1
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Zuercher R, Kochan D, Harborne AR. Factors influencing the biomass of large-bodied parrotfish species in the absence of fishing on coral reefs in Florida, USA. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2023; 103:1526-1537. [PMID: 37681994 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15557] [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: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Parrotfishes are a functionally critical component of Caribbean reef fish assemblages, with large-bodied parrotfish species exerting particularly important top-down control on macroalgae. Despite their importance, low biomasses of large-bodied parrotfishes on many reefs hamper our ability to study and understand their ecology. Florida reefs, where most parrotfish fishing has been illegal since 1992, present a unique opportunity to explore covariates of their distribution. Using boosted regression tree models and 23 covariates, this study identified the major predictors of four species of Atlantic large-bodied parrotfishes. Maximum hard substrate relief, the area of the surrounding reef, and the availability of seagrass habitat were each positively related to parrotfish presence. Strong positive relationships between parrotfish presence and biomass and the biomass of other parrotfishes on a reef suggest that all four species responded to a similar subset of environmental conditions. However, relationships between parrotfish presence and biomass and depth, habitat type, coral cover, and the proximity of a reef to deepwater habitats differed among species, highlighting distinct habitat preferences. These results can improve managers' ability to target important biophysical correlates of large-bodied parrotfishes with appropriate management interventions and identify areas for protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Zuercher
- Institute of Environment and Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - David Kochan
- Institute of Environment and Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Alastair R Harborne
- Institute of Environment and Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
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2
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Gove JM, Williams GJ, Lecky J, Brown E, Conklin E, Counsell C, Davis G, Donovan MK, Falinski K, Kramer L, Kozar K, Li N, Maynard JA, McCutcheon A, McKenna SA, Neilson BJ, Safaie A, Teague C, Whittier R, Asner GP. Coral reefs benefit from reduced land-sea impacts under ocean warming. Nature 2023; 621:536-542. [PMID: 37558870 PMCID: PMC10511326 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06394-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Coral reef ecosystems are being fundamentally restructured by local human impacts and climate-driven marine heatwaves that trigger mass coral bleaching and mortality1. Reducing local impacts can increase reef resistance to and recovery from bleaching2. However, resource managers lack clear advice on targeted actions that best support coral reefs under climate change3 and sector-based governance means most land- and sea-based management efforts remain siloed4. Here we combine surveys of reef change with a unique 20-year time series of land-sea human impacts that encompassed an unprecedented marine heatwave in Hawai'i. Reefs with increased herbivorous fish populations and reduced land-based impacts, such as wastewater pollution and urban runoff, had positive coral cover trajectories predisturbance. These reefs also experienced a modest reduction in coral mortality following severe heat stress compared to reefs with reduced fish populations and enhanced land-based impacts. Scenario modelling indicated that simultaneously reducing land-sea human impacts results in a three- to sixfold greater probability of a reef having high reef-builder cover four years postdisturbance than if either occurred in isolation. International efforts to protect 30% of Earth's land and ocean ecosystems by 2030 are underway5. Our results reveal that integrated land-sea management could help achieve coastal ocean conservation goals and provide coral reefs with the best opportunity to persist in our changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamison M Gove
- Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Honolulu, HI, USA.
| | - Gareth J Williams
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, UK.
