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Rogers JGD, Plagányi ÉE, Babcock RC, Fletcher CS, Westcott DA. Improving coral cover using an integrated pest management framework. Ecol Appl 2023; 33:e2913. [PMID: 37615222 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Integrated pest management (IPM) leverages our understanding of ecological interactions to mitigate the impact of pest species on economically and/or ecologically important assets. It has primarily been applied in terrestrial settings (e.g., agriculture), but has rarely been attempted for marine ecosystems. The crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS), Acanthaster spp., is a voracious coral predator throughout the Indo-Pacific where it undergoes large population increases (irruptions), termed outbreaks. During outbreaks CoTS act as a pest species and can result in substantial coral loss. Contemporary management of CoTS on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) adopts facets of the IPM paradigm to manage these outbreaks through strategic use of direct manual control (culling) of individuals in response to ecologically based target thresholds. There has, however, been limited quantitative analysis of how to optimize the implementation of such thresholds. Here we use a multispecies modeling approach to assess the performance of alternative CoTS management scenarios for improving coral cover trajectories. The scenarios examined varied in terms of their ecological threshold target, the sensitivity of the threshold, and the level of management resourcing. Our approach illustrates how to quantify multidimensional trade-offs in resourcing constraints, concurrent CoTS and coral population dynamics, the stringency of target thresholds, and the geographical scale of management outcomes (number of sites). We found strategies with low target density thresholds for CoTS (≤0.03 CoTS min-1 ) could act as "Effort Sinks" and limit the number of sites that could be effectively controlled, particularly under CoTS population outbreaks. This was because a handful of sites took longer to control, which meant other sites were not controlled. Higher density thresholds (e.g., 0.04-0.08 CoTS min-1 ), tuned to levels of coral cover, diluted resources among sites but were more robust to resourcing constraints and pest population dynamics. Our study highlights trade-off decisions when using an IPM framework and informs the implementation of threshold-based strategies on the GBR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob G D Rogers
- School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Éva E Plagányi
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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Udyawer V, Huveneers C, Jaine F, Babcock RC, Brodie S, Buscot MJ, Campbell HA, Harcourt RG, Hoenner X, Lédée EJI, Simpfendorfer CA, Taylor MD, Armstrong A, Barnett A, Brown C, Bruce B, Butcher PA, Cadiou G, Couturier LIE, Currey-Randall L, Drew M, Dudgeon CL, Dwyer RG, Espinoza M, Ferreira LC, Fowler A, Harasti D, Harborne AR, Knott NA, Lee K, Lloyd M, Lowry M, Marzullo T, Matley J, McAllister JD, McAuley R, McGregor F, Meekan M, Mills K, Norman BM, Oh B, Payne NL, Peddemors V, Piddocke T, Pillans RD, Reina RD, Rogers P, Semmens JM, Smoothey A, Speed CW, van der Meulen D, Heupel MR. Scaling of Activity Space in Marine Organisms across Latitudinal Gradients. Am Nat 2023; 201:586-602. [PMID: 36958006 DOI: 10.1086/723405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
AbstractUnifying models have shown that the amount of space used by animals (e.g., activity space, home range) scales allometrically with body mass for terrestrial taxa; however, such relationships are far less clear for marine species. We compiled movement data from 1,596 individuals across 79 taxa collected using a continental passive acoustic telemetry network of acoustic receivers to assess allometric scaling of activity space. We found that ectothermic marine taxa do exhibit allometric scaling for activity space, with an overall scaling exponent of 0.64. However, body mass alone explained only 35% of the variation, with the remaining variation best explained by trophic position for teleosts and latitude for sharks, rays, and marine reptiles. Taxon-specific allometric relationships highlighted weaker scaling exponents among teleost fish species (0.07) than sharks (0.96), rays (0.55), and marine reptiles (0.57). The allometric scaling relationship and scaling exponents for the marine taxonomic groups examined were lower than those reported from studies that had collated both marine and terrestrial species data derived using various tracking methods. We propose that these disparities arise because previous work integrated summarized data across many studies that used differing methods for collecting and quantifying activity space, introducing considerable uncertainty into slope estimates. Our findings highlight the benefit of using large-scale, coordinated animal biotelemetry networks to address cross-taxa evolutionary and ecological questions.
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Doropoulos C, Gómez-Lemos LA, Salee K, McLaughlin MJ, Tebben J, Van Koningsveld M, Feng M, Babcock RC. Limitations to coral recovery along an environmental stress gradient. Ecol Appl 2022; 32:e2558. [PMID: 35112758 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Positive feedbacks driving habitat-forming species recovery and population growth are often lost as ecosystems degrade. For such systems, identifying mechanisms that limit the re-establishment of critical positive feedbacks is key to facilitating recovery. Theory predicts the primary drivers limiting system recovery shift from biological to physical as abiotic stress increases, but recent work has demonstrated that this seldom happens. We combined field and laboratory experiments to identify variation in limitations to coral recovery along an environmental stress gradient at Ningaloo Reef and Exmouth Gulf in northwest Australia. Many reefs in the region are coral depauperate due to recent cyclones and thermal stress. In general, recovery trajectories are prolonged due to limited coral recruitment. Consistent with theory, clearer water reefs under low thermal stress appear limited by biological interactions: competition with turf algae caused high mortality of newly settled corals and upright macroalgal stands drove mortality in transplanted juvenile corals. Laboratory experiments showed a positive relationship between crustose coralline algae cover and coral settlement, but only in the absence of sedimentation. Contrary to expectation, coral recovery does not appear limited by the survival or growth of recruits on turbid reefs under higher thermal stress, but to exceptionally low larval supply. Laboratory experiments showed that larval survival and settlement are unaffected by seawater quality across the study region. Rather, connectivity models predicted that many of the more turbid reefs in the Gulf are predominantly self seeded, receiving limited supply under degraded reef states. Overall, we find that the influence of oceanography can overwhelm the influences of physical and biological interactions on recovery potential at locations where environmental stressors are high, whereas populations in relatively benign physical conditions are predominantly structured by local ecological drivers. Such context-dependent information can help guide expectations and assist managers in optimizing strategies for spatial conservation planning for system recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luis A Gómez-Lemos
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede de La Paz - Escuela de Pregrados, La Paz, Colombia
| | - Kinam Salee
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Jan Tebben
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Mark Van Koningsveld
- Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors B.V., Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Ports and Waterways, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Ming Feng
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
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Bosch NE, Monk J, Goetze J, Wilson S, Babcock RC, Barrett N, Clough J, Currey‐Randall LM, Fairclough DV, Fisher R, Gibbons BA, Harasti D, Harvey ES, Heupel MR, Hicks JL, Holmes TH, Huveneers C, Ierodiaconou D, Jordan A, Knott NA, Malcolm HA, McLean D, Meekan M, Newman SJ, Radford B, Rees MJ, Saunders BJ, Speed CW, Travers MJ, Wakefield CB, Wernberg T, Langlois TJ. Effects of human footprint and biophysical factors on the body-size structure of fished marine species. Conserv Biol 2022; 36:e13807. [PMID: 34312893 PMCID: PMC9292308 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Marine fisheries in coastal ecosystems in many areas of the world have historically removed large-bodied individuals, potentially impairing ecosystem functioning and the long-term sustainability of fish populations. Reporting on size-based indicators that link to food-web structure can contribute to ecosystem-based management, but the application of these indicators over large (cross-ecosystem) geographical scales has been limited to either fisheries-dependent catch data or diver-based methods restricted to shallow waters (<20 m) that can misrepresent the abundance of large-bodied fished species. We obtained data on the body-size structure of 82 recreationally or commercially targeted marine demersal teleosts from 2904 deployments of baited remote underwater stereo-video (stereo-BRUV). Sampling was at up to 50 m depth and covered approximately 10,000 km of the continental shelf of Australia. Seascape relief, water depth, and human gravity (i.e., a proxy of human impacts) were the strongest predictors of the probability of occurrence of large fishes and the abundance of fishes above the minimum legal size of capture. No-take marine reserves had a positive effect on the abundance of fishes above legal size, although the effect varied across species groups. In contrast, sublegal fishes were best predicted by gradients in sea surface temperature (mean and variance). In areas of low human impact, large fishes were about three times more likely to be encountered and fishes of legal size were approximately five times more abundant. For conspicuous species groups with contrasting habitat, environmental, and biogeographic affinities, abundance of legal-size fishes typically declined as human impact increased. Our large-scale quantitative analyses highlight the combined importance of seascape complexity, regions with low human footprint, and no-take marine reserves in protecting large-bodied fishes across a broad range of species and ecosystem configurations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nestor E. Bosch
