1
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Price JT, McLachlan RH, Jury CP, Toonen RJ, Wilkins MJ, Grottoli AG. Long-term coral microbial community acclimatization is associated with coral survival in a changing climate. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291503. [PMID: 37738222 PMCID: PMC10516427 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The plasticity of some coral-associated microbial communities under stressors like warming and ocean acidification suggests the microbiome has a role in the acclimatization of corals to future ocean conditions. Here, we evaluated the acclimatization potential of coral-associated microbial communities of four Hawaiian coral species (Porites compressa, Porites lobata, Montipora capitata, and Pocillopora acuta) over 22-month mesocosm experiment. The corals were exposed to one of four treatments: control, ocean acidification, ocean warming, or combined future ocean conditions. Over the 22-month study, 33-67% of corals died or experienced a loss of most live tissue coverage in the ocean warming and future ocean treatments while only 0-10% died in the ocean acidification and control. Among the survivors, coral-associated microbial communities responded to the chronic future ocean treatment in one of two ways: (1) microbial communities differed between the control and future ocean treatment, suggesting the potential capacity for acclimatization, or (2) microbial communities did not significantly differ between the control and future ocean treatment. The first strategy was observed in both Porites species and was associated with higher survivorship compared to M. capitata and P. acuta which exhibited the second strategy. Interestingly, the microbial community responses to chronic stressors were independent of coral physiology. These findings indicate acclimatization of microbial communities may confer resilience in some species of corals to chronic warming associated with climate change. However, M. capitata genets that survived the future ocean treatment hosted significantly different microbial communities from those that died, suggesting the microbial communities of the survivors conferred some resilience. Thus, even among coral species with inflexible microbial communities, some individuals may already be tolerant to future ocean conditions. These findings suggest that coral-associated microbial communities could play an important role in the persistence of some corals and underlie climate change-driven shifts in coral community composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- James T. Price
- School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Rowan H. McLachlan
- School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Christopher P. Jury
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
| | - Robert J. Toonen
- Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai‘i, United States of America
| | - Michael J. Wilkins
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Andréa G. Grottoli
- School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
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2
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Pérez‐Rosales G, Pichon M, Rouzé H, Villeger S, Torda G, Bongaerts P, Carlot J, Parravicini V, Hédouin L, Bardout G, Fauchet J, Ferucci A, Gazzola F, Lagarrigue G, Leblond J, Marivint E, Mittau A, Mollon N, Paulme N, Périé‐Bardout E, Pete R, Pujolle S, Siu G. Mesophotic coral ecosystems of French Polynesia are hotspots of alpha and beta generic diversity for scleractinian assemblages. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Pérez‐Rosales
- PSL Research University EPHE‐UPVD‐CNRS USR 3278 CRIOBE Moorea French Polynesia
- PSL Université Paris: EPHE‐UPVD‐CNRS USR 3278 CRIOBE Université de Perpignan Perpignan Cedex France
| | - Michel Pichon
- Biodiversity Section Queensland Museum Townsville Queensland Australia
| | - Héloïse Rouzé
- PSL Université Paris: EPHE‐UPVD‐CNRS USR 3278 CRIOBE Université de Perpignan Perpignan Cedex France
- Marine Laboratory University of Guam Mangilao Guam USA
| | | | - Gergely Torda
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies James Cook University Townsville Queensland Australia
| | - Pim Bongaerts
- California Academy of Sciences San Francisco California USA
| | - Jeremey Carlot
- PSL Université Paris: EPHE‐UPVD‐CNRS USR 3278 CRIOBE Université de Perpignan Perpignan Cedex France
| | - Valeriano Parravicini
- PSL Université Paris: EPHE‐UPVD‐CNRS USR 3278 CRIOBE Université de Perpignan Perpignan Cedex France
| | - Laetitia Hédouin
- PSL Research University EPHE‐UPVD‐CNRS USR 3278 CRIOBE Moorea French Polynesia
- PSL Université Paris: EPHE‐UPVD‐CNRS USR 3278 CRIOBE Université de Perpignan Perpignan Cedex France
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3
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Speare KE, Adam TC, Winslow EM, Lenihan HS, Burkepile DE. Size-dependent mortality of corals during marine heatwave erodes recovery capacity of a coral reef. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:1342-1358. [PMID: 34908214 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