| | - Joey Lecky
- Pacific Islands Regional Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Eric Brown
- National Park of American Samoa, Pago Pago, American Samoa, USA
| | | | - Chelsie Counsell
- Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Gerald Davis
- Pacific Islands Regional Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Mary K Donovan
- Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science, Arizona State University, Hilo, HI, USA
- School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | | | - Kelly Kozar
- National Park Service, Pacific Island Network Inventory and Monitoring, Hawai'i National Park, HI, USA
| | - Ning Li
- Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | | | - Amanda McCutcheon
- National Park Service, Pacific Island Network Inventory and Monitoring, Hawai'i National Park, HI, USA
| | - Sheila A McKenna
- National Park Service, Pacific Island Network Inventory and Monitoring, Hawai'i National Park, HI, USA
| | | | - Aryan Safaie
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | | | | | - Gregory P Asner
- Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science, Arizona State University, Hilo, HI, USA
- School of Ocean Futures, Arizona State University, Hilo, HI, USA
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3
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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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4
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Phillips JS, McCormick AR, Botsch JC, Ives AR. Ecosystem engineering alters density-dependent feedbacks in an aquatic insect population. Ecology 2021; 102:e03513. [PMID: 34365638 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Ecosystem engineers have large impacts on the communities in which they live, and these impacts may feed back to populations of engineers themselves. In this study, we assessed the effect of ecosystem engineering on density-dependent feedbacks for midges in Lake Mývatn, Iceland. The midge larvae reside in the sediment and build silk tubes that provide a substrate for algal growth, thereby elevating benthic primary production. Benthic algae are in turn the primary food source for the midge larvae, setting the stage for the effects of engineering to feed back to the midges themselves. Using a field mesocosm experiment manipulating larval midge densities, we found a generally positive but nonlinear relationship between density and benthic production. Furthermore, adult emergence increased with the primary production per midge larva. By combining these two relationships in a simple model, we found that the positive effect of midges on benthic production weakened negative density dependence at low to intermediate larval densities. However, this benefit disappeared at high densities when midge consumption of primary producers exceeded their positive effects on primary production through ecosystem engineering. Our results illustrate how ecosystem engineering can alter density-dependent feedbacks for engineer populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph S Phillips
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Amanda R McCormick
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Jamieson C Botsch
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Anthony R Ives
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
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5
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Cheung P, Nozawa Y, Miki T. Ecosystem engineering structures facilitate ecological resilience: A coral reef model. Ecol Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pak‐Yin Cheung
- Institute of Oceanography National Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan
- Biodiversity Research Center Academia Sinica Taipei Taiwan
| | - Yoko Nozawa
- Biodiversity Research Center Academia Sinica Taipei Taiwan
| | - Takeshi Miki
- Institute of Oceanography National Taiwan University Taipei Taiwan
- Research Center for Environmental Changes Academia Sinica Taipei Taiwan
- Ecology and Environmental Engineering Course, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology Ryukoku University Otsu Shiga Japan
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6
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Desbiens AA, Roff G, Robbins WD, Taylor BM, Castro-Sanguino C, Dempsey A, Mumby PJ. Revisiting the paradigm of shark-driven trophic cascades in coral reef ecosystems. Ecology 2021; 102:e03303. [PMID: 33565624 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Global overfishing of higher-level predators has caused cascading effects to lower trophic levels in many marine ecosystems. On coral reefs, which support highly diverse food webs, the degree to which top-down trophic cascades can occur remains equivocal. Using extensive survey data from coral reefs across the relatively unfished northern Great Barrier Reef (nGBR), we quantified the role of reef sharks in structuring coral reef fish assemblages. Using a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach, we explored the interactions between shark abundance and teleost mesopredator and prey functional group density and biomass, while explicitly accounting for the potentially confounding influence of environmental variation across sites. Although a fourfold difference in reef shark density was observed across our survey sites, this had no impact on either the density or biomass of teleost mesopredators or prey, providing evidence for a lack of trophic cascading across nGBR systems. Instead, many functional groups, including sharks, responded positively to environmental drivers. We found reef sharks to be positively associated with habitat complexity. In turn, physical processes such as wave exposure and current velocity were both correlated well with multiple functional groups, reflecting how changes to energetic conditions and food availability, or modification of habitat affect fish distribution. The diversity of species within coral reef food webs and their associations with bottom-up drivers likely buffers against trophic cascading across GBR functional guilds when reef shark assemblages are depleted, as has been demonstrated in other complex ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia A Desbiens
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences & Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - George Roff
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences & Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - William D Robbins
- Wildlife Marine, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.,Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.,School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Marine Science Program, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Brett M Taylor
