, emulating the degradation expected across global tropical reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Cant
- Centre for Biological DiversityUniversity of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUK
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - James D. Reimer
- Molecular Invertebrate Systematics and Ecology LaboratoryGraduate School of Engineering and Science, University of the RyukyusNishiharaJapan
- Tropical Biosphere Research CentreUniversity of the RyukyusNishiharaJapan
| | - Brigitte Sommer
- School of Life and Environmental ScienceThe University of SydneyCamperdownNew South WalesAustralia
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of Technology SydneyUltimoNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Katie M. Cook
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric ResearchHamiltonNew Zealand
| | - Sun W. Kim
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, School of Biological SciencesThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | - Carrie A. Sims
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanama CityRepublic of Panama
| | - Takuma Mezaki
- Kuroshio Biological Research Foundation, Nishidomari, Otsuki‐choKochiJapan
| | | | - Maxime Brooks
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - Hamish A. Malcolm
- Fisheries Research, Department of Primary IndustriesCoffs HarbourNew South WalesAustralia
| | - John M. Pandolfi
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, School of Biological SciencesThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | - Roberto Salguero‐Gómez
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
- Max Planck Institute for Demographic ResearchRostockGermany
| | - Maria Beger
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
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7
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Leiva C, Pérez-Portela R, Lemer S. Genomic signatures suggesting adaptation to ocean acidification in a coral holobiont from volcanic CO 2 seeps. Commun Biol 2023; 6:769. [PMID: 37481685 PMCID: PMC10363134 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05103-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Ocean acidification, caused by anthropogenic CO2 emissions, is predicted to have major consequences for reef-building corals, jeopardizing the scaffolding of the most biodiverse marine habitats. However, whether corals can adapt to ocean acidification and how remains unclear. We addressed these questions by re-examining transcriptome and genome data of Acropora millepora coral holobionts from volcanic CO2 seeps with end-of-century pH levels. We show that adaptation to ocean acidification is a wholistic process involving the three main compartments of the coral holobiont. We identified 441 coral host candidate adaptive genes involved in calcification, response to acidification, and symbiosis; population genetic differentiation in dinoflagellate photosymbionts; and consistent transcriptional microbiome activity despite microbial community shifts. Coral holobionts from natural analogues to future ocean conditions harbor beneficial genetic variants with far-reaching rapid adaptation potential. In the face of climate change, these populations require immediate conservation strategies as they could become key to coral reef survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Leiva
- University of Guam Marine Laboratory, 303 University Drive, 96923, Mangilao, Guam, USA.
| | - Rocío Pérez-Portela
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sarah Lemer
- University of Guam Marine Laboratory, 303 University Drive, 96923, Mangilao, Guam, USA
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8
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Kim SW, Sommer B, Beger M, Pandolfi JM. Regional and global climate risks for reef corals: Incorporating species-specific vulnerability and exposure to climate hazards. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:4140-4151. [PMID: 37148129 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is driving rapid and widespread erosion of the environmental conditions that formerly supported species persistence. Existing projections of climate change typically focus on forecasts of acute environmental anomalies and global extinction risks. The current projections also frequently consider all species within a broad taxonomic group together without differentiating species-specific patterns. Consequently, we still know little about the explicit dimensions of climate risk (i.e., species-specific vulnerability, exposure and hazard) that are vital for predicting future biodiversity responses (e.g., adaptation, migration) and developing management and conservation strategies. Here, we use reef corals as model organisms (n = 741 species) to project the extent of regional and global climate risks of marine organisms into the future. We characterise species-specific vulnerability based on the global geographic range and historical environmental conditions (1900-1994) of each coral species within their ranges, and quantify the projected exposure to climate hazard beyond the historical conditions as climate risk. We show that many coral species will experience a complete loss of pre-modern climate analogs at the regional scale and across their entire distributional ranges, and such exposure to hazardous conditions are predicted to pose substantial regional and global climate risks to reef corals. Although high-latitude regions may provide climate refugia for some tropical corals until the mid-21st century, they will not become a universal haven for all corals. Notably, high-latitude specialists and species with small geographic ranges remain particularly vulnerable as they tend to possess limited capacities to avoid climate risks (e.g., via adaptive and migratory responses). Predicted climate risks are amplified substantially under the SSP5-8.5 compared with the SSP1-2.6 scenario, highlighting the need for stringent emission controls. Our projections of both regional and global climate risks offer unique opportunities to facilitate climate action at spatial scales relevant to conservation and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun W Kim
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Brigitte Sommer
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Maria Beger
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - John M Pandolfi
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
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9
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Stefanoudis PV, Fassbender N, Samimi-Namin K, Adam PA, Ebrahim A, Harlay J, Koester A, Samoilys M, Sims H, Swanborn D, Talma S, Winter S, Woodall LC. Trait-based approaches reveal that deep reef ecosystems in the Western Indian Ocean are functionally distinct. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 872:162111. [PMID: 36773924 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Tropical deep reefs (>30 m) are biologically and ecologically unique ecosystems with a higher geographic reach to shallow (<30 m) reefs. Yet they are poorly understood and rarely considered in conservation practices. Here, we characterise benthic and fish communities across a depth gradient (10-350 m) in remote coral atolls in Seychelles, Western Indian Ocean. Using taxonomic and trait-based approaches we present the taxonomic and functional composition of shallow and deep reef communities, with distinct communities and traits dominating different depths. Depth-related changes in community metrics (taxa richness, abundance and biomass) and functional diversity metrics (richness, dispersion, and evenness) indicate complex relationships across different biological components (fish, benthos) that differ between shallow and deep reefs. These in turn translate into different patterns of reef resilience against disturbance or species invasions with depth. Notably, deep reefs host on average fewer and less abundant taxa but with higher functional contribution and originality scores, some of which are of conservation concern. Overall, the results highlight the unique nature of deep reefs that requires their explicit consideration in conservation and management activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paris V Stefanoudis
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Nekton Foundation, Oxford, United Kingdom.
| | | | - Kaveh Samimi-Namin
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Nekton Foundation, Oxford, United Kingdom; Taxonomy and Systematics Group, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands; Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Jerome Harlay
- Blue Economy Research Institute, University of Seychelles, Mahé, Seychelles
| | - Anna Koester
- Seychelles Islands Foundation, Victoria, Seychelles
| | - Melita Samoilys
- CORDIO East Africa, Mombasa, Kenya; Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Helena Sims
- The Nature Conservancy, Victoria, Seychelles
| | - Denise Swanborn
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Nekton Foundation, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Lucy C Woodall
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Nekton Foundation, Oxford, United Kingdom
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10
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Baum JK, Claar DC, Tietjen KL, Magel JM, Maucieri DG, Cobb KM, McDevitt-Irwin JM. Transformation of coral communities subjected to an unprecedented heatwave is modulated by local disturbance. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eabq5615. [PMID: 37018404 PMCID: PMC11318656 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq5615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Corals are imminently threatened by climate change-amplified marine heatwaves. However, how to conserve coral reefs remains unclear, since those without local anthropogenic disturbances often seem equally or more susceptible to thermal stress as impacted ones. We disentangle this apparent paradox, revealing that the relationship between reef disturbance and heatwave impacts depends upon the scale of biological organization. We show that a tropical heatwave of globally unprecedented duration (~1 year) culminated in an 89% loss of hard coral cover. At the community level, losses depended on pre-heatwave community structure, with undisturbed sites, which were dominated by competitive corals, undergoing the greatest losses. In contrast, at the species level, survivorship of individual corals typically declined as local disturbance intensified. Our study reveals both that prolonged heatwaves projected under climate change will still have winners and losers and that local disturbance can impair survival of coral species even under such extreme conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia K. Baum
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700 Station CSC, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 2Y2, Canada
- Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai’i, Kaneohe, HI 96744, USA
| | - Danielle C. Claar
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700 Station CSC, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 2Y2, Canada
- Washington State Department of Natural Resources, MS 47027, Olympia, WA 98504, USA
| | - Kristina L. Tietjen
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700 Station CSC, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Jennifer M. T. Magel
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700 Station CSC, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 2Y2, Canada
- Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Dominique G. Maucieri
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700 Station CSC, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Kim M. Cobb
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- Institute at Brown University for Environment and Society, Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Jamie M. McDevitt-Irwin
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 1700 Station CSC, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 2Y2, Canada
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, 120 Ocean View Blvd, Pacific Grove, CA 93950, USA
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11
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Brandl SJ, Lefcheck JS, Bates AE, Rasher DB, Norin T. Can metabolic traits explain animal community assembly and functioning? Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:1-18. [PMID: 36054431 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