For many long-lived taxa, such as trees and corals, older, and larger individuals often have the lowest mortality and highest fecundity. However, climate change-driven disturbances such as droughts and heatwaves may fundamentally alter typical size-dependent patterns of mortality and reproduction in these important foundation taxa. Working in Moorea, French Polynesia, we investigated how a marine heatwave in 2019, one of the most intense marine heatwaves at our sites over the past 30 years, drove patterns of coral bleaching and mortality. The marine heatwave drove island-wide mass coral bleaching that killed up to 76% and 65% of the largest individuals of the two dominant coral genera, Pocillopora and Acropora, respectively. Colonies of Pocillopora and Acropora ≥30 cm diameter were ~3.5× and ~1.3×, respectively, more likely to die than colonies <30-cm diameter. Typically, annual mortality in these corals is concentrated on the smallest size classes. Yet, this heatwave dramatically reshaped this pattern, with heat stress disproportionately killing larger coral colonies and equalizing annual mortality rates across the size spectrum. This shift in the size-mortality relationship reduced the overall fecundity of these genera by >60% because big corals are disproportionately important for reproduction on reefs. Additionally, the survivorship of microscopic coral recruits, critical for the recovery of corals following disturbances, declined to 2%, over an order of magnitude lower compared to a year without elevated thermal stress, where 33% of coral recruits survived. While other research has shown that larger corals can bleach more frequently than smaller corals, we show the severe impact this phenomenon can have at the reef-wide scale. As marine heatwaves become more frequent and intense, disproportionate mortality of the largest, most fecund corals and near-complete loss of entire cohorts of newly-settled coral recruits will likely reduce the recovery capacity of these iconic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E Speare
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Thomas C Adam
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Erin M Winslow
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Hunter S Lenihan
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Deron E Burkepile
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
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4
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Clements CS, Hay ME. Biodiversity has a positive but saturating effect on imperiled coral reefs. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabi8592. [PMID: 34644117 PMCID: PMC8514098 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abi8592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Species loss threatens ecosystems worldwide, but the ecological processes and thresholds that underpin positive biodiversity effects among critically important foundation species, such as corals on tropical reefs, remain inadequately understood. In field experiments, we manipulated coral species richness and intraspecific density to test whether, and how, biodiversity affects coral productivity and survival. Corals performed better in mixed species assemblages. Improved performance was unexplained by competition theory alone, suggesting that positive effects exceeded agonistic interactions during our experiments. Peak coral performance occurred at intermediate species richness and declined thereafter. Positive effects of coral diversity suggest that species’ losses on degraded reefs make recovery more difficult and further decline more likely. Harnessing these positive interactions may improve ecosystem conservation and restoration in a changing ocean.
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5
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Pérez-Rosales G, Brandl SJ, Chancerelle Y, Siu G, Martinez E, Parravicini V, Hédouin L. Documenting decadal disturbance dynamics reveals archipelago-specific recovery and compositional change on Polynesian reefs. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 170:112659. [PMID: 34217050 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Coral reefs are declining at an unprecedented rate as a consequence of local and global stressors. Using a 26-year monitoring database, we analyzed the loss and recovery dynamics of coral communities across seven islands and three archipelagos in French Polynesia. Reefs in the Society Islands recovered relatively quickly after disturbances, which was driven by the recovery of corals in the genus Pocillopora (84% of the total recovery). In contrast, reefs in the Tuamotu and Austral archipelagos recovered poorly or not at all. Across archipelagos, predation by crown-of-thorns starfish and destruction by cyclones outweighed the effects of heat stress events on coral mortality. Despite the apparently limited effect of temperature-mediated stressors, the homogenization of coral communities towards dominance of Pocillopora in the Society Archipelago and the failure to fully recover from disturbances in the other two archipelagos concern the resilience of Polynesian coral communities in the face of intensifying climate-driven stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Pérez-Rosales
- PSL Research University: EPHE-CNRS-UPVD, USR 3278 CRIOBE, BP 1013, 98729 Papetoai, Mo'orea, French Polynesia; Laboratoire d'Excellence « CORAIL », Mo'orea, French Polynesia.