- The Australian Institute of Marine Science, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Carolina Castro-Sanguino
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences & Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Alexandra Dempsey
- Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, Annapolis, Maryland, USA
| | - Peter J Mumby
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences & Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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7
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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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8
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Kayal M, Lenihan HS, Brooks AJ, Holbrook SJ, Schmitt RJ, Kendall BE. Predicting coral community recovery using multi‐species population dynamics models. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:605-615. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Kayal
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management University of California Santa Barbara CA93106 USA
- UPVD‐CNRS Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens UMR 5110 52 avenue Paul Alduy 66860 Perpignan France
- Centre de Recherche sur les Ecosystèmes Marins (CREM) impasse du solarium 66420 Port‐Barcarès France
| | - Hunter S. Lenihan
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management University of California Santa Barbara CA93106 USA
| | - Andrew J. Brooks
- Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara CA93106USA
| | - Sally J. Holbrook
- Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara CA93106USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology University of California Santa Barbara CA93106 USA
| | - Russell J. Schmitt
- Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara CA93106USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology University of California Santa Barbara CA93106 USA
| | - Bruce E. Kendall
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management University of California Santa Barbara CA93106 USA
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9
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Roff G, Bejarano S, Priest M, Marshell A, Chollett I, Steneck RS, Doropoulos C, Golbuu Y, Mumby PJ. Seascapes as drivers of herbivore assemblages in coral reef ecosystems. ECOL MONOGR 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- George Roff
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab; School of Biological Sciences; University of Queensland; St Lucia Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - Sonia Bejarano
- Reef Systems Research Group, Ecology Department; Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT); Fahrenheitstraße 6 28359 Bremen Germany
| | - Mark Priest
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab; School of Biological Sciences; University of Queensland; St Lucia Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - Alyssa Marshell
- Department of Marine Science and Fisheries; College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences; Sultan Qaboos University; Muscat Oman
| | - Iliana Chollett
- Smithsonian Marine Station; Smithsonian Institution; Fort Pierce Florida 34949 USA
| | - Robert S. Steneck
- Darling Marine Center; School of Marine Sciences; University of Maine; Walpole Maine 04573 USA
| | | | | | - Peter J. Mumby
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab; School of Biological Sciences; University of Queensland; St Lucia Queensland 4072 Australia
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10
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Kayal M, Lenihan HS, Brooks AJ, Holbrook SJ, Schmitt RJ, Kendall BE. Predicting coral community recovery using multi‐species population dynamics models. Ecol Lett 2018; 21:1790-1799. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Kayal
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
- UPVD‐CNRS Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens UMR 5110 52 avenue Paul Alduy 66860 Perpignan France
- Centre de Recherche sur les Ecosystèmes Marins (CREM) impasse du solarium 66420 Port‐Barcarès France
| | - Hunter S. Lenihan
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
| | - Andrew J. Brooks
- Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
| | - Sally J. Holbrook
- Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
| | - Russell J. Schmitt
- Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
| | - Bruce E. Kendall
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
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11
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McManus LC, Watson JR, Vasconcelos VV, Levin SA. Stability and recovery of coral-algae systems: the importance of recruitment seasonality and grazing influence. THEOR ECOL-NETH 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s12080-018-0388-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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12
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Existing ecological theory applies to urban environments. LANDSCAPE AND ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s11355-018-0351-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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13
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Rogers A, Blanchard JL, Newman SP, Dryden CS, Mumby PJ. High refuge availability on coral reefs increases the vulnerability of reef-associated predators to overexploitation. Ecology 2018; 99:450-463. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alice Rogers
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies; School of Biological Sciences; The University of Queensland; Goddard Building Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - Julia L. Blanchard
- Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies and Centre for Marine Socioecology; University of Tasmania; 20 Castray Esplanade Hobart Tasmania 7004 Australia
| | - Steven P. Newman
- School of Marine Science and Technology; Newcastle University; Newcastle NE1 7RU UK
| | - Charlie S. Dryden
- School of Marine Science and Technology; Newcastle University; Newcastle NE1 7RU UK
| | - Peter J. Mumby
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies; School of Biological Sciences; The University of Queensland; Goddard Building Brisbane Queensland 4072 Australia
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14