- The School of Biological SciencesThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
- The UWA Oceans InstituteThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Jacquomo Monk
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Jordan Goetze
- Marine Science Program, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of BiodiversityConservation and AttractionsKensingtonWestern AustraliaAustralia
- School of Molecular and Life SciencesCurtin UniversityPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Shaun Wilson
- The UWA Oceans InstituteThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
- Marine Science Program, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of BiodiversityConservation and AttractionsKensingtonWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | | | - Neville Barrett
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Jock Clough
- The UWA Oceans InstituteThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | | | - David V. Fairclough
- Western Australian Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories, Department of Primary Industries and Regional DevelopmentGovernment of Western AustraliaNorth BeachWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Rebecca Fisher
- The UWA Oceans InstituteThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceIndian Ocean Marine Research CentreCrawleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Brooke A. Gibbons
- The School of Biological SciencesThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
- The UWA Oceans InstituteThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - David Harasti
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries ResearchPort Stephens Fisheries InstituteTaylors BeachNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Euan S. Harvey
- School of Molecular and Life SciencesCurtin UniversityPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Michelle R. Heupel
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS)University of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
| | - Jamie L. Hicks
- Department for Environment and WaterMarine ScienceAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
| | - Thomas H. Holmes
- The UWA Oceans InstituteThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
- Marine Science Program, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of BiodiversityConservation and AttractionsKensingtonWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Charlie Huveneers
- College of Science and EngineeringFlinders UniversityBedford ParkSouth AustraliaAustralia
| | - Daniel Ierodiaconou
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative EcologyDeakin UniversityWarrnamboolVictoriaAustralia
| | - Alan Jordan
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic StudiesUniversity of TasmaniaHobartTasmaniaAustralia
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Fisheries ResearchPort Stephens Fisheries InstituteTaylors BeachNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Nathan A. Knott
- Fisheries ResearchNSW Department of Primary IndustriesCoffs HarbourNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Hamish A. Malcolm
- Fisheries ResearchNSW Department of Primary IndustriesCoffs HarbourNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Dianne McLean
- The UWA Oceans InstituteThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceIndian Ocean Marine Research CentreCrawleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Mark Meekan
- The UWA Oceans InstituteThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceIndian Ocean Marine Research CentreCrawleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Stephen J. Newman
- Western Australian Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories, Department of Primary Industries and Regional DevelopmentGovernment of Western AustraliaNorth BeachWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Ben Radford
- The UWA Oceans InstituteThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceIndian Ocean Marine Research CentreCrawleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
- School of Agriculture and EnvironmentThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Matthew J. Rees
- Fisheries ResearchNSW Department of Primary IndustriesCoffs HarbourNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Benjamin J. Saunders
- School of Molecular and Life SciencesCurtin UniversityPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Conrad W. Speed
- Australian Institute of Marine ScienceIndian Ocean Marine Research CentreCrawleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Michael J. Travers
- Western Australian Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories, Department of Primary Industries and Regional DevelopmentGovernment of Western AustraliaNorth BeachWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Corey B. Wakefield
- Western Australian Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories, Department of Primary Industries and Regional DevelopmentGovernment of Western AustraliaNorth BeachWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Thomas Wernberg
- The School of Biological SciencesThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
- The UWA Oceans InstituteThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
- Institute of Marine ResearchHisNorway
| | - Tim J. Langlois
- The School of Biological SciencesThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
- The UWA Oceans InstituteThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
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Pratchett MS, Caballes CF, Cvitanovic C, Raymundo ML, Babcock RC, Bonin MC, Bozec YM, Burn D, Byrne M, Castro-Sanguino C, Chen CCM, Condie SA, Cowan ZL, Deaker DJ, Desbiens A, Devantier LM, Doherty PJ, Doll PC, Doyle JR, Dworjanyn SA, Fabricius KE, Haywood MDE, Hock K, Hoggett AK, Høj L, Keesing JK, Kenchington RA, Lang BJ, Ling SD, Matthews SA, McCallum HI, Mellin C, Mos B, Motti CA, Mumby PJ, Stump RJW, Uthicke S, Vail L, Wolfe K, Wilson SK. Knowledge Gaps in the Biology, Ecology, and Management of the Pacific Crown-of-Thorns Sea Star Acanthaster sp. on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Biol Bull 2021; 241:330-346. [PMID: 35015620 DOI: 10.1086/717026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
AbstractCrown-of-thorns sea stars (Acanthaster sp.) are among the most studied coral reef organisms, owing to their propensity to undergo major population irruptions, which contribute to significant coral loss and reef degradation throughout the Indo-Pacific. However, there are still important knowledge gaps pertaining to the biology, ecology, and management of Acanthaster sp. Renewed efforts to advance understanding and management of Pacific crown-of-thorns sea stars (Acanthaster sp.) on Australia's Great Barrier Reef require explicit consideration of relevant and tractable knowledge gaps. Drawing on established horizon scanning methodologies, this study identified contemporary knowledge gaps by asking active and/or established crown-of-thorns sea star researchers to pose critical research questions that they believe should be addressed to improve the understanding and management of crown-of-thorns sea stars on the Great Barrier Reef. A total of 38 participants proposed 246 independent research questions, organized into 7 themes: feeding ecology, demography, distribution and abundance, predation, settlement, management, and environmental change. Questions were further assigned to 48 specific topics nested within the 7 themes. During this process, redundant questions were removed, which reduced the total number of distinct research questions to 172. Research questions posed were mostly related to themes of demography (46 questions) and management (48 questions). The dominant topics, meanwhile, were the incidence of population irruptions (16 questions), feeding ecology of larval sea stars (15 questions), effects of elevated water temperature on crown-of-thorns sea stars (13 questions), and predation on juveniles (12 questions). While the breadth of questions suggests that there is considerable research needed to improve understanding and management of crown-of-thorns sea stars on the Great Barrier Reef, the predominance of certain themes and topics suggests a major focus for new research while also providing a roadmap to guide future research efforts.