| | - Simon J Brandl
- PSL Research University: EPHE-CNRS-UPVD, USR 3278 CRIOBE, BP 1013, 98729 Papetoai, Mo'orea, French Polynesia; Laboratoire d'Excellence « CORAIL », Mo'orea, French Polynesia; CESAB - FRB, 5 Rue de l'École de Médecine, 34000 Montpellier, France; Department of Marine Science, The University of Texas at Austin, Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, TX 78373, USA
| | - Yannick Chancerelle
- PSL Research University: EPHE-CNRS-UPVD, USR 3278 CRIOBE, BP 1013, 98729 Papetoai, Mo'orea, French Polynesia; Laboratoire d'Excellence « CORAIL », Mo'orea, French Polynesia
| | - Gilles Siu
- PSL Research University: EPHE-CNRS-UPVD, USR 3278 CRIOBE, BP 1013, 98729 Papetoai, Mo'orea, French Polynesia; Laboratoire d'Excellence « CORAIL », Mo'orea, French Polynesia
| | - Elodie Martinez
- University of Brest, IRD, CNRS, Ifremer, Laboratoire d'Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (LOPS), IUEM, 29200 Brest, France
| | - Valeriano Parravicini
- PSL Research University: EPHE-CNRS-UPVD, USR 3278 CRIOBE, BP 1013, 98729 Papetoai, Mo'orea, French Polynesia; Laboratoire d'Excellence « CORAIL », Mo'orea, French Polynesia
| | - Laetitia Hédouin
- PSL Research University: EPHE-CNRS-UPVD, USR 3278 CRIOBE, BP 1013, 98729 Papetoai, Mo'orea, French Polynesia; Laboratoire d'Excellence « CORAIL », Mo'orea, French Polynesia
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6
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Evensen NR, Bozec YM, Edmunds PJ, Mumby PJ. Scaling the effects of ocean acidification on coral growth and coral-coral competition on coral community recovery. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11608. [PMID: 34306826 PMCID: PMC8284307 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11608] [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: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Ocean acidification (OA) is negatively affecting calcification in a wide variety of marine organisms. These effects are acute for many tropical scleractinian corals under short-term experimental conditions, but it is unclear how these effects interact with ecological processes, such as competition for space, to impact coral communities over multiple years. This study sought to test the use of individual-based models (IBMs) as a tool to scale up the effects of OA recorded in short-term studies to community-scale impacts, combining data from field surveys and mesocosm experiments to parameterize an IBM of coral community recovery on the fore reef of Moorea, French Polynesia. Focusing on the dominant coral genera from the fore reef, Pocillopora, Acropora, Montipora and Porites, model efficacy first was evaluated through the comparison of simulated and empirical dynamics from 2010-2016, when the reef was recovering from sequential acute disturbances (a crown-of-thorns seastar outbreak followed by a cyclone) that reduced coral cover to ~0% by 2010. The model then was used to evaluate how the effects of OA (1,100-1,200 µatm pCO2) on coral growth and competition among corals affected recovery rates (as assessed by changes in % cover y-1) of each coral population between 2010-2016. The model indicated that recovery rates for the fore reef community was halved by OA over 7 years, with cover increasing at 11% y-1 under ambient conditions and 4.8% y-1 under OA conditions. However, when OA was implemented to affect coral growth and not competition among corals, coral community recovery increased to 7.2% y-1, highlighting mechanisms other than growth suppression (i.e., competition), through which OA can impact recovery. Our study reveals the potential for IBMs to assess the impacts of OA on coral communities at temporal and spatial scales beyond the capabilities of experimental studies, but this potential will not be realized unless empirical analyses address a wider variety of response variables representing ecological, physiological and functional domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas R Evensen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, United States.,Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia.,Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, Northridge, CA, United States
| | - Yves-Marie Bozec
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, Northridge, CA, United States
| | - Peter J Edmunds
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Peter J Mumby
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, Northridge, CA, United States
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7
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Cowles J, Templeton L, Battles JJ, Edmunds PJ, Carpenter RC, Carpenter SR, Paul Nelson M, Cleavitt NL, Fahey TJ, Groffman PM, Sullivan JH, Neel MC, Hansen GJA, Hobbie S, Holbrook SJ, Kazanski CE, Seabloom EW, Schmitt RJ, Stanley EH, Tepley AJ, Doorn NS, Vander Zanden JM. Resilience: insights from the U.S. LongTerm Ecological Research Network. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jane Cowles
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota55108USA
| | - Laura Templeton
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture University of Maryland College Park Maryland20742USA