All animals on Earth compete for free energy, which is acquired, assimilated, and ultimately allocated to growth and reproduction. Competition is strongest within communities of sympatric, ecologically similar animals of roughly equal size (i.e. horizontal communities), which are often the focus of traditional community ecology. The replacement of taxonomic identities with functional traits has improved our ability to decipher the ecological dynamics that govern the assembly and functioning of animal communities. Yet, the use of low-resolution and taxonomically idiosyncratic traits in animals may have hampered progress to date. An animal's metabolic rate (MR) determines the costs of basic organismal processes and activities, thus linking major aspects of the multifaceted constructs of ecological niches (where, when, and how energy is obtained) and ecological fitness (how much energy is accumulated and passed on to future generations). We review evidence from organismal physiology to large-scale analyses across the tree of life to propose that MR gives rise to a group of meaningful functional traits - resting metabolic rate (RMR), maximum metabolic rate (MMR), and aerobic scope (AS) - that may permit an improved quantification of the energetic basis of species coexistence and, ultimately, the assembly and functioning of animal communities. Specifically, metabolic traits integrate across a variety of typical trait proxies for energy acquisition and allocation in animals (e.g. body size, diet, mobility, life history, habitat use), to yield a smaller suite of continuous quantities that: (1) can be precisely measured for individuals in a standardized fashion; and (2) apply to all animals regardless of their body plan, habitat, or taxonomic affiliation. While integrating metabolic traits into animal community ecology is neither a panacea to disentangling the nuanced effects of biological differences on animal community structure and functioning, nor without challenges, a small number of studies across different taxa suggest that MR may serve as a useful proxy for the energetic basis of competition in animals. Thus, the application of MR traits for animal communities can lead to a more general understanding of community assembly and functioning, enhance our ability to trace eco-evolutionary dynamics from genotypes to phenotypes (and vice versa), and help predict the responses of animal communities to environmental change. While trait-based ecology has improved our knowledge of animal communities to date, a more explicit energetic lens via the integration of metabolic traits may further strengthen the existing framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon J Brandl
- Department of Marine Science, The University of Texas at Austin, Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, TX, 78373, USA
| | - Jonathan S Lefcheck
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network and MarineGEO Program, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, 21037, USA
| | - Amanda E Bates
- Biology Department, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC, V8P 5C2, Canada
| | - Douglas B Rasher
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, ME, 04544, USA
| | - Tommy Norin
- DTU Aqua: National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
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12
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Matias AMA, Popovic I, Thia JA, Cooke IR, Torda G, Lukoschek V, Bay LK, Kim SW, Riginos C. Cryptic diversity and spatial genetic variation in the coral Acropora tenuis and its endosymbionts across the Great Barrier Reef. Evol Appl 2023; 16:293-310. [PMID: 36793689 PMCID: PMC9923489 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Genomic studies are uncovering extensive cryptic diversity within reef-building corals, suggesting that evolutionarily and ecologically relevant diversity is highly underestimated in the very organisms that structure coral reefs. Furthermore, endosymbiotic algae within coral host species can confer adaptive responses to environmental stress and may represent additional axes of coral genetic variation that are not constrained by taxonomic divergence of the cnidarian host. Here, we examine genetic variation in a common and widespread, reef-building coral, Acropora tenuis, and its associated endosymbiotic algae along the entire expanse of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). We use SNPs derived from genome-wide sequencing to characterize the cnidarian coral host and organelles from zooxanthellate endosymbionts (genus Cladocopium). We discover three distinct and sympatric genetic clusters of coral hosts, whose distributions appear associated with latitude and inshore-offshore reef position. Demographic modelling suggests that the divergence history of the three distinct host taxa ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 million years ago, preceding the GBR's formation, and has been characterized by low-to-moderate ongoing inter-taxon gene flow, consistent with occasional hybridization and introgression typifying coral evolution. Despite this differentiation in the cnidarian host, A. tenuis taxa share a common symbiont pool, dominated by the genus Cladocopium (Clade C). Cladocopium plastid diversity is not strongly associated with host identity but varies with reef location relative to shore: inshore colonies contain lower symbiont diversity on average but have greater differences between colonies as compared with symbiont communities from offshore colonies. Spatial genetic patterns of symbiont communities could reflect local selective pressures maintaining coral holobiont differentiation across an inshore-offshore environmental gradient. The strong influence of environment (but not host identity) on symbiont community composition supports the notion that symbiont community composition responds to habitat and may assist in the adaptation of corals to future environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ambrocio Melvin A. Matias
- Institute of BiologyUniversity of the Philippines DilimanQuezon CityPhilippines
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of QueenslandSt. LuciaQueenslandAustralia
| | - Iva Popovic
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of QueenslandSt. LuciaQueenslandAustralia
| | - Joshua A. Thia
- Bio21 Institute, School of BioSciencesThe University of MelbourneParkevilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Ira R. Cooke
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary SciencesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Gergely Torda
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Vimoksalehi Lukoschek
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- Gold Coast University HospitalQLD HealthSouthportQueenslandAustralia
| | - Line K. Bay
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Sun W. Kim
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of QueenslandSt. LuciaQueenslandAustralia
| | - Cynthia Riginos
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of QueenslandSt. LuciaQueenslandAustralia
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13
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Streit RP, Bellwood DR. To harness traits for ecology, let’s abandon ‘functionality’. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 38:402-411. [PMID: 36522192 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Traits are measurable features of organisms. Functional traits aspire to more. They quantify an organism's ecology and, ultimately, predict ecosystem functions based on local communities. Such predictions are useful, but only if 'functional' really means 'ecologically relevant'. Unfortunately, many 'functional' traits seem to be characterized primarily by availability and implied importance - not by their ecological information content. Better traits are needed, but a prevailing trend is to 'functionalize' existing traits. The key may be to invert the process, that is, to identify functions of interest first and then identify traits as quantifiable proxies. We propose two distinct, yet complementary, perspectives on traits and provide a 'taxonomy of traits', a conceptual compass to navigate the diverse applications of traits in ecology.
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14
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Trophic provisioning and parental trade-offs lead to successful reproductive performance in corals after a bleaching event. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18702. [PMID: 36333369 PMCID: PMC9636168 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21998-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Warming ocean temperatures are severely compromising the health and resilience of coral reefs worldwide. Coral bleaching can affect coral physiology and the energy available for corals to reproduce. Mechanisms associated with reproductive allocation in corals are poorly understood, especially after a bleaching event occurs. Using isotopic labeling techniques, we traced the acquisition and allocation of carbon from adults to gametes by autotrophy and heterotrophy in previously bleached and non-bleached Montipora capitata and Porites compressa corals. Experiments revealed that both species: (1) relied only on autotrophy to allocate carbon to gametes, while heterotrophy was less relied upon as a carbon source; (2) experienced a trade-off with less carbon available for adult tissues when provisioning gametes, especially when previously bleached; and (3) used different strategies for allocating carbon to gametes. Over time, M. capitata allocated 10% more carbon to gametes despite bleaching by limiting the allocation of carbon to adult tissues, with 50-80% less carbon allocated to bleached compared to non-bleached colonies. Over the same time period, P. compressa maintained carbon allocation to adult tissues, before allocating carbon to gametes. Our study highlights the importance of autotrophy for carbon allocation from adult corals to gametes, and species-specific differences in carbon allocation depending on bleaching susceptibility.
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15
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Nielsen JJV, Matthews G, Frith KR, Harrison HB, Marzonie MR, Slaughter KL, Suggett DJ, Bay LK. Experimental considerations of acute heat stress assays to quantify coral thermal tolerance. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16831. [PMID: 36207307 PMCID: PMC9546840 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20138-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the distribution and abundance of heat tolerant corals across seascapes is imperative for predicting responses to climate change and to support novel management actions. Thermal tolerance is variable in corals and intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of tolerance are not well understood. Traditional experimental evaluations of coral heat and bleaching tolerance typically involve ramp-and-hold experiments run across days to weeks within aquarium facilities with limits to colony replication. Field-based acute heat stress assays have emerged as an alternative experimental approach to rapidly quantify heat tolerance in many samples yet the role of key methodological considerations on the stress response measured remains unresolved. Here, we quantify the effects of coral fragment size, sampling time point, and physiological measures on the acute heat stress response in adult corals. The effect of fragment size differed between species (Acropora tenuis and Pocillopora damicornis). Most physiological parameters measured here declined over time (tissue colour, chlorophyll-a and protein content) from the onset of heating, with the exception of maximum photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) which was surprisingly stable over this time scale. Based on our experiments, we identified photosynthetic efficiency, tissue colour change, and host-specific assays such as catalase activity as key physiological measures for rapid quantification of thermal tolerance. We recommend that future applications of acute heat stress assays include larger fragments (> 9 cm2) where possible and sample between 10 and 24 h after the end of heat stress. A validated high-throughput experimental approach combined with cost-effective genomic and physiological measurements underpins the development of markers and maps of heat tolerance across seascapes and ocean warming scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- J J V Nielsen
- College of Public Health, Medicine, and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia. .,Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB #3, Townsville, MC, QLD, 4810, Australia. .,AIMS@JCU, Australian Institute of Marine Science, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia.