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Goetze JS, Wilson S, Radford B, Fisher R, Langlois TJ, Monk J, Knott NA, Malcolm H, Currey‐Randall LM, Ierodiaconou D, Harasti D, Barrett N, Babcock RC, Bosch NE, Brock D, Claudet J, Clough J, Fairclough DV, Heupel MR, Holmes TH, Huveneers C, Jordan AR, McLean D, Meekan M, Miller D, Newman SJ, Rees MJ, Roberts KE, Saunders BJ, Speed CW, Travers MJ, Treml E, Whitmarsh SK, Wakefield CB, Harvey ES. Increased connectivity and depth improve the effectiveness of marine reserves. Glob Chang Biol 2021; 27:3432-3447. [PMID: 34015863 PMCID: PMC8360116 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Marine reserves are a key tool for the conservation of marine biodiversity, yet only ~2.5% of the world's oceans are protected. The integration of marine reserves into connected networks representing all habitats has been encouraged by international agreements, yet the benefits of this design has not been tested empirically. Australia has one of the largest systems of marine reserves, providing a rare opportunity to assess how connectivity influences conservation success. An Australia-wide dataset was collected using baited remote underwater video systems deployed across a depth range from 0 to 100 m to assess the effectiveness of marine reserves for protecting teleosts subject to commercial and recreational fishing. A meta-analytical comparison of 73 fished species within 91 marine reserves found that, on average, marine reserves had 28% greater abundance and 53% greater biomass of fished species compared to adjacent areas open to fishing. However, benefits of protection were not observed across all reserves (heterogeneity), so full subsets generalized additive modelling was used to consider factors that influence marine reserve effectiveness, including distance-based and ecological metrics of connectivity among reserves. Our results suggest that increased connectivity and depth improve the aforementioned marine reserve benefits and that these factors should be considered to optimize such benefits over time. We provide important guidance on factors to consider when implementing marine reserves for the purpose of increasing the abundance and size of fished species, given the expected increase in coverage globally. We show that marine reserves that are highly protected (no-take) and designed to optimize connectivity, size and depth range can provide an effective conservation strategy for fished species in temperate and tropical waters within an overarching marine biodiversity conservation framework.
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Thomson DP, Babcock RC, Evans RD, Feng M, Moustaka M, Orr M, Slawinski D, Wilson SK, Hoey AS. Coral larval recruitment in north-western Australia predicted by regional and local conditions. Mar Environ Res 2021; 168:105318. [PMID: 33853011 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Understanding ecological processes that shape contemporary and future communities facilitates knowledge-based environmental management. In marine ecosystems, one of the most important processes is the supply of new recruits into a population. Here, we investigated spatiotemporal variability in coral recruitment at 15 reefs throughout the Dampier Archipelago, north-western Australia between 2015 and 2017 and identified the best environmental predictors for coral recruitment patterns over this period. Large differences in recruitment were observed among years with the average density of recruits increasing by 375% from 0.017 recruits cm-2 in 2015 to 0.059 recruits cm-2 in 2017. Despite differences in recruitment among years, the rank order of coral recruit density among reefs remained similar among years, suggesting that spatial variation in recruitment within the Dampier Archipelago is partly deterministic and predictable. The density of coral recruits was best explained by percent cover of live corals at both local (within 5 m) and meso-scales (within 15 km), water turbidity and an oceanographic model that predicted larval dispersal. The highest density of coral recruits (~0.13 recruits cm-2 or 37 recruits per tile) occurred on reefs within sub-regions (15 km) with greater than 35% coral cover, low to moderate turbidity (KD490 < 0.2) and moderate to high modelled predictions of larval dispersal. Our results demonstrate that broad-scale larval dispersal models, when combined with local metrics of percent hard coral cover and water turbidity, can reliably predict the relative abundance of coral recruits over large geographical areas and thus can identify hotspots of recruit abundance and potential recovery following environmental disturbances; information that is essential for effective management of coral reefs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian P Thomson
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia.