- City University of New York Advanced Science Research Center at the Graduate Center New York New York10031USA
| | - John J. Battles
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California, Berkeley Berkeley California94720USA
| | - Peter J. Edmunds
- Department of Biology California State University Northridge California91330USA
| | - Robert C. Carpenter
- Department of Biology California State University Northridge California91330USA
| | | | - Michael Paul Nelson
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon97331USA
| | | | - Timothy J. Fahey
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon97331USA
| | - Peter M. Groffman
- City University of New York Advanced Science Research Center at the Graduate Center New York New York10031USA
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies 2801 Sharon Turnpike Millbrook New York12545USA
| | - Joe H. Sullivan
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture University of Maryland College Park Maryland20742USA
| | - Maile C. Neel
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture University of Maryland College Park Maryland20742USA
| | - Gretchen J. A. Hansen
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota55108USA
| | - Sarah Hobbie
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota55108USA
| | - Sally J. Holbrook
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology and Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California93106USA
| | - Clare E. Kazanski
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota55108USA
| | - Eric W. Seabloom
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior University of Minnesota St. Paul Minnesota55108USA
| | - Russell J. Schmitt
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology and Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California93106USA
| | - Emily H. Stanley
- Center for Limnology University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin53706USA
| | - Alan J. Tepley
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Front Royal Virginia22630USA
| | - Natalie S. Doorn
- USDA Forest ServicePacific Southwest Research Station, Urban Ecosystems and Social Dynamics Program Albany California94710USA
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8
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Dubé CE, Boissin E, Mercière A, Planes S. Parentage analyses identify local dispersal events and sibling aggregations in a natural population of Millepora hydrocorals, a free-spawning marine invertebrate. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:1508-1522. [PMID: 32227655 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Dispersal is a critical process for the persistence and productivity of marine populations. For many reef species, there is increasing evidence that local demography and self-recruitment have major consequences on their genetic diversity and adaptation to environmental change. Yet empirical data of dispersal patterns in reef-building species remain scarce. Here, we document the first genetic estimates of self-recruitment and dispersal distances in a free-spawning marine invertebrate, the hydrocoral Millepora cf. platyphylla. Using twelve microsatellite markers, we gathered genotypic information from 3,160 georeferenced colonies collected over 27,000 m2 of a single reef in three adjacent habitats in Moorea, French Polynesia; the mid slope, upper slope, and back reef. Although the adult population was predominantly clonal (85% were clones), our parentage analysis revealed a moderate self-recruitment rate with a minimum of 8% of sexual propagules produced locally. Assigned offspring often settled at <10 m from their parents and dispersal events decrease with increasing geographic distance. There were no discrepancies between the dispersal distances of offspring assigned to parents belonging to clonal versus nonclonal genotypes. Interhabitat dispersal events via cross-reef transport were also detected for sexual and asexual propagules. Sibship analysis showed that full siblings recruit nearby on the reef (more than 40% settled at <30 m), resulting in sibling aggregations. Our findings highlight the importance of self-recruitment together with clonality in stabilizing population dynamics, which may ultimately enhance local sustainability and resilience to disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline E Dubé
- PSL Research University: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Université de Perpignan, Perpignan Cedex, France.,Laboratoire d'Excellence "CORAIL", Papetoai, Moorea, French Polynesia
| | - Emilie Boissin
- PSL Research University: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Université de Perpignan, Perpignan Cedex, France.,Laboratoire d'Excellence "CORAIL", Papetoai, Moorea, French Polynesia
| | - Alexandre Mercière
- PSL Research University: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Université de Perpignan, Perpignan Cedex, France.,Laboratoire d'Excellence "CORAIL", Papetoai, Moorea, French Polynesia
| | - Serge Planes
- PSL Research University: EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Université de Perpignan, Perpignan Cedex, France.,Laboratoire d'Excellence "CORAIL", Papetoai, Moorea, French Polynesia