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Duran A, Collado-Vides L, Palma L, Burkepile DE. Interactive effects of herbivory and substrate orientation on algal community dynamics on a coral reef. MARINE BIOLOGY 2018; 165:156. [PMID: 30294007 PMCID: PMC6153878 DOI: 10.1007/s00227-018-3411-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/01/2018] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Herbivory is a significant driver of algal community dynamics on coral reefs. However, abiotic factors such as the complexity and orientation of the benthos often mediate the impact of herbivores on benthic communities. We experimentally evaluated the independent and interactive effects of substrate orientation and herbivorous fishes on algal community dynamics on a coral reef in the Florida Keys, USA. We created horizontal and vertical substrates, mimicking the trend in the reduction of vertical surfaces of coral reefs, to assess how algal communities developed either with herbivory (open areas) or without herbivory (herbivore exclosures). We found that substrate orientation was the dominant influence on macroalgal community composition. Herbivores had little impact on community development of vertical substrates as crustose algae dominated these substrates regardless of being in exclosures or open areas. In contrast, herbivores strongly impacted communities on horizontal substrates, with upright macroalgae (e.g., Dictyota spp., articulated coralline algae) dominating herbivore exclosures, while filamentous turf algae and sediment dominated open areas. Outside of exclosures, differences between vertical and horizontal substrates exposed to herbivores persisted despite similar intensity of herbivory. Our results suggest that the orientation of the reef benthos has an important impact on benthic communities. On vertical surfaces, abiotic factors may be more important for structuring algal communities while herbivory may be more important for controlling algal dynamics in flatter areas. Thus, the decline in structural complexity of Caribbean coral reefs and the flattening of reef substrates may fundamentally alter the impact that herbivores have on benthic community dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain Duran
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 11200 S.W. 8th St., Miami, FL 33199 USA
| | - L. Collado-Vides
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 11200 S.W. 8th St., Miami, FL 33199 USA
- Center for Coastal Oceans Research in the Institute for Water and Environment, 11200 S. W. 8th St., Miami, FL 33199 USA
| | - L. Palma
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 11200 S.W. 8th St., Miami, FL 33199 USA
| | - D. E. Burkepile
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 USA
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15
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Facilitation in Caribbean coral reefs: high densities of staghorn coral foster greater coral condition and reef fish composition. Oecologia 2017; 184:247-257. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3859-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 03/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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16
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Harborne AR, Rogers A, Bozec YM, Mumby PJ. Multiple Stressors and the Functioning of Coral Reefs. ANNUAL REVIEW OF MARINE SCIENCE 2017; 9:445-468. [PMID: 27575738 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-010816-060551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Coral reefs provide critical services to coastal communities, and these services rely on ecosystem functions threatened by stressors. By summarizing the threats to the functioning of reefs from fishing, climate change, and decreasing water quality, we highlight that these stressors have multiple, conflicting effects on functionally similar groups of species and their interactions, and that the overall effects are often uncertain because of a lack of data or variability among taxa. The direct effects of stressors on links among functional groups, such as predator-prey interactions, are particularly uncertain. Using qualitative modeling, we demonstrate that this uncertainty of stressor impacts on functional groups (whether they are positive, negative, or neutral) can have significant effects on models of ecosystem stability, and reducing uncertainty is vital for understanding changes to reef functioning. This review also provides guidance for future models of reef functioning, which should include interactions among functional groups and the cumulative effect of stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alastair R Harborne
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, Florida 33181;
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia; , ,
| | - Alice Rogers
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia; , ,
| | - Yves-Marie Bozec
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia; , ,
| | - Peter J Mumby
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia; , ,
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17
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Fuess LE, Pinzόn C JH, Weil E, Mydlarz LD. Associations between transcriptional changes and protein phenotypes provide insights into immune regulation in corals. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2016; 62:17-28. [PMID: 27109903 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2016.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Revised: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Disease outbreaks in marine ecosystems have driven worldwide declines of numerous taxa, including corals. Some corals, such as Orbicella faveolata, are particularly susceptible to disease. To explore the mechanisms contributing to susceptibility, colonies of O. faveolata were exposed to immune challenge with lipopolysaccharides. RNA sequencing and protein activity assays were used to characterize the response of corals to immune challenge. Differential expression analyses identified 17 immune-related transcripts that varied in expression post-immune challenge. Network analyses revealed several groups of transcripts correlated to immune protein activity. Several transcripts, which were annotated as positive regulators of immunity were included in these groups, and some were downregulated following immune challenge. Correlations between expression of these transcripts and protein activity results further supported the role of these transcripts in positive regulation of immunity. The observed pattern of gene expression and protein activity may elucidate the processes contributing to the disease susceptibility of species like O. faveolata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Fuess
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Jorge H Pinzόn C
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Ernesto Weil
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, PR, USA
| | - Laura D Mydlarz
- Department of Biology, University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA.