| | - Russell C Babcock
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, Queensland, 4001, Australia
| | - Richard D Evans
- Marine Science Program, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, W.A, 6151, Australia; Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Ming Feng
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Molly Moustaka
- Marine Science Program, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, W.A, 6151, Australia
| | - Melanie Orr
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Dirk Slawinski
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Shaun K Wilson
- Marine Science Program, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, W.A, 6151, Australia; Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Andrew S Hoey
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
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Thomson DP, Babcock RC, Haywood MDE, Vanderklift MA, Pillans RD, Bessey C, Cresswell AK, Orr M, Boschetti F, Wilson SK. Zone specific trends in coral cover, genera and growth-forms in the World-Heritage listed Ningaloo Reef. Mar Environ Res 2020; 160:105020. [PMID: 32858265 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
On coral reefs, changes in the cover and relative abundance of hard coral taxa often follow disturbance. Although the ecological responses of common coral taxa have been well documented, little is known about the ecological responses of uncommon coral taxa or of coral morphological groups across multiple adjacent reef zones. We used Multivariate Auto-Regressive State-Space modelling to assess the rate and direction of change of hard coral cover across a variety of coral genera, growth forms, and susceptibility to bleaching and physical damage covering multiple reef zones at northern Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia. Trends were assessed between 2007 and 2016, during which multiple episodic disturbances occurred including cyclones and a heatwave. We provide evidence of zone specific trends, not only in total hard coral cover, but also in taxonomic and morphological groups of corals at Ningaloo Reef. Declines in total coral cover on the reef flat corresponded with declines in fast growing corals, particularly Acropora. In contrast, total coral cover on the reef slope and inshore (lagoon) did not undergo significant change, despite divergent trajectories of individual genera. Importantly, we also show that changes in the composition of coral assemblages can be detected using a morphological based approach when changes are not evident using a taxonomic approach. Therefore, we recommend that future assessments of coral reef trends incorporate not just standard metrics such as total coral cover, but also metrics that provide for detailed descriptions of trends in common and uncommon taxa and morphological groups across multiple reef zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damian P Thomson
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - Russell C Babcock
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, Qld, 4001, Australia
| | - Michael DE Haywood
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, Qld, 4001, Australia
| | - Mathew A Vanderklift
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Richard D Pillans
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, Qld, 4001, Australia
| | - Cindy Bessey
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Anna K Cresswell
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia; Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Melanie Orr
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Fabio Boschetti
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, University of Western Australia, M097, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Shaun K Wilson
- Marine Science Program, Biodiversity and Conservation Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, W.A., 6151, Australia; Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
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Boström-Einarsson L, Babcock RC, Bayraktarov E, Ceccarelli D, Cook N, Ferse SCA, Hancock B, Harrison P, Hein M, Shaver E, Smith A, Suggett D, Stewart-Sinclair PJ, Vardi T, McLeod IM. Coral restoration - A systematic review of current methods, successes, failures and future directions. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0226631. [PMID: 31999709 PMCID: PMC6992220 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Coral reef ecosystems have suffered an unprecedented loss of habitat-forming hard corals in recent decades. While marine conservation has historically focused on passive habitat protection, demand for and interest in active restoration has been growing in recent decades. However, a disconnect between coral restoration practitioners, coral reef managers and scientists has resulted in a disjointed field where it is difficult to gain an overview of existing knowledge. To address this, we aimed to synthesise the available knowledge in a comprehensive global review of coral restoration methods, incorporating data from the peer-reviewed scientific literature, complemented with grey literature and through a survey of coral restoration practitioners. We found that coral restoration case studies are dominated by short-term projects, with 60% of all projects reporting less than 18 months of monitoring of the restored sites. Similarly, most projects are relatively small in spatial scale, with a median size of restored area of 100 m2. A diverse range of species are represented in the dataset, with 229 different species from 72 coral genera. Overall, coral restoration projects focused primarily on fast-growing branching corals (59% of studies), and report survival between 60 and 70%. To date, the relatively young field of coral restoration has been plagued by similar 'growing pains' as ecological restoration in other ecosystems. These include 1) a lack of clear and achievable objectives, 2) a lack of appropriate and standardised monitoring and reporting and, 3) poorly designed projects in relation to stated objectives. Mitigating these will be crucial to successfully scale up projects, and to retain public trust in restoration as a tool for resilience based management. Finally, while it is clear that practitioners have developed effective methods to successfully grow corals at small scales, it is critical not to view restoration as a replacement for meaningful action on climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Russell C. Babcock
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Brisbane, Qld, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Sebastian C. A. Ferse
- Future Earth Coasts, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Bremen, Germany
- Marine Ecology Department, Faculty of Biology and Chemistry (FB2), University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Boze Hancock
- The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Virginia, United States of America
| | | | - Margaux Hein
- TropWATER, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Shaver
- The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Adam Smith
- Reef Ecologic, Townsville, Qld, Australia
| | - David Suggett
- University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Tali Vardi
- ECS for NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
| | - Ian M. McLeod
- TropWATER, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld, Australia
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10
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Boschetti F, Babcock RC, Doropoulos C, Thomson DP, Feng M, Slawinski D, Berry O, Vanderklift MA. Setting priorities for conservation at the interface between ocean circulation, connectivity, and population dynamics. Ecol Appl 2020; 30:e02011. [PMID: 31556209 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Population persistence in the marine environment is driven by patterns of ocean circulation, larval dispersal, ecological interactions, and demographic rates. For habitat-forming organisms in particular, understanding the relationship between larval connectivity and meta-population dynamics aids in planning for marine spatial management. Here, we estimate networks of connectivity between fringing coral reefs in the northwest shelf of Australia by combining a particle tracking model based on shelf circulation with models of subpopulation dynamics of individual reefs. Coral cover data were used as a proxy for overall habitat quality, which can change as a result of natural processes, human-driven impacts, and management initiatives. We obtain three major results of conservation significance. First, the dynamics of the ecological network result from the interplay between network connectivity and ecological processes on individual reefs. The maximum coral cover a zone can sustain imposes a significant nonlinearity on the role an individual reef plays within the dynamics of the network, and thus on the impact of conservation interventions on specific reefs. Second, the role of an individual reef within these network dynamics changes considerably depending on the overall state of the system: a reef's role in sustaining the system's state can be different from the same reef's role in helping the system recover following major disturbance. Third, patterns of network connectivity change significantly as a function of yearly shelf circulation trends, and nonlinearity in network dynamics make mean connectivity a poor representation of yearly variations. From a management perspective, the priority list of reefs that are targets for management interventions depends crucially on what type of stressors (system-wide vs. localized) need addressing. This choice also depends not only on the ultimate purpose of management, but also on future oceanographic, climate change, and development scenarios that will determine the network connectivity and habitat quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Boschetti