| | - G Matthews
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - K R Frith
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB #3, Townsville, MC, QLD, 4810, Australia.,Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste, Geography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Amory Building, Exeter, EX4 4RJ, Devon, UK
| | - H B Harrison
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB #3, Townsville, MC, QLD, 4810, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia
| | - M R Marzonie
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB #3, Townsville, MC, QLD, 4810, Australia.,AIMS@JCU, Australian Institute of Marine Science, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia
| | - K L Slaughter
- AIMS@JCU, Australian Institute of Marine Science, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia.,College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia
| | - D J Suggett
- Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
| | - L K Bay
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB #3, Townsville, MC, QLD, 4810, Australia
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16
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Rebrina F, Petek M, Gulin V, Brigić A. Ground beetle assemblages respond to motorway proximity through changes in functional rather than taxonomic diversity in a grassland ecosystem. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022] Open
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17
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Shpilker P, Freeman J, McKelvie H, Ashey J, Fonticella JM, Putnam H, Greenberg J, Cowen L, Couch A, Daniels NM. MEDFORD: A human- and machine-readable metadata markup language. Database (Oxford) 2022; 2022:6670690. [PMID: 35976727 PMCID: PMC9384832 DOI: 10.1093/database/baac065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Reproducibility of research is essential for science. However, in the way modern computational biology research is done, it is easy to lose track of small, but extremely critical, details. Key details, such as the specific version of a software used or iteration of a genome can easily be lost in the shuffle or perhaps not noted at all. Much work is being done on the database and storage side of things, ensuring that there exists a space-to-store experiment-specific details, but current mechanisms for recording details are cumbersome for scientists to use. We propose a new metadata description language, named MEtaData Format for Open Reef Data (MEDFORD), in which scientists can record all details relevant to their research. Being human-readable, easily editable and templatable, MEDFORD serves as a collection point for all notes that a researcher could find relevant to their research, be it for internal use or for future replication. MEDFORD has been applied to coral research, documenting research from RNA-seq analyses to photo collections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polina Shpilker
- Department of Computer Science, Tufts University , 177 College Ave, 02155, MA, USA
| | - John Freeman
- Department of Computer Science, Tufts University , 177 College Ave, 02155, MA, USA
| | - Hailey McKelvie
- Department of Computer Science, Tufts University , 177 College Ave, 02155, MA, USA
| | - Jill Ashey
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island , 120 Flagg Rd, 02881, RI, USA
| | | | - Hollie Putnam
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island , 120 Flagg Rd, 02881, RI, USA
| | - Jane Greenberg
- Metadata Research Center, College of Computing & Informatics, Drexel University , 3675 Market Street, 19104, PA, USA
| | - Lenore Cowen
- Department of Computer Science, Tufts University , 177 College Ave, 02155, MA, USA
| | - Alva Couch
- Department of Computer Science, Tufts University , 177 College Ave, 02155, MA, USA
| | - Noah M Daniels
- Department of Computer Science and Statistics, University of Rhode Island , 9 Greenhouse Rd, 02881, RI, USA
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18
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Randazzo-Eisemann Á, Garza-Pérez JR, Figueroa-Zavala B. The role of coral diseases in the flattening of a Caribbean Coral Reef over 23 years. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 181:113855. [PMID: 35753248 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Coral diseases acting synergistically with other environmental stressors are a growing problem for Caribbean reefs. Hard coral cover, coral traits, and coral diseases were examined from 1999 to 2021 for Akumal reef, located in the Northern Mexican Caribbean. The 45 recorded coral species were classified into life-history strategies: competitive, stress-tolerant, and weedy, associated with different framework-building capacities. Results indicate that cumulative impacts of coral diseases outbreaks in the last two decades, in synergy with the effects of coastal development and thermal stressors, have decreased significantly cover and abundance of major reef-building corals, shifting the dominance of the coral assemblage to species belonging to non-framework weedy life history strategy, corresponding to a low Reef Functional Index. Due to the relevant role of coral diseases in shaping coral assemblages, addressing current, and preventing future coral disease outbreaks through integrated management strategies, will be paramount to preserving physical functionality in Caribbean reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángela Randazzo-Eisemann
- PIESACOM, UMDI-Sisal, Facultad de Ciencias, UNAM, Puerto de Abrigo s/n, C.P. 97356 Sisal, Yucatán, Mexico
| | | | - Baruch Figueroa-Zavala
- Centro Ukana I Akumal, A.C., Carretera Puerto Juarez-Tulum, Km. 104, 77776 Akumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico
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19
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Morrow KM, Pankey MS, Lesser MP. Community structure of coral microbiomes is dependent on host morphology. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:113. [PMID: 35902906 PMCID: PMC9331152 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01308-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The importance of symbiosis has long been recognized on coral reefs, where the photosynthetic dinoflagellates of corals (Symbiodiniaceae) are the primary symbiont. Numerous studies have now shown that a diverse assemblage of prokaryotes also make-up part of the microbiome of corals. A subset of these prokaryotes is capable of fixing nitrogen, known as diazotrophs, and is also present in the microbiome of scleractinian corals where they have been shown to supplement the holobiont nitrogen budget. Here, an analysis of the microbiomes of 16 coral species collected from Australia, Curaçao, and Hawai'i using three different marker genes (16S rRNA, nifH, and ITS2) is presented. These data were used to examine the effects of biogeography, coral traits, and ecological life history characteristics on the composition and diversity of the microbiome in corals and their diazotrophic communities. RESULTS The prokaryotic microbiome community composition (i.e., beta diversity) based on the 16S rRNA gene varied between sites and ecological life history characteristics, but coral morphology was the most significant factor affecting the microbiome of the corals studied. For 15 of the corals studied, only two species Pocillopora acuta and Seriotopora hystrix, both brooders, showed a weak relationship between the 16S rRNA gene community structure and the diazotrophic members of the microbiome using the nifH marker gene, suggesting that many corals support a microbiome with diazotrophic capabilities. The order Rhizobiales, a taxon that contains primarily diazotrophs, are common members of the coral microbiome and were eight times greater in relative abundances in Hawai'i compared to corals from either Curacao or Australia. However, for the diazotrophic component of the coral microbiome, only host species significantly influenced the composition and diversity of the community. CONCLUSIONS The roles and interactions between members of the coral holobiont are still not well understood, especially critical functions provided by the coral microbiome (e.g., nitrogen fixation), and the variation of these functions across species. The findings presented here show the significant effect of morphology, a coral "super trait," on the overall community structure of the microbiome in corals and that there is a strong association of the diazotrophic community within the microbiome of corals. However, the underlying coral traits linking the effects of host species on diazotrophic communities remain unknown. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M Morrow
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824, USA
- Present address: Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, 6560 Braddock Rd, Alexandria, VA, 22312, USA
| | - M Sabrina Pankey
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824, USA
| | - Michael P Lesser
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824, USA.
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20
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Raja NB, Dimitrijević D, Krause MC, Kiessling W. Ancient Reef Traits, a database of trait information for reef-building organisms over the Phanerozoic. Sci Data 2022; 9:425. [PMID: 35858960 PMCID: PMC9300745 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01486-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Trait-based approaches are increasingly relevant to understand ecological and evolutionary patterns. A comprehensive trait database for extant reef corals is already available and widely used to reveal vulnerabilities to environmental disturbances including climate change. However, the lack of similar trait compilations for extinct reef builders prevents the derivation of generalities from the fossil record and to address similar questions. Here we present the Ancient Reef Traits Database (ARTD), which aims to compile trait information of various reef-building organisms in one single repository. ARTD contains specimen-level data from both published and unpublished resources. In this first version, we release 15 traits for 505 genera and 1129 species, comprising a dataset of 17,841 trait values of Triassic to mid-Holocene scleractinian corals, the dominant reef-builders in the modern ocean. Other trait data, including for other reef-building organisms, are currently being collated. Measurement(s) | fossil coral traits | Technology Type(s) | digital curation | Sample Characteristic - Organism | Scleractinian corals | Sample Characteristic - Location | Global |
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Affiliation(s)
- Nussaïbah B Raja
- GeoZentrum Nordbayern, Department of Geography and Geosciences, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Danijela Dimitrijević
- GeoZentrum Nordbayern, Department of Geography and Geosciences, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Mihaela Cristina Krause
- GeoZentrum Nordbayern, Department of Geography and Geosciences, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Kiessling
- GeoZentrum Nordbayern, Department of Geography and Geosciences, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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21
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Carturan BS, Parrott L, Pither J. Functional Richness and Resilience in Coral Reef Communities. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.780406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Within the Anthropocene the functional diversity of coral communities is changing rapidly, putting the resilience of many coral reef ecosystems in jeopardy. A better understanding of the relationship between coral functional diversity and reef resilience could reveal practical ways to achieve increased resilience. However, manipulating coral diversity experimentally is challenging, and consequently the links between coral functional diversity, resilience, and ecosystem functioning remain obscure. We used an ecologically detailed agent-based model to conduct a virtual experiment in which functional diversity was manipulated over the entire trait space of scleractinian corals. Using an imputed trait dataset of 798 coral species and eight key functional traits, we assembled 245 functionally distinct coral communities, which we subjected to a cyclone and bleaching event. We then measured four different aspects of their resilience and quantified for each measure the respective effect of (i) the functional richness (FRic), and (ii) community-weighted means (CWM) of four types of trait: effect, resistance, recovery, and competitive. FRic represents the volume occupied by a community in the functional space, while CWM indicates the location of the communities’ centroid in the functional space. We found a significant and positive effect of FRic on three measures of resilience: communities with higher FRic recovered surface cover faster and had more rugosity and cover 10 years after the disturbances. In contrast, the resistance of the coral community—i.e., the capacity to maintain surface cover when subjected to the disturbances—was independent of FRic and was determined primarily by the CWM of resistance traits. By analyzing community dynamics and functional trade-offs, we show that FRic increases resilience via the selection and the insurance effects due to the presence of competitive species in the functional space, i.e., those highly dominant species that contribute the most to the complexity of the habitat and recover quickly from disturbances. Building from the results of our experiment and the trait correlation analysis, we discuss the potential for FRic to serve as a proxy measure of resilience and we present a strategy that can provide direction to on-going reef restoration efforts, and pave the way for sustaining coral communities in a context of rapid global change.