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18
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Ferrari R, Bryson M, Bridge T, Hustache J, Williams SB, Byrne M, Figueira W. Quantifying the response of structural complexity and community composition to environmental change in marine communities. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2016; 22:1965-1975. [PMID: 26679689 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2015] [Accepted: 11/13/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Habitat structural complexity is a key factor shaping marine communities. However, accurate methods for quantifying structural complexity underwater are currently lacking. Loss of structural complexity is linked to ecosystem declines in biodiversity and resilience. We developed new methods using underwater stereo-imagery spanning 4 years (2010-2013) to reconstruct 3D models of coral reef areas and quantified both structural complexity at two spatial resolutions (2.5 and 25 cm) and benthic community composition to characterize changes after an unprecedented thermal anomaly on the west coast of Australia in 2011. Structural complexity increased at both resolutions in quadrats (4 m(2)) that bleached, but not those that did not bleach. Changes in complexity were driven by species-specific responses to warming, highlighting the importance of identifying small-scale dynamics to disentangle ecological responses to disturbance. We demonstrate an effective, repeatable method for quantifying the relationship among community composition, structural complexity and ocean warming, improving predictions of the response of marine ecosystems to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Ferrari
- Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
- Australian Centre for Field Robotics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Mitch Bryson
- Australian Centre for Field Robotics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Tom Bridge
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, 4811, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville MC, Townsville, Qld, 4810, Australia
| | - Julie Hustache
- Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Stefan B Williams
- Australian Centre for Field Robotics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Maria Byrne
- Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
- Schools of Medical and Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Will Figueira
- Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Group, School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
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19
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Ippolito S, Naudot V, Noonburg EG. Alternative Stable States, Coral Reefs, and Smooth Dynamics with a Kick. Bull Math Biol 2016; 78:413-35. [DOI: 10.1007/s11538-016-0148-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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20
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Hartley SE, Green JP, Massey FP, Press MCP, Stewart AJA, John EA. Hemiparasitic plant impacts animal and plant communities across four trophic levels. Ecology 2015; 96:2408-16. [DOI: 10.1890/14-1244.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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21
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Mumby PJ, van Woesik R. Consequences of ecological, evolutionary and biogeochemical uncertainty for coral reef responses to climatic stress. Curr Biol 2015; 24:R413-23. [PMID: 24845674 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Coral reefs are highly sensitive to the stress associated with greenhouse gas emissions, in particular ocean warming and acidification. While experiments show negative responses of most reef organisms to ocean warming, some autotrophs benefit from ocean acidification. Yet, we are uncertain of the response of coral reefs as systems. We begin by reviewing sources of uncertainty and complexity including the translation of physiological effects into demographic processes, indirect ecological interactions among species, the ability of coral reefs to modify their own chemistry, adaptation and trans-generational plasticity. We then incorporate these uncertainties into two simple qualitative models of a coral reef system under climate change. Some sources of uncertainty are far more problematic than others. Climate change is predicted to have an unambiguous negative effect on corals that is robust to several sources of uncertainty but sensitive to the degree of biogeochemical coupling between benthos and seawater. Macroalgal, zoanthid, and herbivorous fish populations are generally predicted to increase, but the ambiguity (confidence) of such predictions are sensitive to the source of uncertainty. For example, reversing the effect of climate-related stress on macroalgae from being positive to negative had no influence on system behaviour. By contrast, the system was highly sensitive to a change in the stress upon herbivorous fishes. Minor changes in competitive interactions had profound impacts on system behaviour, implying that the outcomes of mesocosm studies could be highly sensitive to the choice of taxa. We use our analysis to identify new hypotheses and suggest that the effects of climatic stress on coral reefs provide an exceptional opportunity to test emerging theories of ecological inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Mumby
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab & ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.
| | - Robert van Woesik
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, 150 West University Blvd, Melbourne, Florida, 32901, USA
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22
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Indirect human impacts turn off reciprocal feedbacks and decrease ecosystem resilience. Oecologia 2014; 178:231-7. [PMID: 25432574 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-3166-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2014] [Accepted: 11/14/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Creek bank salt marsh die-off is a conservation problem in New England, driven by predator depletion, which releases herbivores from consumer control. Many marshes, however, have begun to recover from die-off. We examined the hypothesis that the loss of the foundation species Spartina alterniflora has decreased facilitator populations, weakening reciprocal positive plant/animal feedbacks, resilience, and slowing recovery. Field surveys and experiments revealed that loss of Spartina leads to decreased biodiversity, and increased mortality and decreased growth of the ribbed mussel Geukensia demissa, a key facilitator of Spartina. Experimental addition of Geukensia facilitators to creek banks accelerated Spartina recovery, showing that their loss limits recovery and the reciprocal feedbacks that drive community resilience. Reciprocal positive feedbacks involving foundation species, often lost to human impacts, may be a common, but generally overlooked mechanism of ecosystem resilience, making their reestablishment a valuable restoration tool.