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9
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Vercelloni J, Kayal M, Chancerelle Y, Planes S. Exposure, vulnerability, and resiliency of French Polynesian coral reefs to environmental disturbances. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1027. [PMID: 30705361 PMCID: PMC6355954 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-38228-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Preserving coral reef resilience is a major challenge in the Anthropocene, yet recent studies demonstrate failures of reef recovery from disturbance, globally. The wide and vigorous outer-reef system of French Polynesia presents a rare opportunity to assess ecosystem resilience to disturbances at a large-scale equivalent to the size of Europe. In this purpose, we analysed long-term data on coral community dynamics and combine the mixed-effects regression framework with a set of functional response models to evaluate coral recovery trajectories. Analyses of 14 years data across 17 reefs allowed estimating impacts of a cyclone, bleaching event and crown-of-thorns starfish outbreak, which generated divergence and asynchrony in coral community trajectory. We evaluated reef resilience by quantifying levels of exposure, degrees of vulnerability, and descriptors of recovery of coral communities in the face of disturbances. Our results show an outstanding rate of coral recovery, with a systematic return to the pre-disturbance state within only 5 to 10 years. Differences in the impacts of disturbances among reefs and in the levels of vulnerability of coral taxa to these events resulted in diverse recovery patterns. The consistent recovery of coral communities, and convergence toward pre-disturbance community structures, reveals that the processes that regulate ecosystem recovery still prevail in French Polynesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Vercelloni
- École pratique des hautes études, PSL Research University, UPVD, CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, BP 1013, 98729, Papetoai, Moorea, French Polynesia. .,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
| | - Mohsen Kayal
- École pratique des hautes études, PSL Research University, UPVD, CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, BP 1013, 98729, Papetoai, Moorea, French Polynesia.,Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens, UPVD, CNRS, UMR 5110, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, France.,Centre de Recherche sur les Ecosystèmes Marins, Impasse du solarium, 66420, Port-Barcarès, France
| | - Yannick Chancerelle
- École pratique des hautes études, PSL Research University, UPVD, CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, BP 1013, 98729, Papetoai, Moorea, French Polynesia.,Laboratoire d'Excellence "CORAIL", Université de Perpignan, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, France
| | - Serge Planes
- École pratique des hautes études, PSL Research University, UPVD, CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, BP 1013, 98729, Papetoai, Moorea, French Polynesia.,Laboratoire d'Excellence "CORAIL", Université de Perpignan, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, France
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10
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Edmunds PJ. Implications of high rates of sexual recruitment in driving rapid reef recovery in Mo'orea, French Polynesia. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16615. [PMID: 30413729 PMCID: PMC6226471 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34686-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral abundance continues to decline on tropical reefs around the world, and this trend suggests that coral reefs may not persist beyond the current century. In contrast, this study describes the near-complete mortality of corals on the outer reef (10 m and 17 m depth) of the north shore of Mo’orea, French Polynesia, from 2005 to 2010, followed by unprecedented recovery from 2011 to 2017. Intense corallivory and a cyclone drove coral cover from 33–48% to <3% by 2010, but over the following seven years, recovery occurred through rapid population growth (up to 12% cover y−1) to 25–74% cover by 2017. The thirteen-year, U-shape trajectory of coral cover over time created by the loss and replacement of millions of corals through sexual reproduction underscores the potential for beneficial genetic responses to environmental conditions for at least one genus, Pocillopora. The high ecological resilience of this coral community appears to have been enhanced by variation among genera in the susceptibility to declining cover, and the capacity for population growth (i.e., response diversity). These results suggest that the outer coral communities of Mo’orea may be poised for genetic changes that could affect their capacity to persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Edmunds
- Department of Biology, California State University, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA, 91330-8303, USA.