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22
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Crisp SK, Tebbett SB, Bellwood DR. A critical evaluation of benthic phase shift studies on coral reefs. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 178:105667. [PMID: 35653967 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Coral reef decline has accelerated in the last two decades resulting in substantial research into the phenomenon of 'phase shifts' or 'regime shifts'. However, the conclusions drawn from this research have been varied. Some of this variability may stem from methodological approaches, although the extent to which these factors have shaped our understanding remain largely unexplored. To examine this, we conducted a systematic review of the literature. In doing so, we revealed marked variability in the approaches used for studying phase shifts. Notably, very few studies clearly defined what they meant by phase shifts. Therefore, we developed a clarified definition of phase shifts, which specifically defined persistence and dominance. The applicability of this definition was tested on multi-decadal benthic composition data on the Great Barrier Reef. The number of shifts depended critically on the definition selected, suggesting that this may be a primary reason underpinning the variability in past results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha K Crisp
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia.
| | - Sterling B Tebbett
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
| | - David R Bellwood
- Research Hub for Coral Reef Ecosystem Functions, College of Science and Engineering and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
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23
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Ng LWK, Chisholm C, Carrasco LR, Darling ES, Guilhaumon F, Mooers AØ, Tucker CM, Winter M, Huang D. Prioritizing phylogenetic diversity to protect functional diversity of reef corals. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Linus W. K. Ng
- Department of Biological Sciences National University of Singapore Singapore Singapore
| | | | - Luis Roman Carrasco
- Department of Biological Sciences National University of Singapore Singapore Singapore
- Centre for Nature‐based Climate Solutions National University of Singapore Singapore Singapore
| | | | | | - Arne Ø. Mooers
- Department of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby Canada
| | - Caroline M. Tucker
- Environment, Ecology and Energy Program University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill North Carolina USA
| | - Marten Winter
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Leipzig Germany
| | - Danwei Huang
- Department of Biological Sciences National University of Singapore Singapore Singapore
- Centre for Nature‐based Climate Solutions National University of Singapore Singapore Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum and Tropical Marine Science Institute National University of Singapore Singapore Singapore
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Pérez-Rosales G, Rouzé H, Torda G, Bongaerts P, Pichon M, Parravicini V, Hédouin L. Mesophotic coral communities escape thermal coral bleaching in French Polynesia. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210139. [PMID: 34804562 PMCID: PMC8580450 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Climate change and consequent coral bleaching are causing the disappearance of reef-building corals worldwide. While bleaching episodes significantly impact shallow waters, little is known about their impact on mesophotic coral communities. We studied the prevalence of coral bleaching two to three months after a heat stress event, along an extreme depth range from 6 to 90 m in French Polynesia. Bayesian modelling showed a decreasing probability of bleaching of all coral genera over depth, with little to no bleaching observed at lower mesophotic depths (greater than or equal to 60 m). We found that depth-generalist corals benefit more from increasing depth than depth-specialists (corals with a narrow depth range). Our data suggest that the reduced prevalence of bleaching with depth, especially from shallow to upper mesophotic depths (40 m), had a stronger relation with the light-irradiance attenuation than temperature. While acknowledging the geographical and temporal variability of the role of mesophotic reefs as spatial refuges during thermal stress, we ought to understand why coral bleaching reduces with depth. Future studies should consider repeated monitoring and detailed ecophysiological and environmental data. Our study demonstrated how increasing depth may offer a level of protection and that lower mesophotic communities could escape the impacts of a thermal bleaching event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Pérez-Rosales
- PSL Research University, EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, BP 1013 Papetoai, 98729 Moorea, French Polynesia
- PSL Université Paris: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Université de Perpignan, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860 Perpignan, France
| | - Héloïse Rouzé
- PSL Research University, EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, BP 1013 Papetoai, 98729 Moorea, French Polynesia
- PSL Université Paris: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Université de Perpignan, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860 Perpignan, France
| | - Gergely Torda
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Pim Bongaerts
- California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA
| | - Michel Pichon
- Biodiversity Section, Queensland Museum, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | | | - Valeriano Parravicini
- PSL Université Paris: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Université de Perpignan, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860 Perpignan, France
| | - Laetitia Hédouin
- PSL Research University, EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, BP 1013 Papetoai, 98729 Moorea, French Polynesia
- PSL Université Paris: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Université de Perpignan, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860 Perpignan, France
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25
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Hoadley KD, Pettay DT, Lewis A, Wham D, Grasso C, Smith R, Kemp DW, LaJeunesse T, Warner ME. Different functional traits among closely related algal symbionts dictate stress endurance for vital Indo-Pacific reef-building corals. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:5295-5309. [PMID: 34255912 PMCID: PMC9291761 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Reef-building corals in the genus Porites are one of the most important constituents of Indo-Pacific reefs. Many species within this genus tolerate abnormally warm water and exhibit high specificity for particular kinds of endosymbiotic dinoflagellates that cope with thermal stress better than those living in other corals. Still, during extreme ocean heating, some Porites exhibit differences in their stress tolerance. While corals have different physiological qualities, it remains unknown whether the stability and performance of these mutualisms is influenced by the physiology and genetic relatedness of their symbionts. We investigated two ubiquitous Pacific reef corals, Porites rus and Porites cylindrica, from warmer inshore and cooler offshore reef systems in Palau. While these corals harbored a similar kind of symbiont in the genus Cladocopium (within the ITS2 C15 subclade), rapidly evolving genetic markers revealed evolutionarily diverged lineages corresponding to each Porites species living in each reef habitat. Furthermore, these closely related Cladocopium lineages were differentiated by their densities in host tissues, cell volume, chlorophyll concentration, gross photosynthesis, and photoprotective pathways. When assessed using several physiological proxies, these previously undifferentiated symbionts contrasted in their tolerance to thermal stress. Symbionts within P. cylindrica were relatively unaffected by exposure to 32℃ for 14 days, whereas P. rus colonies lost substantial numbers of photochemically compromised symbionts. Heating reduced the ability of the offshore symbiont associated with P. rus to translocate carbon to the coral. By contrast, high temperatures enhanced symbiont carbon assimilation and delivery to the coral skeleton of inshore P. cylindrica. This study indicates that large physiological differences exist even among closely related symbionts, with significant implications for thermal susceptibility among reef-building Porites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth D. Hoadley
- School of Marine Science and PolicyUniversity of DelawareLewesUK
- Biological SciencesUniversity of AlabamaTuscaloosaAlabamaUSA
- Dauphin Island Sea LabDauphin IslandAlabamaUSA
| | - Daniel. T. Pettay
- School of Marine Science and PolicyUniversity of DelawareLewesUK
- Present address:
University of South CarolinaBeaufortSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Allison Lewis
- Department of BiologyPennsylvania State Institutes of Energy and the EnvironmentUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
- Present address:
National Science FoundationSilver SpringsMarylandUSA
| | - Drew Wham
- Department of BiologyPennsylvania State Institutes of Energy and the EnvironmentUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Chris Grasso
- School of Marine Science and PolicyUniversity of DelawareLewesUK
| | - Robin Smith
- Science Under SailWellington ParkQLDAustralia
- Present address:
The Nature ConservancySt. CroixUS Virgin IslandsUSA
| | - Dustin W. Kemp
- Department of BiologyUniversity of AlabamaBirminghamAlabamaUSA
| | - Todd LaJeunesse
- Department of BiologyPennsylvania State Institutes of Energy and the EnvironmentUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Mark E. Warner
- School of Marine Science and PolicyUniversity of DelawareLewesUK
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26
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Capitani L, de Araujo JN, Vieira EA, Angelini R, Longo GO. Ocean Warming Will Reduce Standing Biomass in a Tropical Western Atlantic Reef Ecosystem. Ecosystems 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-021-00691-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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27
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Reverter M, Jackson M, Rohde S, Moeller M, Bara R, Lasut MT, Segre Reinach M, Schupp PJ. High taxonomic resolution surveys and trait-based analyses reveal multiple benthic regimes in North Sulawesi (Indonesia). Sci Rep 2021; 11:16554. [PMID: 34400684 PMCID: PMC8367970 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95905-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
As coral reef communities change and reorganise in response to increasing disturbances, there is a growing need for understanding species regimes and their contribution to ecosystem processes. Using a case study on coral reefs at the epicentre of tropical marine biodiversity (North Sulawesi, Indonesia), we explored how application of different biodiversity approaches (i.e., use of major taxonomic categories, high taxonomic resolution categories and trait-based approaches) affects the detection of distinct fish and benthic communities. Our results show that using major categories fails to identify distinct coral reef regimes. We also show that monitoring of only scleractinian coral communities is insufficient to detect different benthic regimes, especially communities dominated by non-coral organisms, and that all types of benthic organisms need to be considered. We have implemented the use of a trait-based approach to study the functional diversity of whole coral reef benthic assemblages, which allowed us to detect five different community regimes, only one of which was dominated by scleractinian corals. Furthermore, by the parallel study of benthic and fish communities we provide new insights into key processes and functions that might dominate or be compromised in the different community regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Reverter
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) at the Carl Von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