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Russell C Babcock
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Christopher Doropoulos
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Damian P Thomson
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Ming Feng
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Dirk Slawinski
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Oliver Berry
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Mathew A Vanderklift
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
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11
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Vanderklift MA, Babcock RC, Boschetti F, Haywood MDE, Pillans RD, Thomson DP. Declining abundance of coral reef fish in a World-Heritage-listed marine park. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15524. [PMID: 31664119 PMCID: PMC6820736 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52016-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most robust metrics for assessing the effectiveness of protected areas is the temporal trend in the abundance of the species they are designed to protect. We surveyed coral-reef fish and living hard coral in and adjacent to a sanctuary zone (SZ: where all forms of fishing are prohibited) in the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Marine Park during a 10-year period. There were generally more individuals and greater biomass of many fish taxa (especially emperors and parrotfish) in the SZ than the adjacent recreation zone (RZ: where recreational fishing is allowed) — so log response ratios of abundance were usually positive in each year. However, despite this, there was an overall decrease in both SZ and RZ in absolute abundance of some taxa by up to 22% per year, including taxa that are explicitly targeted (emperors) by fishers and taxa that are neither targeted nor frequently captured (most wrasses and butterflyfish). A concomitant decline in the abundance (measured as percentage cover) of living hard coral of 1–7% per year is a plausible explanation for the declining abundance of butterflyfish, but declines in emperors might be more plausibly due to fishing. Our study highlights that information on temporal trends in absolute abundance is needed to assess whether the goals of protected areas are being met: in our study, patterns in absolute abundance across ten years of surveys revealed trends that simple ratios of abundance did not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathew A Vanderklift
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - Russell C Babcock
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Queensland Biosciences Precinct, St Lucia, QLD, 4067, Australia
| | - Fabio Boschetti
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Michael D E Haywood
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Queensland Biosciences Precinct, St Lucia, QLD, 4067, Australia
| | - Richard D Pillans
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Queensland Biosciences Precinct, St Lucia, QLD, 4067, Australia
| | - Damian P Thomson
- CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
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12
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Doropoulos C, Elzinga J, ter Hofstede R, van Koningsveld M, Babcock RC. Optimizing industrial-scale coral reef restoration: comparing harvesting wild coral spawn slicks and transplanting gravid adult colonies. Restor Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jesper Elzinga
- Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors B.V.; 3063 NH Rotterdam The Netherlands
| | - Remment ter Hofstede
- Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors B.V.; 3063 NH Rotterdam The Netherlands
| | - Mark van Koningsveld
- Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors B.V.; 3063 NH Rotterdam The Netherlands
- Ports and Waterways; Delft University of Technology; 2638 CN Delft The Netherlands
| | - Russell C. Babcock
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation; St Lucia 4067 Australia
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13
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Sequeira AMM, Mellin C, Lozano-Montes HM, Meeuwig JJ, Vanderklift MA, Haywood MDE, Babcock RC, Caley MJ. Challenges of transferring models of fish abundance between coral reefs. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4566. [PMID: 29682410 PMCID: PMC5909686 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Reliable abundance estimates for species are fundamental in ecology, fisheries, and conservation. Consequently, predictive models able to provide reliable estimates for un- or poorly-surveyed locations would prove a valuable tool for management. Based on commonly used environmental and physical predictors, we developed predictive models of total fish abundance and of abundance by fish family for ten representative taxonomic families for the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) using multiple temporal scenarios. We then tested if models developed for the GBR (reference system) could predict fish abundances at Ningaloo Reef (NR; target system), i.e., if these GBR models could be successfully transferred to NR. Models of abundance by fish family resulted in improved performance (e.g., 44.1% <R2 < 50.6% for Acanthuridae) compared to total fish abundance (9% <R2 < 18.6%). However, in contrast with previous transferability obtained for similar models for fish species richness from the GBR to NR, transferability for these fish abundance models was poor. When compared with observations of fish abundance collected in NR, our transferability results had low validation scores (R2 < 6%, p > 0.05). High spatio-temporal variability of patterns in fish abundance at the family and population levels in both reef systems likely affected the transferability of these models. Inclusion of additional predictors with potential direct effects on abundance, such as local fishing effort or topographic complexity, may improve transferability of fish abundance models. However, observations of these local-scale predictors are often not available, and might thereby hinder studies on model transferability and its usefulness for conservation planning and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M M Sequeira
- IOMRC and The UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Camille Mellin
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.,The Environment Institute and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Hector M Lozano-Montes
- Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Jessica J Meeuwig
- Centre for Marine Futures and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Mathew A Vanderklift
- Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | | | - Russell C Babcock
- Dutton Park, CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - M Julian Caley
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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14
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Brodie S, Lédée EJI, Heupel MR, Babcock RC, Campbell HA, Gledhill DC, Hoenner X, Huveneers C, Jaine FRA, Simpfendorfer CA, Taylor MD, Udyawer V, Harcourt RG. Continental-scale animal tracking reveals functional movement classes across marine taxa. Sci Rep 2018; 8:3717. [PMID: 29487384 PMCID: PMC5829234 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-21988-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Acoustic telemetry is a principle tool for observing aquatic animals, but coverage over large spatial scales remains a challenge. To resolve this, Australia has implemented the Integrated Marine Observing System’s Animal Tracking Facility which comprises a continental-scale hydrophone array and coordinated data repository. This national acoustic network connects localized projects, enabling simultaneous monitoring of multiple species over scales ranging from 100 s of meters to 1000 s of kilometers. There is a need to evaluate the utility of this national network in monitoring animal movement ecology, and to identify the spatial scales that the network effectively operates over. Cluster analyses assessed movements and residency of 2181 individuals from 92 species, and identified four functional movement classes apparent only through aggregating data across the entire national network. These functional movement classes described movement metrics of individuals rather than species, and highlighted the plasticity of movement patterns across and within populations and species. Network analyses assessed the utility and redundancy of each component of the national network, revealing multiple spatial scales of connectivity influenced by the geographic positioning of acoustic receivers. We demonstrate the significance of this nationally coordinated network of receivers to better reveal intra-specific differences in movement profiles and discuss implications for effective management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Brodie
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia. .,Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Chowder Bay Road, Mosman, NSW, 2088, Australia. .,Institute of Marine Science, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA.