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23
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Edmunds PJ, Adjeroud M, Baskett ML, Baums IB, Budd AF, Carpenter RC, Fabina NS, Fan TY, Franklin EC, Gross K, Han X, Jacobson L, Klaus JS, McClanahan TR, O'Leary JK, van Oppen MJH, Pochon X, Putnam HM, Smith TB, Stat M, Sweatman H, van Woesik R, Gates RD. Persistence and change in community composition of reef corals through present, past, and future climates. PLoS One 2014; 9:e107525. [PMID: 25272143 PMCID: PMC4182679 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 08/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The reduction in coral cover on many contemporary tropical reefs suggests a different set of coral community assemblages will dominate future reefs. To evaluate the capacity of reef corals to persist over various time scales, we examined coral community dynamics in contemporary, fossil, and simulated future coral reef ecosystems. Based on studies between 1987 and 2012 at two locations in the Caribbean, and between 1981 and 2013 at five locations in the Indo-Pacific, we show that many coral genera declined in abundance, some showed no change in abundance, and a few coral genera increased in abundance. Whether the abundance of a genus declined, increased, or was conserved, was independent of coral family. An analysis of fossil-reef communities in the Caribbean revealed changes in numerical dominance and relative abundances of coral genera, and demonstrated that neither dominance nor taxon was associated with persistence. As coral family was a poor predictor of performance on contemporary reefs, a trait-based, dynamic, multi-patch model was developed to explore the phenotypic basis of ecological performance in a warmer future. Sensitivity analyses revealed that upon exposure to thermal stress, thermal tolerance, growth rate, and longevity were the most important predictors of coral persistence. Together, our results underscore the high variation in the rates and direction of change in coral abundances on contemporary and fossil reefs. Given this variation, it remains possible that coral reefs will be populated by a subset of the present coral fauna in a future that is warmer than the recent past.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. Edmunds
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, California, United States of America
| | - Mehdi Adjeroud
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Unité de Recherche CoReUs, Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
- Laboratoire d'Excellence "CORAIL", Perpignan, France
| | - Marissa L. Baskett
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Iliana B. Baums
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Ann F. Budd
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Robert C. Carpenter
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, California, United States of America
| | - Nicholas S. Fabina
- Center for Population Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Tung-Yung Fan
- National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Erik C. Franklin
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawaii, United States of America
| | - Kevin Gross
- Biomathematics Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Xueying Han
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology and the Coastal Research Center, Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Lianne Jacobson
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, California, United States of America
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - James S. Klaus
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, United States of America
| | - Tim R. McClanahan
- Wildlife Conservation Society, Marine Program, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Jennifer K. O'Leary
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | | | | | - Hollie M. Putnam
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawaii, United States of America
| | - Tyler B. Smith
- Center for Marine and Environmental Studies, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, United States of America
| | - Michael Stat
- The University of Western Australia Oceans Institute and the Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Hugh Sweatman
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Robert van Woesik
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Florida, United States of America
| | - Ruth D. Gates
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawaii, United States of America
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24
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Adam TC, Brooks AJ, Holbrook SJ, Schmitt RJ, Washburn L, Bernardi G. How will coral reef fish communities respond to climate-driven disturbances? Insight from landscape-scale perturbations. Oecologia 2014; 176:285-96. [PMID: 25070649 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-014-3011-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2013] [Accepted: 06/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Global climate change is rapidly altering disturbance regimes in many ecosystems including coral reefs, yet the long-term impacts of these changes on ecosystem structure and function are difficult to predict. A major ecosystem service provided by coral reefs is the provisioning of physical habitat for other organisms, and consequently, many of the effects of climate change on coral reefs will be mediated by their impacts on habitat structure. Therefore, there is an urgent need to understand the independent and combined effects of coral mortality and loss of physical habitat on reef-associated biota. Here, we use a unique series of events affecting the coral reefs around the Pacific island of Moorea, French Polynesia to differentiate between the impacts of coral mortality and the degradation of physical habitat on the structure of reef fish communities. We found that, by removing large amounts of physical habitat, a tropical cyclone had larger impacts on reef fish communities than an outbreak of coral-eating sea stars that caused widespread coral mortality but left the physical structure intact. In addition, the impacts of declining structural complexity on reef fish assemblages accelerated as structure became increasingly rare. Structure provided by dead coral colonies can take up to decades to erode following coral mortality, and, consequently, our results suggest that predictions based on short-term studies are likely to grossly underestimate the long-term impacts of coral decline on reef fish communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Adam