| | - Matthew Jackson
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) at the Carl Von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Sven Rohde
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) at the Carl Von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Mareen Moeller
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) at the Carl Von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Robert Bara
- Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Sam Ratulangi University, Jl. Kampus UNSRAT Bahu, 95115, Manado, Sulawesi Utara, Indonesia
| | - Markus T Lasut
- Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Sam Ratulangi University, Jl. Kampus UNSRAT Bahu, 95115, Manado, Sulawesi Utara, Indonesia
| | | | - Peter J Schupp
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) at the Carl Von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB), 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
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28
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Ortiz JC, Pears RJ, Beeden R, Dryden J, Wolff NH, Gomez Cabrera MDC, Mumby PJ. Important ecosystem function, low redundancy and high vulnerability: The trifecta argument for protecting the Great Barrier Reef's tabular
Acropora. Conserv Lett 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Juan C. Ortiz
- Australian Institute of Marine Science Townsville Queensland Australia
| | - Rachel J. Pears
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Townsville Queensland Australia
| | - Roger Beeden
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Townsville Queensland Australia
| | - Jen Dryden
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Townsville Queensland Australia
| | | | | | - Peter J Mumby
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies Douglas Queensland Australia
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Burgess SC, Johnston EC, Wyatt ASJ, Leichter JJ, Edmunds PJ. Response diversity in corals: hidden differences in bleaching mortality among cryptic Pocillopora species. Ecology 2021; 102:e03324. [PMID: 33690896 PMCID: PMC8244046 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Variation among functionally similar species in their response to environmental stress buffers ecosystems from changing states. Functionally similar species may often be cryptic species representing evolutionarily distinct genetic lineages that are morphologically indistinguishable. However, the extent to which cryptic species differ in their response to stress, and could therefore provide a source of response diversity, remains unclear because they are often not identified or are assumed to be ecologically equivalent. Here, we uncover differences in the bleaching response between sympatric cryptic species of the common Indo-Pacific coral, Pocillopora. In April 2019, prolonged ocean heating occurred at Moorea, French Polynesia. 72% of pocilloporid colonies bleached after 22 d of severe heating (>8o C-days) at 10 m depth on the north shore fore reef. Colony mortality ranged from 11% to 42% around the island four months after heating subsided. The majority (86%) of pocilloporids that died from bleaching belonged to a single haplotype, despite twelve haplotypes, representing at least five species, being sampled. Mitochondrial (open reading frame) sequence variation was greater between the haplotypes that experienced mortality versus haplotypes that all survived than it was between nominal species that all survived. Colonies > 30 cm in diameter were identified as the haplotype experiencing the most mortality, and in 1125 colonies that were not genetically identified, bleaching and mortality increased with colony size. Mortality did not increase with colony size within the haplotype suffering the highest mortality, suggesting that size-dependent bleaching and mortality at the genus level was caused instead by differences among cryptic species. The relative abundance of haplotypes shifted between February and August, driven by declines in the same common haplotype for which mortality was estimated directly, at sites where heat accumulation was greatest, and where larger colony sizes occurred. The identification of morphologically indistinguishable species that differ in their response to thermal stress, but share a similar ecological function in terms of maintaining a coral-dominated state, has important consequences for uncovering response diversity that drives resilience, especially in systems with low or declining functional diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott C Burgess
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, Florida, 32306-4296, USA
| | - Erika C Johnston
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, Florida, 32306-4296, USA
| | - Alex S J Wyatt
- Department of Ocean Science and Hong Kong Branch of the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - James J Leichter
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093, USA
| | - Peter J Edmunds
- Department of Biology, California State University, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, California, 91330-8303, USA
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Ng CSL, Chan YKS, Nguyen NTH, Kikuzawa YP, Sam SQ, Toh TC, Mock AYJ, Chou LM, Huang D. Coral community composition and carbonate production in an urbanized seascape. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 168:105322. [PMID: 33857701 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Coastal urbanization causes environmental modifications that directly and indirectly influence the distribution and functioning of coral reefs. However, the capacity of urban infrastructure to support corals and vertically accrete is less understood. Here, we investigated if coral communities on reefs and seawalls in Singapore are distinct, and examined the environmental variables influencing coral carbonate production. Surveys at 22 sites yielded 134 coral species, with richness significantly higher on reefs. Coral cover and Shannon index did not differ between habitat types. Community composition was distinct between habitat types, with seawalls supporting a higher proportion of massive and thick-plating species. 'Distance from mainland' was the single most important variable influencing normalized carbonate production rates (a function of species-specific linear extension rate and skeletal bulk density and site coral cover), which were higher further from the mainland where human activity and development pressures were greater. Our results indicate that environmental filtering strongly shapes coral communities and may influence ecosystem functioning in Singapore's urbanized reef system. The findings will guide the management of reefs on increasingly urbanized coastlines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin Soon Lionel Ng
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, 117558, Singapore; Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 14 Kent Ridge Road, 119223, Singapore.
| | - Yong Kit Samuel Chan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, 117558, Singapore
| | - Nhung Thi Hong Nguyen
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, 117558, Singapore
| | - Yuichi Preslie Kikuzawa
- Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 14 Kent Ridge Road, 119223, Singapore
| | - Shu Qin Sam
- Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 14 Kent Ridge Road, 119223, Singapore
| | - Tai Chong Toh
- Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 14 Kent Ridge Road, 119223, Singapore; College of Alice and Peter Tan, National University of Singapore, 8 College Avenue East, 138615, Singapore
| | - Aidan Yong Jie Mock
- Yale-NUS College, Environmental Studies, National University of Singapore, 16 College Avenue West, 138527, Singapore
| | - Loke Ming Chou
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, 117558, Singapore; Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 14 Kent Ridge Road, 119223, Singapore
| | - Danwei Huang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, 117558, Singapore; Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 14 Kent Ridge Road, 119223, Singapore; Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, 117558, Singapore
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31
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Gómez‐Gras D, Linares C, Dornelas M, Madin JS, Brambilla V, Ledoux J, López‐Sendino P, Bensoussan N, Garrabou J. Climate change transforms the functional identity of Mediterranean coralligenous assemblages. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1038-1051. [PMID: 33728823 PMCID: PMC8252474 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Quantifying changes in functional community structure driven by disturbance is critical to anticipate potential shifts in ecosystem functioning. However, how marine heatwaves (MHWs) affect the functional structure of temperate coral-dominated communities is poorly understood. Here, we used five long-term (> 10 years) records of Mediterranean coralligenous assemblages in a multi-taxa, trait-based analysis to investigate MHW-driven changes in functional structure. We show that, despite stability in functional richness (i.e. the range of species functional traits), MHW-impacted assemblages experienced long-term directional changes in functional identity (i.e. their dominant trait values). Declining traits included large sizes, long lifespans, arborescent morphologies, filter-feeding strategies or calcified skeletons. These traits, which were mostly supported by few sensitive and irreplaceable species from a single functional group (habitat-forming octocorals), disproportionally influence certain ecosystem functions (e.g. 3D-habitat provision). Hence, MHWs are leading to assemblages that are deficient in key functional traits, with likely consequences for the ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gómez‐Gras
- Departament de Biologia MarinaInstitut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Cristina Linares
- Departament de Biologia EvolutivaEcologia i Ciències AmbientalsInstitut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO)Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Maria Dornelas
- Centre for Biological Diversity and Scottish Oceans InstituteSchool of BiologyUniversity of StAndrews, St AndrewsUK
| | - Joshua S. Madin
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine BiologyUniversity of Hawai‘i at MānoaKaneoheHIUSA
| | - Viviana Brambilla
- Centre for Biological Diversity and Scottish Oceans InstituteSchool of BiologyUniversity of StAndrews, St AndrewsUK
| | - Jean‐Baptiste Ledoux
- Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIIMAR)PortoPortugal
| | - Paula López‐Sendino
- Departament de Biologia MarinaInstitut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC)BarcelonaSpain
| | | | - Joaquim Garrabou
- Departament de Biologia MarinaInstitut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC)BarcelonaSpain
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32
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Shlesinger T, van Woesik R. Different population trajectories of two reef-building corals with similar life-history traits. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1379-1389. [PMID: 33666226 PMCID: PMC8252767 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Increases in the frequency and intensity of acute and chronic disturbances are causing declines of coral reefs world‐wide. Although quantifying the responses of corals to acute disturbances is well documented, detecting subtle responses of coral populations to chronic disturbances is less common, but can also result in altered population and community structures. We investigated the population dynamics of two key reef‐building Merulinid coral species, Dipsastraea favus and Platygyra lamellina, with similar life‐history traits, in the Gulf of Eilat and Aqaba, Red Sea from 2015 to 2018, to assess potential differences in their population trajectories. Demographic processes, which included rates of survival, growth, reproduction and recruitment were used to parametrize integral projection models and estimate population growth rates and the likely population trajectories of both coral species. The survival and reproduction rates of both D. favus and P. lamellina were positively related to coral colony size, and elasticity analyses showed that large colonies most influenced population dynamics. Although both species have similar life‐history traits and growth morphologies and are generally regarded as ‘stress‐tolerant’, the populations showed contrasting trajectories—D. favus appears to be increasing whereas P. lamellina appears to be decreasing. As many corals have long‐life expectancies, the process of local and regional decline might be subtle and slow. Ecological assessments based on total living coral coverage, morphological groups or functional traits might overlook subtle, species‐specific trends. However, demographic approaches capable of detecting subtle species‐specific population changes can augment ecological studies and provide valuable early warning signs of decline before major coral loss becomes evident.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Shlesinger