| | - Elodie J I Lédée
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture & College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia.,Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, 4810, Australia
| | - Michelle R Heupel
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, QLD, 4810, Australia
| | | | - Hamish A Campbell
- School of Environment, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, NT, 0909, Australia
| | - Daniel C Gledhill
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere and CSIRO National Research Collections Australia, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia
| | - Xavier Hoenner
- Australian Ocean Data Network, Integrated Marine Observing System, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 110, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia
| | - Charlie Huveneers
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Fabrice R A Jaine
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Chowder Bay Road, Mosman, NSW, 2088, Australia.,Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Colin A Simpfendorfer
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture & College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia
| | - Matthew D Taylor
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.,Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Taylors Beach, NSW, 2316, Australia
| | - Vinay Udyawer
- Arafura Timor Research Facility, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Darwin, NT, 0810, Australia
| | - Robert G Harcourt
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Chowder Bay Road, Mosman, NSW, 2088, Australia.,Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
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15
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Doropoulos C, Evensen NR, Gómez-Lemos LA, Babcock RC. Density-dependent coral recruitment displays divergent responses during distinct early life-history stages. R Soc Open Sci 2017; 4:170082. [PMID: 28573015 PMCID: PMC5451816 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Population growth involves demographic bottlenecks that regulate recruitment success during various early life-history stages. The success of each early life-history stage can vary in response to population density, interacting with intrinsic (e.g. behavioural) and environmental (e.g. competition, predation) factors. Here, we used the common reef-building coral Acropora millepora to investigate how density-dependence influences larval survival and settlement in laboratory experiments that isolated intrinsic effects, and post-settlement survival in a field experiment that examined interactions with environmental factors. Larval survival was exceptionally high (greater than 80%) and density-independent from 2.5 to 12 days following spawning. By contrast, there was a weak positive effect of larval density on settlement, driven by gregarious behaviour at the highest density. When larval supply was saturated, settlement was three times higher in crevices compared with exposed microhabitats, but a negative relationship between settler density and post-settlement survival in crevices and density-independent survival on exposed surfaces resulted in similar recruit densities just one month following settlement. Moreover, a negative relationship was found between turf algae and settler survival in crevices, whereas gregarious settlement improved settler survival on exposed surfaces. Overall, our findings reveal divergent responses by coral larvae and newly settled recruits to density-dependent regulation, mediated by intrinsic and environmental interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicolas R. Evensen
- Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, Australia Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Luis A. Gómez-Lemos
- Griffith School of Environment, Australian Rivers Institute—Coast and Estuaries, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland 4111, Australia
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16
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Babcock RC, Dambacher JM, Morello EB, Plagányi ÉE, Hayes KR, Sweatman HPA, Pratchett MS. Assessing Different Causes of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish Outbreaks and Appropriate Responses for Management on the Great Barrier Reef. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0169048. [PMID: 28036360 PMCID: PMC5201292 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 12/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster planci (COTS) has contributed greatly to declines in coral cover on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, and remains one of the major acute disturbances on Indo-Pacific coral reefs. Despite uncertainty about the underlying causes of outbreaks and the management responses that might address them, few studies have critically and directly compared competing hypotheses. This study uses qualitative modelling to compare hypotheses relating to outbreak initiation, explicitly considering the potential role of positive feedbacks, elevated nutrients, and removal of starfish predators by fishing. When nutrients and fishing are considered in isolation, the models indicate that a range of alternative hypotheses are capable of explaining outbreak initiation with similar levels of certainty. The models also suggest that outbreaks may be caused by multiple factors operating simultaneously, rather than by single proximal causes. As the complexity and realism of the models increased, the certainty of outcomes decreased, but key areas that require further research to improve the structure of the models were identified. Nutrient additions were likely to result in outbreaks only when COTS larvae alone benefitted from nutrients. Similarly, the effects of fishing on the decline of corals depended on the complexity of interactions among several categories of fishes. Our work suggests that management approaches which seek to be robust to model structure uncertainty should allow for multiple potential causes of outbreaks. Monitoring programs can provide tests of alternative potential causes of outbreaks if they specifically monitor all key taxa at reefs that are exposed to appropriate combinations of potential causal factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell C. Babcock
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Brisbane, Qld, Australia
- School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Keith R. Hayes
- CSIRO Computational Informatics, Castray Esplanade, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Hugh P. A. Sweatman
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, PMB 3, Townsville MC, Qld, Australia
| | - Morgan S. Pratchett
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
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17
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Wernberg T, Bennett S, Babcock RC, de Bettignies T, Cure K, Depczynski M, Dufois F, Fromont J, Fulton CJ, Hovey RK, Harvey ES, Holmes TH, Kendrick GA, Radford B, Santana-Garcon J, Saunders BJ, Smale DA, Thomsen MS, Tuckett CA, Tuya F, Vanderklift MA, Wilson S. Climate-driven regime shift of a temperate marine ecosystem. Science 2016; 353:169-72. [PMID: 27387951 DOI: 10.1126/science.aad8745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 435] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Ecosystem reconfigurations arising from climate-driven changes in species distributions are expected to have profound ecological, social, and economic implications. Here we reveal a rapid climate-driven regime shift of Australian temperate reef communities, which lost their defining kelp forests and became dominated by persistent seaweed turfs. After decades of ocean warming, extreme marine heat waves forced a 100-kilometer range contraction of extensive kelp forests and saw temperate species replaced by seaweeds, invertebrates, corals, and fishes characteristic of subtropical and tropical waters. This community-wide tropicalization fundamentally altered key ecological processes, suppressing the recovery of kelp forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Wernberg
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia.