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11
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Edmunds PJ, Nelson HR, Bramanti L. Density‐dependence mediates coral assemblage structure. Ecology 2018; 99:2605-2613. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. Edmunds
- Department of Biology California State University 18111 Nordhoff Street Northridge California 91330‐8303 USA
| | - Hannah R. Nelson
- Department of Biology California State University 18111 Nordhoff Street Northridge California 91330‐8303 USA
- Center for Population Biology University of California, Davis One Shields Avenue Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Lorenzo Bramanti
- Department of Biology California State University 18111 Nordhoff Street Northridge California 91330‐8303 USA
- Sorbonne Université CNRS Laboratoire d'Ecogeochimie des Environnements Benthiques (LECOB) Observatoire Oceanologique 66650 Banyuls sur Mer France
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12
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Adjeroud M, Kayal M, Iborra-Cantonnet C, Vercelloni J, Bosserelle P, Liao V, Chancerelle Y, Claudet J, Penin L. Recovery of coral assemblages despite acute and recurrent disturbances on a South Central Pacific reef. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9680. [PMID: 29946062 PMCID: PMC6018695 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27891-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral reefs are increasingly threatened by various types of disturbances, and their recovery is challenged by accelerating, human-induced environmental changes. Recurrent disturbances reduce the pool of mature adult colonies of reef-building corals and undermine post-disturbance recovery from newly settled recruits. Using a long-term interannual data set, we show that coral assemblages on the reef slope of Moorea, French Polynesia, have maintained a high capacity to recover despite a unique frequency of large-scale disturbances which, since the 1990s, have caused catastrophic declines in coral cover and abundance. In 2014, only four years after one of the most extreme cases of coral decline documented, abundance of juvenile and adult colonies had regained or exceeded pre-disturbance levels, and no phase-shift to macroalgal dominance was recorded. This rapid recovery has been achieved despite constantly low coral recruitment rates, suggesting a high post-disturbance survivorship of recruits. However, taxonomic differences in coral susceptibility to disturbances and contrasting recovery trajectories have resulted in changes in the relative composition of species. In the present context of global coral reef decline, our study establishes a new benchmark for the capacity of certain benthic reef communities to sustain and recover their coral cover from repeated, intense disturbances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Adjeroud
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR 9220 ENTROPIE, UPVD 52 avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, France.
- Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Perpignan, France.
| | - Mohsen Kayal
- USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l'Environnement, UPVD 52 avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, France
| | - Claudie Iborra-Cantonnet
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR 9220 ENTROPIE, UPVD 52 avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, France
| | - Julie Vercelloni
- Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Queensland, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Queensland, Australia
| | - Pauline Bosserelle
- Pacific Community (SPC), Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystem division, BP D5, 98848, Noumea, New Caledonia
| | - Vetea Liao
- USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l'Environnement, UPVD 52 avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, France
| | - Yannick Chancerelle
- USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l'Environnement, UPVD 52 avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, France
| | - Joachim Claudet
- Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Perpignan, France
- National Center for Scientific Research, PSL Université Paris, CRIOBE, USR 3278 CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Maison des Océans, 195 rue Saint-Jacques, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Lucie Penin
- Laboratoire d'Excellence CORAIL, Perpignan, France
- Université de la Réunion, UMR 9220 ENTROPIE, 15 avenue René Cassin CS 92003, 97744, Saint Denis, Cédex 9, La Réunion, France