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, USA
| | - Robert van Woesik
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, USA
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González-Barrios FJ, Cabral-Tena RA, Alvarez-Filip L. Recovery disparity between coral cover and the physical functionality of reefs with impaired coral assemblages. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:640-651. [PMID: 33131196 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The ecology and structure of many tropical coral reefs have been markedly altered over the past few decades. Although long-term recovery has been observed in terms of coral cover, it is not clear how novel species configurations shape reef functionality in impaired reefs. The identities and life-history strategies of the corals species that recover are essential for understanding reef functional dynamics. We used a species identity approach to quantify the physical functionality outcomes over a 13 year period across 56 sites in the Mexican Caribbean. This region was affected by multiple stressors that converged and drastically damaged reefs in the early 2000s. Since then, the reefs have shown evidence of a modest recovery of coral cover. We used Bayesian linear models and annual rates of change to estimate temporal changes in physical functionality and coral cover. Moreover, a functional diversity framework was used to explore changes in coral composition and the traits of those assemblages. Between 2005 and 2018, physical functionality increased at a markedly lower rate compared to that of coral cover. The disparity between recovery rates depended on the identity of the species that increased (mainly non-framework and foliose-digitate corals). No changes in species dominance or functional trait composition were observed, whereas non-framework building corals consistently dominated most reefs. Although the observed recovery of coral cover and functional potential may provide some ecological benefits, the long-term effects on reef frameworks remain unclear, as changes in the cover of key reef-building species were not observed. Our findings are likely to be representative of many reefs across the wider Caribbean basin, as declines in coral cover and rapid increases in the relative abundance of weedy corals have been reported regionally. A coral identity approach to assess species turnover is needed to understand and quantify changes in the functionality of coral reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Javier González-Barrios
- Biodiversity and Reef Conservation Laboratory, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, México
- Department of Marine Ecology, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, México
| | - Rafael A Cabral-Tena
- Department of Marine Ecology, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, México
| | - Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip
- Biodiversity and Reef Conservation Laboratory, Unidad Académica de Sistemas Arrecifales, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, México
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Miatta M, Bates AE, Snelgrove PVR. Incorporating Biological Traits into Conservation Strategies. ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE 2021; 13:421-443. [PMID: 32857677 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-032320-094121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Implementation of marine conservation strategies, such as increasing the numbers, extent, and effectiveness of protected areas (PAs), can help achieve conservation and restoration of ocean health and associated goods and services. Despite increasing recognition of the importance of including aspects of ecological functioning in PA design, the physical characteristics of habitats and simple measures of species diversity inform most PA designations. Marine and terrestrial ecologists have recently been using biological traits to assess community dynamics, functioning, and vulnerability to anthropogenic impacts. Here, we explore potential trait-based marine applications to advance PA design. We recommend strategies to integrate biological traits into (a) conservation objectives (e.g., by assessing and predicting impacts and vulnerability), (b) PA spatial planning (e.g., mapping ecosystem functions and functional diversity hot spots), and (c) time series monitoring protocols (e.g., using functional traits to detect recoveries). We conclude by emphasizing the need for pragmatic tools to improve the efficacy of spatial planning and monitoring efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Miatta
- Department of Ocean Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland A1C 5S7, Canada; , ,
| | - Amanda E Bates
- Department of Ocean Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland A1C 5S7, Canada; , ,
| | - Paul V R Snelgrove
- Department of Ocean Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland A1C 5S7, Canada; , ,
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland A1C 5S7, Canada
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35
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Cowman PF, Quattrini AM, Bridge TC, Watkins-Colwell GJ, Fadli N, Grinblat M, Roberts TE, McFadden CS, Miller DJ, Baird AH. An enhanced target-enrichment bait set for Hexacorallia provides phylogenomic resolution of the staghorn corals (Acroporidae) and close relatives. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2020; 153:106944. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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36
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Sandin SA, Edwards CB, Pedersen NE, Petrovic V, Pavoni G, Alcantar E, Chancellor KS, Fox MD, Stallings B, Sullivan CJ, Rotjan RD, Ponchio F, Zgliczynski BJ. Considering the rates of growth in two taxa of coral across Pacific islands. ADVANCES IN MARINE BIOLOGY 2020; 87:167-191. [PMID: 33293010 DOI: 10.1016/bs.amb.2020.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Reef-building coral taxa demonstrate considerable flexibility and diversity in reproduction and growth mechanisms. Corals take advantage of this flexibility to increase or decrease size through clonal expansion and loss of live tissue area (i.e. via reproduction and mortality of constituent polyps). The biological lability of reef-building corals may be expected to map onto varying patterns of demography across environmental contexts which can contribute to geographic variation in population dynamics. Here we explore the patterns of growth of two common coral taxa, corymbose Pocillopora and massive Porites, across seven islands in the central and south Pacific. The islands span a natural gradient of environmental conditions, including a range of pelagic primary production, a metric linked to the relative availability of inorganic nutrients and heterotrophic resources for mixotrophic corals, and sea surface temperature and thermal histories. Over a multi-year sampling interval, most coral colonies experienced positive growth (greater planar area of live tissue in second relative to first time point), though the distributions of growth varied across islands. Island-level median growth did not relate simply to estimated pelagic primary productivity or temperature. However, at locations that experienced an extreme warm-water event during the sampling interval, most Porites colonies experienced net losses of live tissue and nearly all Pocillopora colonies experienced complete mortality. While descriptive statistics of demographics offer valuable insights into trends and variability in colony change through time, simplified models predicting growth patterns based on summarized oceanographic metrics appear inadequate for robust demographic prediction. We propose that the complexity of life history strategies among colonial reef-building corals introduces unique demographic flexibility for colonies to respond to a wide breadth of environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart A Sandin
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.
| | - Clinton B Edwards
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Nicole E Pedersen
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Vid Petrovic
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Gaia Pavoni
- Visual Computing Lab, Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologie dell'Informazione "A. Faedo", Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pisa, Italy
| | - Esmeralda Alcantar
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | | | - Michael D Fox
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, United States
| | - Brenna Stallings
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Randi D Rotjan
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Federico Ponchio
- Visual Computing Lab, Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologie dell'Informazione "A. Faedo", Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pisa, Italy
| | - Brian J Zgliczynski
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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37
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Cappelatti L, Mauffrey ARL, Griffin JN. Functional diversity of habitat formers declines scale-dependently across an environmental stress gradient. Oecologia 2020; 194:135-149. [PMID: 32895733 PMCID: PMC7561580 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04746-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Marine habitat formers such as seaweeds and corals are lynchpins of coastal ecosystems, but their functional diversity and how it varies with scale and context remains poorly studied. Here, we investigate the functional diversity of seaweed assemblages across the rocky intertidal stress gradient at large (zones) and small (quadrat) scales. We quantified complementary metrics of emergent group richness, functional richness (functional space occupied) and functional dispersion (trait complementarity of dominant species). With increasing shore height, under species loss and turnover, responses of functional diversity were scale- and metric-dependent. At the large scale, functional richness contracted while—notwithstanding a decline in redundancy—emergent group richness and functional dispersion were both invariant. At the small scale, all measures declined, with the strongest responses evident for functional and emergent group richness. Comparisons of observed versus expected values based on null models revealed that functional richness and dispersion were greater than expected in the low shore but converged with expected values higher on the shore. These results show that functional diversity of assemblages of marine habitat formers can be especially responsive to environmental stress gradients at small scales and for richness measures. Furthermore, niche-based processes at the small—neighbourhood—scale can favour co-occurrence of functionally distinctive species under low, but not high, stress, magnifying differences in functional diversity across environmental gradients. As assemblages of marine habitat formers face accelerating environmental change, further studies examining multiple aspects of functional diversity are needed to elucidate patterns, processes, and ecosystem consequences of community (dis-)assembly across diverse groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Cappelatti
- Biosciences Department, Swansea University, Wallace Building, Swansea, SA2 8PP, Wales, UK.