| | - Scott Bennett
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. Department of Environment and Agriculture, School of Science, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia. Department of Global Change Research, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats (Universitat de les Illes Balears - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Esporles, Spain
| | - Russell C Babcock
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Oceans and Atmosphere, General Post Office Box 2583, Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Thibaut de Bettignies
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. Service du Patrimoine Naturel, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 36 Rue Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire CP41, Paris 75005, France
| | - Katherine Cure
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. Australian Institute of Marine Science, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Martial Depczynski
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Francois Dufois
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship, Private Bag 5, Wembley, Western Australia 6913, Australia
| | - Jane Fromont
- Western Australian Museum, Locked Bag 49, Welshpool DC, Western Australia 6986, Australia
| | - Christopher J Fulton
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Renae K Hovey
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Euan S Harvey
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, School of Science, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia
| | - Thomas H Holmes
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. Marine Science Program, Science Division, Department of Parks and Wildlife, Kensington, Western Australia 6151, Australia
| | - Gary A Kendrick
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Ben Radford
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. School of Geography and Environmental Science, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Julia Santana-Garcon
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. Department of Environment and Agriculture, School of Science, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia. Department of Global Change Research, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats (Universitat de les Illes Balears - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Esporles, Spain
| | - Benjamin J Saunders
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, School of Science, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia
| | - Dan A Smale
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. School of Geography and Environmental Science, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Mads S Thomsen
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK
| | - Chenae A Tuckett
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Fernando Tuya
- Marine Ecology Group, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Mathew A Vanderklift
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship, Private Bag 5, Wembley, Western Australia 6913, Australia
| | - Shaun Wilson
- School of Plant Biology and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, 39 Fairway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia. Marine Science Program, Science Division, Department of Parks and Wildlife, Kensington, Western Australia 6151, Australia
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18
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Terres MA, Lawrence E, Hosack GR, Haywood MDE, Babcock RC. Assessing Habitat Use by Snapper (Chrysophrys auratus) from Baited Underwater Video Data in a Coastal Marine Park. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0136799. [PMID: 26317655 PMCID: PMC4552837 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2015] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Baited Underwater Video (BUV) systems have become increasingly popular for assessing marine biodiversity. These systems provide video footage from which biologists can identify the individual fish species present. Here we explore the relevance of spatial dependence and marine park boundaries while estimating the distribution and habitat associations of the commercially and recreationally important snapper species Chrysophrys auratus in Moreton Bay Marine Park during a period when new Marine National Parks zoned as no-take or “green” areas (i.e., areas with no legal fishing) were introduced. BUV studies typically enforce a minimum distance among BUV sites, and then assume that observations from different sites are independent conditional on the measured covariates. In this study, we additionally incorporated the spatial dependence among BUV sites into the modelling framework. This modelling approach allowed us to test whether or not the incorporation of highly correlated environmental covariates or the geographic placement of BUV sites produced spatial dependence, which if unaccounted for could lead to model bias. We fitted Bayesian logistic models with and without spatial random effects to determine if the Marine National Park boundaries and available environmental covariates had an effect on snapper presence and habitat preference. Adding the spatial dependence component had little effect on the resulting model parameter estimates that emphasized positive association for particular coastal habitat types by snapper. Strong positive relationships between the presence of snapper and rock habitat, particularly rocky substrate composed of indurated freshwater sediments known as coffee rock, and kelp habitat reinforce the consideration of habitat availability in marine reserve design and the design of any associated monitoring programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A. Terres
- Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Emma Lawrence
- Digital Productivity Flagship, CSIRO, Dutton Park, Queensland, Australia
| | - Geoffrey R. Hosack
- Digital Productivity Flagship, CSIRO, Castray Esplanade, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | | | - Russell C. Babcock
- Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship, CSIRO, Dutton Park, Queensland, Australia
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Escalle L, Speed CW, Meekan MG, White WT, Babcock RC, Pillans RD, Huveneers C. Restricted movements and mangrove dependency of the nervous shark Carcharhinus cautus in nearshore coastal waters. J Fish Biol 2015; 87:323-341. [PMID: 26179676 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.12724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Accepted: 05/10/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
This study used a network of acoustic receivers deployed around a no-take zone in Mangrove Bay, within the Ningaloo Reef Marine Park in Western Australia, to study residency and habitat preference of a small coastal shark, the nervous shark Carcharhinus cautus. Twelve C. cautus were tagged with acoustic tags and monitored for up to 579 days. Based on individuals detected within the receiver array for at least 2 months, C. cautus had small core (50% kernel utilization distribution, KUD) and home ranges (95% KUD) of 0.66 and 3.64 km2, respectively, and showed a strong habitat preference for mangroves, which are only found in the no-take zone. This resulted in C. cautus spending most of their detected time within the no-take zone boundaries (mean = 81.5%), showing that such a protected area could be beneficial to protect this species from extensive fishing pressure and local depletion, where required. Not all C. cautus remained within the acoustic array, however, suggesting that individual variations occur and that not all individuals would benefit from such protection. This study provides important information about the habitat, residency and movements of C. cautus that can be used for management and conservation. The strong affinity and residency of C. cautus within a mangrove-fringing coastline, emphasizes the importance of mangrove habitat to the species and suggests that such preferences can be used to design appropriate no-take zones for this species or others with similar habitat preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Escalle
- Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Rue Dumont d'Urville, 29280, Plouzané, France
| | - C W Speed
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, The UWA Oceans Institute (M096), 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - M G Meekan
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, The UWA Oceans Institute (M096), 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - W T White
- CSIRO Ocean & Atmosphere Flagship, G.P.O. Box 1538, Hobart, Tas, 7000, Australia
| | - R C Babcock
- CSIRO Ocean & Atmosphere Flagship, Ecosciences Precinct, G.P.O. Box 2583, Qld, 4001, Australia
| | - R D Pillans
- CSIRO Ocean & Atmosphere Flagship, Ecosciences Precinct, G.P.O. Box 2583, Qld, 4001, Australia
| | - C Huveneers
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- South Australian Research and Development Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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Marzinelli EM, Williams SB, Babcock RC, Barrett NS, Johnson CR, Jordan A, Kendrick GA, Pizarro OR, Smale DA, Steinberg PD. Large-scale geographic variation in distribution and abundance of Australian deep-water kelp forests. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118390. [PMID: 25693066 PMCID: PMC4334971 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2014] [Accepted: 01/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the significance of marine habitat-forming organisms, little is known about their large-scale distribution and abundance in deeper waters, where they are difficult to access. Such information is necessary to develop sound conservation and management strategies. Kelps are main habitat-formers in temperate reefs worldwide; however, these habitats are highly sensitive to environmental change. The kelp Ecklonia radiate is the major habitat-forming organism on subtidal reefs in temperate Australia. Here, we provide large-scale ecological data encompassing the latitudinal distribution along the continent of these kelp forests, which is a necessary first step towards quantitative inferences about the effects of climatic change and other stressors on these valuable habitats. We used the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) facility of Australia's Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) to survey 157,000 m2 of seabed, of which ca 13,000 m2 were used to quantify kelp covers at multiple spatial scales (10-100 m to 100-1,000 km) and depths (15-60 m) across several regions ca 2-6° latitude apart along the East and West coast of Australia. We investigated the large-scale geographic variation in distribution and abundance of deep-water kelp (>15 m depth) and their relationships with physical variables. Kelp cover generally increased with latitude despite great variability at smaller spatial scales. Maximum depth of kelp occurrence was 40-50 m. Kelp latitudinal distribution along the continent was most strongly related to water temperature and substratum availability. This extensive survey data, coupled with ongoing AUV missions, will allow for the detection of long-term shifts in the distribution and abundance of habitat-forming kelp and the organisms they support on a continental scale, and provide information necessary for successful implementation and management of conservation reserves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ezequiel M. Marzinelli