- Coastal Research Center, Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA,
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25
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Coral reef community composition in the context of disturbance history on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. PLoS One 2014; 9:e101204. [PMID: 24983747 PMCID: PMC4077760 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2013] [Accepted: 06/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Much research on coral reefs has documented differential declines in coral and associated organisms. In order to contextualise this general degradation, research on community composition is necessary in the context of varied disturbance histories and the biological processes and physical features thought to retard or promote recovery. We conducted a spatial assessment of coral reef communities across five reefs of the central Great Barrier Reef, Australia, with known disturbance histories, and assessed patterns of coral cover and community composition related to a range of other variables thought to be important for reef dynamics. Two of the reefs had not been extensively disturbed for at least 15 years prior to the surveys. Three of the reefs had been severely impacted by crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks and coral bleaching approximately a decade before the surveys, from which only one of them was showing signs of recovery based on independent surveys. We incorporated wave exposure (sheltered and exposed) and reef zone (slope, crest and flat) into our design, providing a comprehensive assessment of the spatial patterns in community composition on these reefs. Categorising corals into life history groupings, we document major coral community differences in the unrecovered reefs, compared to the composition and covers found on the undisturbed reefs. The recovered reef, despite having similar coral cover, had a different community composition from the undisturbed reefs, which may indicate slow successional processes, or a different natural community dominance pattern due to hydrology and other oceanographic factors. The variables that best correlated with patterns in the coral community among sites included the density of juvenile corals, herbivore fish biomass, fish species richness and the cover of macroalgae. Given increasing impacts to the Great Barrier Reef, efforts to mitigate local stressors will be imperative to encouraging coral communities to persist into the future.
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26
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Nash KL, Allen CR, Angeler DG, Barichievy C, Eason T, Garmestani AS, Graham NAJ, Granholm D, Knutson M, Nelson RJ, Nyström M, Stow CA, Sundstrom SM. Discontinuities, cross-scale patterns, and the organization of ecosystems. Ecology 2014; 95:654-67. [DOI: 10.1890/13-1315.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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27
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Vallès H, Oxenford HA. Parrotfish size: a simple yet useful alternative indicator of fishing effects on Caribbean reefs? PLoS One 2014; 9:e86291. [PMID: 24466009 PMCID: PMC3896469 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0086291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2013] [Accepted: 12/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
There is great need to identify simple yet reliable indicators of fishing effects within the multi-species, multi-gear, data-poor fisheries of the Caribbean. Here, we investigate links between fishing pressure and three simple fish metrics, i.e. average fish weight (an estimate of average individual fish size), fish density and fish biomass, derived from (1) the parrotfish family, a ubiquitous herbivore family across the Caribbean, and (2) three fish groups of "commercial" carnivores including snappers and groupers, which are widely-used as indicators of fishing effects. We hypothesize that, because most Caribbean reefs are being heavily fished, fish metrics derived from the less vulnerable parrotfish group would exhibit stronger relationships with fishing pressure on today's Caribbean reefs than those derived from the highly vulnerable commercial fish groups. We used data from 348 Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) reef-surveys across the Caribbean to assess relationships between two independent indices of fishing pressure (one derived from human population density data, the other from open to fishing versus protected status) and the three fish metrics derived from the four aforementioned fish groups. We found that, although two fish metrics, average parrotfish weight and combined biomass of selected commercial species, were consistently negatively linked to the indices of fishing pressure across the Caribbean, the parrotfish metric consistently outranked the latter in the strength of the relationship, thus supporting our hypothesis. Overall, our study highlights that (assemblage-level) average parrotfish size might be a useful alternative indicator of fishing effects over the typical conditions of most Caribbean shallow reefs: moderate-to-heavy levels of fishing and low abundance of highly valued commercial species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henri Vallès
- Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Cave Hill, Barbados
| | - Hazel A. Oxenford
- Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES), The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Cave Hill, Barbados
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28
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Smith TB, Brandt ME, Calnan JM, Nemeth RS, Blondeau J, Kadison E, Taylor M, Rothenberger P. Convergent mortality responses of Caribbean coral species to seawater warming. Ecosphere 2013. [DOI: 10.1890/es13-00107.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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