| | - Alizée R L Mauffrey
- Biosciences Department, Swansea University, Wallace Building, Swansea, SA2 8PP, Wales, UK
| | - John N Griffin
- Biosciences Department, Swansea University, Wallace Building, Swansea, SA2 8PP, Wales, UK
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38
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Thomson DP, Babcock RC, Haywood MDE, Vanderklift MA, Pillans RD, Bessey C, Cresswell AK, Orr M, Boschetti F, Wilson SK. Zone specific trends in coral cover, genera and growth-forms in the World-Heritage listed Ningaloo Reef. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 160:105020. [PMID: 32858265 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
On coral reefs, changes in the cover and relative abundance of hard coral taxa often follow disturbance. Although the ecological responses of common coral taxa have been well documented, little is known about the ecological responses of uncommon coral taxa or of coral morphological groups across multiple adjacent reef zones. We used Multivariate Auto-Regressive State-Space modelling to assess the rate and direction of change of hard coral cover across a variety of coral genera, growth forms, and susceptibility to bleaching and physical damage covering multiple reef zones at northern Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia. Trends were assessed between 2007 and 2016, during which multiple episodic disturbances occurred including cyclones and a heatwave. We provide evidence of zone specific trends, not only in total hard coral cover, but also in taxonomic and morphological groups of corals at Ningaloo Reef. Declines in total coral cover on the reef flat corresponded with declines in fast growing corals, particularly Acropora. In contrast, total coral cover on the reef slope and inshore (lagoon) did not undergo significant change, despite divergent trajectories of individual genera. Importantly, we also show that changes in the composition of coral assemblages can be detected using a morphological based approach when changes are not evident using a taxonomic approach. Therefore, we recommend that future assessments of coral reef trends incorporate not just standard metrics such as total coral cover, but also metrics that provide for detailed descriptions of trends in common and uncommon taxa and morphological groups across multiple reef zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian P Thomson
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - Russell C Babcock
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, Qld, 4001, Australia
| | - Michael DE Haywood
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, Qld, 4001, Australia
| | - Mathew A Vanderklift
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Richard D Pillans
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, Qld, 4001, Australia
| | - Cindy Bessey
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Anna K Cresswell
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia; Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Melanie Orr
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Fabio Boschetti
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Shaun K Wilson
- Marine Science Program, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, W.A., 6151, Australia; Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
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Carturan BS, Pither J, Maréchal JP, Bradshaw CJA, Parrott L. Combining agent-based, trait-based and demographic approaches to model coral-community dynamics. eLife 2020; 9:e55993. [PMID: 32701058 PMCID: PMC7473774 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The complexity of coral-reef ecosystems makes it challenging to predict their dynamics and resilience under future disturbance regimes. Models for coral-reef dynamics do not adequately account for the high functional diversity exhibited by corals. Models that are ecologically and mechanistically detailed are therefore required to simulate the ecological processes driving coral reef dynamics. Here, we describe a novel model that includes processes at different spatial scales, and the contribution of species' functional diversity to benthic-community dynamics. We calibrated and validated the model to reproduce observed dynamics using empirical data from Caribbean reefs. The model exhibits realistic community dynamics, and individual population dynamics are ecologically plausible. A global sensitivity analysis revealed that the number of larvae produced locally, and interaction-induced reductions in growth rate are the parameters with the largest influence on community dynamics. The model provides a platform for virtual experiments to explore diversity-functioning relationships in coral reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jason Pither
- Department of Biology, University of British ColumbiaKelownaCanada
- Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience, and Ecosystem Services, University of British ColumbiaKelownaCanada
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences, University of British ColumbiaKelownaCanada
| | | | - Corey JA Bradshaw
- Global Ecology, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders UniversityAdelaideAustralia
| | - Lael Parrott
- Department of Biology, University of British ColumbiaKelownaCanada
- Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience, and Ecosystem Services, University of British ColumbiaKelownaCanada
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences, University of British ColumbiaKelownaCanada
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40
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Ng CSL, Huang D, Toh KB, Sam SQ, Kikuzawa YP, Toh TC, Taira D, Chan YKS, Hung LZT, Sim WT, Rashid AR, Afiq-Rosli L, Ng NK, Chou LM. Responses of urban reef corals during the 2016 mass bleaching event. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 154:111111. [PMID: 32319927 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Predicting the bleaching responses of corals is crucial in light of frequent heat stress events to manage further losses of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, especially for reefs impacted by urbanisation. We examined if the coral cover and community at various Singapore sites changed during the 2016 global coral bleaching event. Bleaching prevalence varied widely among sites in June 2016, and was best explained by site and coral species. While some sites were minimally impacted, others registered significant decreases in coral cover and community changes persisting till March 2017, when normal colouration was mostly regained by corals. Bleaching susceptibility was associated with larger corallites in hermaphrodites and smaller corallites in gonochores (probably due to the cost of maintaining dual sexual functions in hermaphrodites), and with increasing proximity between polyps (likely because thermal damage would be less contained among polyps with greater physiological integration). However, bleaching resilience-the capacity to regain baseline pigmentation-was poorly explained by the traits studied. Our findings suggest that the interplay between local conditions and species composition strongly affects bleaching outcomes on urbanised reefs, and underscore the utility of coral traits for predicting bleaching responses to help in formulating appropriate management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin Soon Lionel Ng
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117558; Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 14 Kent Ridge Road, 119223, Singapore.
| | - Danwei Huang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117558; Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 14 Kent Ridge Road, 119223, Singapore
| | - Kok Ben Toh
- Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 14 Kent Ridge Road, 119223, Singapore; School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, 103 Black Hall, Gainsville, FL 32611, United States of America
| | - Shu Qin Sam
- Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 14 Kent Ridge Road, 119223, Singapore
| | - Yuichi Preslie Kikuzawa
- Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 14 Kent Ridge Road, 119223, Singapore
| | - Tai Chong Toh
- Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 14 Kent Ridge Road, 119223, Singapore; College of Alice and Peter Tan, National University of Singapore, 8 College Avenue East, 138615, Singapore
| | - Daisuke Taira
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117558; Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 14 Kent Ridge Road, 119223, Singapore
| | - Yong Kit Samuel Chan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117558
| | - Ling Zi Tracy Hung
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117558
| | - Wan Ting Sim
- Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 14 Kent Ridge Road, 119223, Singapore
| | - Ahmad Rafiuddin Rashid
- Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 14 Kent Ridge Road, 119223, Singapore
| | - Lutfi Afiq-Rosli
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117558; Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 14 Kent Ridge Road, 119223, Singapore
| | - Ngan Kee Ng
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117558
| | - Loke Ming Chou
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117558; Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 14 Kent Ridge Road, 119223, Singapore
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41
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Chen CJ, Chen WJ, Shikina S, Denis V, Chang CF. The plasticity of gonad development of sexual reproduction in a scleractinian coral, Porites lichen. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 285:113270. [PMID: 31525374 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2019.113270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Metazoans have evolved a complexity of sexual system and gonad development, however, sexual reproduction of scleractinian corals is not well understood. This study aimed to address the sexual system and gametogenesis in Porites lichen, a common species in the Indo-West Pacific. This study represents the first description of sexual system, which were determined by histological analysis of the samples collected in northern Taiwan. In addition, female and hermaphroditic colonies were separately cultured in aquarium to further monitor the release of eggs/larvae and thereby confirm the breeding system. The results demonstrate that P. lichen is a polygamodioecious brooder and displays seasonal gametogenesis and embryogenesis that ends in late summer. In hermaphroditic colonies, male polyps are predominant and hermaphroditic polyps make up a very small percent (1%-19.3%). In addition, two new gametogenic features were observed from the histological analysis: 1) oocytes developed within the spermaries in hermaphroditic polyps during the early stage of gametogenesis and 2) melanin granular cells were clustered in spermaries in both male and hermaphroditic colonies. This study demonstrated the plasticity of gametogenesis and melanin related cells appeared in corals, which provides an important information to explore hormones and molecular mechanism involving in gonadal arrangement and production of melanin for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chieh-Jhen Chen
- Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan; Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 20224, Taiwan; Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 20224, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Jen Chen
- Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Shinya Shikina
- Institute of Marine Environment and Ecology, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 20224, Taiwan; Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 20224, Taiwan
| | - Vianney Denis
- Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Fong Chang
- Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 20224, Taiwan; Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 20224, Taiwan.
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42
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Leveque S, Afiq-Rosli L, Ip YCA, Jain SS, Huang D. Searching for phylogenetic patterns of Symbiodiniaceae community structure among Indo-Pacific Merulinidae corals. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7669. [PMID: 31565579 PMCID: PMC6746223 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Over half of all extant stony corals (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia) harbour endosymbiotic dinoflagellates of the family Symbiodiniaceae, forming the foundational species of modern shallow reefs. However, whether these associations are conserved on the coral phylogeny remains unknown. Here we aim to characterise Symbiodiniaceae communities in eight closely-related species in the genera Merulina, Goniastrea and Scapophyllia, and determine if the variation in endosymbiont community structure can be explained by the phylogenetic relatedness among hosts. We perform DNA metabarcoding of the nuclear internal transcribed spacer 2 using Symbiodiniaceae-specific primers on 30 coral colonies to recover three major endosymbiont clades represented by 23 distinct types. In agreement with previous studies on Southeast Asian corals, we find an abundance of Cladocopium and Durusdinium, but also detect Symbiodinium types in three of the eight coral host species. Interestingly, differences in endosymbiont community structure are dominated by host variation at the intraspecific level, rather than interspecific, intergeneric or among-clade levels, indicating a lack of phylogenetic constraint in the coral-endosymbiont association among host species. Furthermore, the limited geographic sampling of four localities spanning the Western and Central Indo-Pacific preliminarily hints at large-scale spatial structuring of Symbiodiniaceae communities. More extensive collections of corals from various regions and environments will help us better understand the specificity of the coral-endosymbiont relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Leveque
- National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Université de La Rochelle, La Rochelle, Singapore
| | | | | | | | - Danwei Huang
- National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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43
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44
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Zawada KJA, Madin JS, Baird AH, Bridge TCL, Dornelas M. Morphological traits can track coral reef responses to the Anthropocene. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kyle J. A. Zawada
- Centre for Biological Diversity, Scottish Oceans Institute University of St. Andrews St. Andrews UK
- Department of Biological Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Joshua S. Madin
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology University of Hawai‘i at Manoa Kaneohe Hawai‘i
| | - Andrew H. Baird
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Queensland Australia
| | - Tom C. L. Bridge
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Queensland Australia