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Edmunds PJ. Unusually high coral recruitment during the 2016 El Niño in Mo'orea, French Polynesia. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0185167. [PMID: 29016624 PMCID: PMC5634549 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The negative implications of the thermal sensitivity of reef corals became clear with coral bleaching throughout the Caribbean in the 1980’s, and later globally, with the severe El Niño of 1998 and extensive seawater warming in 2005. These events have substantially contributed to declines in coral cover, and therefore the El Niño of 2016 raised concerns over the implications for coral reefs; on the Great Barrier Reef these concerns have been realized. A different outcome developed in Mo’orea, French Polynesia, where in situ seawater temperature from 15 March 2016 to 15 April 2016 was an average of 0.4°C above the upper 95% CI of the decadal mean temperature, and the NOAA Degree Heating Weeks (DHW) metric supported a Level 1 bleaching alert (DHW ≥ 4.0). Starting 1 September 2016 and for the rest of the year (122 d), in situ seawater temperature was an average of 0.4°C above the 95% CI of long-term values, although DHW remained at zero. Minor coral bleaching (0.2–2.6% of the coral) occurred on the outer reef (10-m and 17-m depth) in April 2016, by May 2016 it had intensified to affect 1.3–16.8% of the coral, but by August 2016, only 1.4–3.0% of the coral was bleached. Relative to the previous decade, recruitment of scleractinians to settlement tiles on the outer- (10 m) and back- (2 m) reef over 2016/17 was high, both from January 2016 to August 2016, and from August 2016 to January 2017, with increased relative abundances of pocilloporids on the outer reef, and acroporids in the back reef. The 2016 El Niño created a distinctive signature in seawater temperature for Mo’orea, but it did not cause widespread coral bleaching or mortality, rather, it was associated with high coral recruitment. While the 2016 El Niño has negatively affected other coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific, the coral communities of Mo’orea continue to show signs of resilience, thus cautioning against general statements regarding the effects of the 2015/16 El Niño on coral reefs in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. Edmunds
- Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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14
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Dubé CE, Mercière A, Vermeij MJA, Planes S. Population structure of the hydrocoral Millepora platyphylla in habitats experiencing different flow regimes in Moorea, French Polynesia. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0173513. [PMID: 28273119 PMCID: PMC5342305 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
While the fire coral Millepora platyphylla is an important component of Indo-Pacific reefs, where it thrives in a wide range of environments, the ecological and biological processes driving its distribution and population structure are not well understood. Here, we quantified this species’ population structure in five habitats with contrasting hydrodynamic regimes in Moorea, French Polynesia; two in the fore reef: mid and upper slopes, and three in the lagoon: back, fringing and patch reefs. A total of 3651 colonies of fire corals were mapped and measured over 45,000 m2 of surveyed reef. Due to the species’ sensitivity to fragmentation in response to strong water movement, hydrodynamic conditions (e.g. waves, pass and lagoonal circulation) corresponded to marked differences in colony size distributions, morphology and recruitment dynamics among habitats. The size structure varied among reef habitats with higher proportions of larger colonies in calm nearshore reefs (fringing and patch reefs), while populations were dominated by smaller colonies in the exposed fore reefs. The highest densities of fire corals were recorded in fore reef habitats (0.12–0.20 n.m-2) where the proportion of recruits and juveniles was higher at mid slope populations (49.3%) than on the upper slope near where waves break (29.0%). In the latter habitat, most colonies grew as vertical sheets on encrusting bases making them more vulnerable to colony fragmentation, whereas fire corals were encrusting or massive in all other habitats. The lowest densities of M. platyphylla occurred in lagoonal habitats (0.02–0.04 n.m-2) characterized by a combination of low water movement and other physical and biological stressors. This study reports the first evidence of population structure of fire corals in two common reef environments and illustrates the importance of water flow in driving population dynamic processes of these reef-building species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline E. Dubé
- EPHE, PSL Research University, UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Perpignan, France
- Laboratoire d’excellence “CORAIL”, EPHE, PSL Research University, UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Papetoai, Moorea
- * E-mail:
| | - Alexandre Mercière
- Laboratoire d’excellence “CORAIL”, EPHE, PSL Research University, UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Papetoai, Moorea
| | - Mark J. A. Vermeij
- CARMABI Foundation, Piscaderabaai z/n, Willemstad, Curaçao
- Aquatic Microbiology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 700, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Serge Planes
- EPHE, PSL Research University, UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Perpignan, France
- Laboratoire d’excellence “CORAIL”, EPHE, PSL Research University, UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Papetoai, Moorea
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