- Biodiversity and Geosciences Program, Museum of Tropical Queensland Queensland Museum Network Townsville Queensland Australia
| | - Maria Dornelas
- Centre for Biological Diversity, Scottish Oceans Institute University of St. Andrews St. Andrews UK
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45
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Mucina L. Biome: evolution of a crucial ecological and biogeographical concept. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 222:97-114. [PMID: 30481367 PMCID: PMC6590505 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
A biome is a key community ecological and biogeographical concept and, as such, has profited from the overall progress of community ecology, punctuated by two major innovations: shifting the focus from pure pattern description to understanding functionality, and changing the approach from observational to explanatory and, most importantly, from descriptive to predictive. The functional focus enabled development of mechanistic and function-focused predictive and retrodictive modelling; it also shaped the current understanding of the concept of a biome as a dynamic biological entity having many aspects, with deep roots in the evolutionary past, and which is undergoing change. The evolution of the biome concept was punctuated by three synthetic steps: the first synthesis formulated a solid body of theory explaining the ecological and biogeographical meaning of zonality and collated our knowledge on drivers of vegetation patterns at large spatial scales; the second translated this knowledge into effective mechanistic modelling tools, developing further the link between ecosystem functionality and biogeography; and the third (still in progress) is seeking common ground between large-scale ecological and biogeographic phenomena, using macroecology and macroevolutionary research tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ladislav Mucina
- Iluka Chair in Vegetation Science and BiogeographySchool of Biological SciencesThe University of Western Australia35 Stirling Hwy, CrawleyPerthWA6009Australia
- Department of Geography & Environmental StudiesStellenbosch UniversityPrivate Bag X1, MatielandStellenbosch7602South Africa
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Gómez‐Gras D, Linares C, de Caralt S, Cebrian E, Frleta‐Valić M, Montero‐Serra I, Pagès‐Escolà M, López‐Sendino P, Garrabou J. Response diversity in Mediterranean coralligenous assemblages facing climate change: Insights from a multispecific thermotolerance experiment. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:4168-4180. [PMID: 31015996 PMCID: PMC6468064 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate change threatens coastal benthic communities on a global scale. However, the potential effects of ongoing warming on mesophotic temperate reefs at the community level remain poorly understood. Investigating how different members of these communities will respond to the future expected environmental conditions is, therefore, key to anticipating their future trajectories and developing specific management and conservation strategies. Here, we examined the responses of some of the main components of the highly diverse Mediterranean coralligenous assemblages to thermal stress. We performed thermotolerance experiments with different temperature treatments (from 26 to 29°C) with 10 species from different phyla (three anthozoans, six sponges and one ascidian) and different structural roles. Overall, we observed species-specific contrasting responses to warming regardless of phyla or growth form. Moreover, the responses ranged from highly resistant species to sensitive species and were mostly in agreement with previous field observations from mass mortality events (MMEs) linked to Mediterranean marine heat waves. Our results unravel the diversity of responses to warming in coralligenous outcrops and suggest the presence of potential winners and losers in the face of climate change. Finally, this study highlights the importance of accounting for species-specific vulnerabilities and response diversity when forecasting the future trajectories of temperate benthic communities in a warming ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gómez‐Gras
- Departament de Biologia MarinaInstitut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Cristina Linares
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO)Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Sonia de Caralt
- Centre d' Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CSIC)BlanesSpain
- GR MAR, Institut d'Ecologia Aquàtica, Facultat de CiènciesUniversitat de GironaGironaSpain
| | - Emma Cebrian
- Centre d' Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CSIC)BlanesSpain
- GR MAR, Institut d'Ecologia Aquàtica, Facultat de CiènciesUniversitat de GironaGironaSpain
| | - Maša Frleta‐Valić
- Departament de Biologia MarinaInstitut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Ignasi Montero‐Serra
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO)Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Marta Pagès‐Escolà
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO)Universitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Paula López‐Sendino
- Departament de Biologia MarinaInstitut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Joaquim Garrabou
- Departament de Biologia MarinaInstitut de Ciències del Mar (CSIC)BarcelonaSpain
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47
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Plasticity in Three-Dimensional Geometry of Branching Corals Along a Cross-Shelf Gradient. DIVERSITY 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/d11030044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Scleractinian corals often exhibit high levels of morphological plasticity, which is potentially important in enabling individual species to occupy benthic spaces across a wide range of environmental gradients. This study tested for differences in the three-dimensional (3D) geometry of three branching corals, Acropora nasuta, Pocillopora spp. and Stylophora pistillata among inner-, mid- and outer-shelf reefs in the central Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Important attributes of coral morphology (e.g., surface area to volume ratio) were expected to vary linearly across the shelf in accordance with marked gradients in environmental conditions, but instead, we detected non-linear trends in the colony structure of A. nasuta and Pocillopora spp. The surface area to volume ratio of both A. nasuta and Pocillopora spp. was highest at mid-shelf locations, (reflecting higher colony complexity) and was significantly lower at both inner-shelf and outer-shelf reefs. The branching structure of these corals was also far more tightly packed at inner-shelf and outer-shelf reefs, compared to mid-shelf reefs. Apparent declines in complexity and inter-branch spacing at inner and outer-shelf reefs (compared to conspecifics from mid-shelf reefs) may reflect changes driven by gradients of sedimentation and hydrodynamics. The generality and explanations of observed patterns warrant further investigation, which is very feasible using the 3D-photogrammetry techniques used in this study.
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48
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Kubicek A, Breckling B, Hoegh-Guldberg O, Reuter H. Climate change drives trait-shifts in coral reef communities. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3721. [PMID: 30842480 PMCID: PMC6403357 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-38962-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate change is expected to have profound, partly unforeseeable effects on the composition of functional traits of complex ecosystems, such as coral reefs, and some ecosystem properties are at risk of disappearing. This study applies a novel spatially explicit, individual-based model to explore three critical life history traits of corals: heat tolerance, competitiveness and growth performance under various environmental settings. Building upon these findings, we test the adaptation potential required by a coral community in order to not only survive but also retain its diversity by the end of this century under different IPCC climate scenarios. Even under the most favourable IPCC scenario (Representative Concentration Pathway, RCP 2.6), model results indicate that shifts in the trait space are likely and coral communities will mainly consist of small numbers of temperature-tolerant and fast-growing species. Species composition of coral communities is likely to be determined by heat tolerance, with competitiveness most likely playing a subordinate role. To sustain ~15% of current coral cover under a 2 °C temperature increase by the end of the century (RCP 4.5), coral systems would have to accommodate temperature increases of 0.1-0.15 °C per decade, assuming that periodic extreme thermal events occurred every 8 years. These required adaptation rates are unprecedented and unlikely, given corals' life-history characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Kubicek
- Coral Reef Ecosystems Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
| | - Broder Breckling
- Department Landscape Ecology, University of Vechta, 49364, Vechta, Germany
- University of Bremen, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, 28359, Bremen, Germany
| | - Ove Hoegh-Guldberg
- Coral Reef Ecosystems Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Hauke Reuter
- Department Theoretical Ecology and Modelling, Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), 28359, Bremen, Germany
- University of Bremen, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, 28359, Bremen, Germany
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Bribiesca R, Herrera‐Alsina L, Ruiz‐Sanchez E, Sánchez‐González LA, Schondube JE. Body mass as a supertrait linked to abundance and behavioral dominance in hummingbirds: A phylogenetic approach. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:1623-1637. [PMID: 30847060 PMCID: PMC6392494 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2018] [Revised: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Body mass has been considered one of the most critical organismal traits, and its role in many ecological processes has been widely studied. In hummingbirds, body mass has been linked to ecological features such as foraging performance, metabolic rates, and cost of flying, among others. We used an evolutionary approach to test whether body mass is a good predictor of two of the main ecological features of hummingbirds: their abundances and behavioral dominance. To determine whether a species was abundant and/or behaviorally dominant, we used information from the literature on 249 hummingbird species. For abundance, we classified a species as "plentiful" if it was described as the most abundant species in at least part of its geographic distribution, while we deemed a species to be "behaviorally dominant" when it was described as pugnacious (notably aggressive). We found that plentiful hummingbird species had intermediate body masses and were more phylogenetically related to each other than expected by chance. Conversely, behaviorally dominant species tended to have larger body masses and showed a random pattern of distribution in the phylogeny. Additionally, small-bodied hummingbird species were not considered plentiful by our definition and did not exhibit behavioral dominance. These results suggest a link between body mass, abundance, and behavioral dominance in hummingbirds. Our findings indicate the existence of a body mass range associated with the capacity of hummingbird species to be plentiful, behaviorally dominant, or to show both traits. The mechanisms behind these relationships are still unclear; however, our results provide support for the hypothesis that body mass is a supertrait that explains abundance and behavioral dominance in hummingbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Bribiesca
- Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Unidad de Posgrado, Coordinación del Posgrado en Ciencias BiológicasUNAMMexico CityMexico
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y SustentabilidadUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoMoreliaMexico
| | | | - Eduardo Ruiz‐Sanchez
- Departamento de Botánica y Zoología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y AgropecuariasUniversidad de GuadalajaraZapopanMéxico
| | - Luis A. Sánchez‐González
- Museo de Zoología “Alfonso L. Herrera”, Depto. de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de CienciasUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoCiudad de MéxicoMéxico
| | - Jorge E. Schondube
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y SustentabilidadUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoMoreliaMexico
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Singh T, Iijima M, Yasumoto K, Sakai K. Effects of moderate thermal anomalies on Acropora corals around Sesoko Island, Okinawa. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0210795. [PMID: 30699163 PMCID: PMC6353167 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past several decades, coral reef ecosystems have experienced recurring bleaching events. These events were predominantly caused by thermal anomalies, which vary widely in terms of severity and spatio-temporal distribution. Acropora corals, highly prominent contributors to the structural complexity of Pacific coral reefs, are sensitive to thermal stress. Response of Acropora corals to extremely high temperature has been well documented. However, studies on the effects of moderately high temperature on Acropora corals are limited. In the summer of 2016, a moderate coral bleaching event due to moderately high temperature was observed around Sesoko Island, Okinawa, Japan. The objective of this study was to examine thermal tolerance patterns of Acropora corals, across reefs with low to moderate thermal exposure (degree heating weeks ~2-5°C week). Field surveys on permanent plots were conducted from October 2015 to April 2017 to compare the population dynamics of adult Acropora corals 6 months before and after the bleaching events around Sesoko Island. Variability in thermal stress response was driven primarily by the degree of thermal stress. Wave action and turbidity may have mediated the thermal stress. Tabular and digitate coral morphologies were the most tolerant and susceptible to thermal stress, respectively. Growth inhibition after bleaching was more pronounced in the larger digitate and corymbose coral morphologies. This study indicates that Acropora populations around Sesoko Island can tolerate short-term, moderate thermal challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya Singh
- Graduate School of Engineering and Science, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Mariko Iijima
- Kitasato University School of Marine Biosciences, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Ko Yasumoto
- Kitasato University School of Marine Biosciences, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Sakai
- Sesoko Station, Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyus, Motobu, Okinawa, Japan
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