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Mosman, New South Wales, Australia
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Stefan B. Williams
- Australian Centre for Field Robotics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Neville S. Barrett
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Craig R. Johnson
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Alan Jordan
- Department of Primary Industries, New South Wales Government, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, Nelson Bay, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Gary A. Kendrick
- Oceans Institute and School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Oscar R. Pizarro
- Australian Centre for Field Robotics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Dan A. Smale
- Oceans Institute and School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Peter D. Steinberg
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Mosman, New South Wales, Australia
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Olds AD, Pitt KA, Maxwell PS, Babcock RC, Rissik D, Connolly RM. Marine reserves help coastal ecosystems cope with extreme weather. Glob Chang Biol 2014; 20:3050-3058. [PMID: 24849111 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2014] [Revised: 03/21/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Natural ecosystems have experienced widespread degradation due to human activities. Consequently, enhancing resilience has become a primary objective for conservation. Nature reserves are a favored management tool, but we need clearer empirical tests of whether they can impart resilience. Catastrophic flooding in early 2011 impacted coastal ecosystems across eastern Australia. We demonstrate that marine reserves enhanced the capacity of coral reefs to withstand flood impacts. Reserve reefs resisted the impact of perturbation, whilst fished reefs did not. Changes on fished reefs were correlated with the magnitude of flood impact, whereas variation on reserve reefs was related to ecological variables. Herbivory and coral recruitment are critical ecological processes that underpin reef resilience, and were greater in reserves and further enhanced on reserve reefs near mangroves. The capacity of reserves to mitigate external disturbances and promote ecological resilience will be critical to resisting an increased frequency of climate-related disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Olds
- Australian Rivers Institute - Coast and Estuaries and School of Environment, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Qld, 4222, Australia
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Huijbers CM, Connolly RM, Pitt KA, Schoeman DS, Schlacher TA, Burfeind DD, Steele C, Olds AD, Maxwell PS, Babcock RC, Rissik D. Conservation Benefits of Marine Reserves are Undiminished Near Coastal Rivers and Cities. Conserv Lett 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chantal M. Huijbers
- Australian Rivers Institute - Coast & Estuaries and School of Environment; Griffith University; Gold Coast QLD 4222 Australia
- School of Science & Engineering; University of the Sunshine Coast; Maroochydore DC QLD 4558 Australia
| | - Rod M. Connolly
- Australian Rivers Institute - Coast & Estuaries and School of Environment; Griffith University; Gold Coast QLD 4222 Australia
| | - Kylie A. Pitt
- Australian Rivers Institute - Coast & Estuaries and School of Environment; Griffith University; Gold Coast QLD 4222 Australia
| | - David S. Schoeman
- School of Science & Engineering; University of the Sunshine Coast; Maroochydore DC QLD 4558 Australia
| | - Thomas A. Schlacher
- School of Science & Engineering; University of the Sunshine Coast; Maroochydore DC QLD 4558 Australia
| | - Dana D. Burfeind
- Australian Rivers Institute - Coast & Estuaries and School of Environment; Griffith University; Gold Coast QLD 4222 Australia
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Queensland; St Lucia QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Chantel Steele
- Australian Rivers Institute - Coast & Estuaries and School of Environment; Griffith University; Gold Coast QLD 4222 Australia
| | - Andrew D. Olds
- Australian Rivers Institute - Coast & Estuaries and School of Environment; Griffith University; Gold Coast QLD 4222 Australia
- School of Science & Engineering; University of the Sunshine Coast; Maroochydore DC QLD 4558 Australia
| | - Paul S. Maxwell
- Australian Rivers Institute - Coast & Estuaries and School of Environment; Griffith University; Gold Coast QLD 4222 Australia
| | - Russell C. Babcock
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization; Marine and Atmospheric Research; Dutton Park QLD 4102 Australia
| | - David Rissik
- National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility; Griffith University; Gold Coast QLD 4222 Australia
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Cvitanovic C, Wilson SK, Fulton CJ, Almany GR, Anderson P, Babcock RC, Ban NC, Beeden RJ, Beger M, Cinner J, Dobbs K, Evans LS, Farnham A, Friedman KJ, Gale K, Gladstone W, Grafton Q, Graham NAJ, Gudge S, Harrison PL, Holmes TH, Johnstone N, Jones GP, Jordan A, Kendrick AJ, Klein CJ, Little LR, Malcolm HA, Morris D, Possingham HP, Prescott J, Pressey RL, Skilleter GA, Simpson C, Waples K, Wilson D, Williamson DH. Critical research needs for managing coral reef marine protected areas: perspectives of academics and managers. J Environ Manage 2013; 114:84-91. [PMID: 23220604 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2012.10.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2011] [Revised: 03/22/2012] [Accepted: 10/09/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a primary policy instrument for managing and protecting coral reefs. Successful MPAs ultimately depend on knowledge-based decision making, where scientific research is integrated into management actions. Fourteen coral reef MPA managers and sixteen academics from eleven research, state and federal government institutions each outlined at least five pertinent research needs for improving the management of MPAs situated in Australian coral reefs. From this list of 173 key questions, we asked members of each group to rank questions in order of urgency, redundancy and importance, which allowed us to explore the extent of perceptional mismatch and overlap among the two groups. Our results suggest the mismatch among MPA managers and academics is small, with no significant difference among the groups in terms of their respective research interests, or the type of questions they pose. However, managers prioritised spatial management and monitoring as research themes, whilst academics identified climate change, resilience, spatial management, fishing and connectivity as the most important topics. Ranking of the posed questions by the two groups was also similar, although managers were less confident about the achievability of the posed research questions and whether questions represented a knowledge gap. We conclude that improved collaboration and knowledge transfer among management and academic groups can be used to achieve similar objectives and enhance the knowledge-based management of MPAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Cvitanovic
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia.
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Vanderklift MA, Babcock RC, Cook K. The effects of protection from fishing on species richness: distinguishing between alternative explanations. Oecologia 2012; 171:309-15. [PMID: 22776907 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-012-2408-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2010] [Accepted: 06/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Marine reserves that prohibit fishing often result in greater densities of individuals and more species than adjacent fished areas. However, simple conclusions about their effects on species richness are confounded, because more species are expected to occur wherever there are more individuals. Here, there is an important distinction between the number of species per sampling unit (species density), and species richness measured as the number of species per given number of individuals. When conservation of species richness is an important goal, analyses need to discriminate between the alternative explanations for differences in the number of species. We used rarefaction to test whether species richness was higher in two 'no-take' marine reserves after controlling for differences in the density of individuals. We surveyed each reserve in three different years. There was a higher density of individuals and species in each reserve than in adjacent fished areas. However, rarefaction analyses indicated that effects on species richness were weak after controlling for the number of individuals: slightly higher species richness was recorded inside each reserve in one of three surveys, but the difference was small, and was apparent only when the maximum number of individuals was approached. Our results therefore indicate that patterns in species density were not reflected by patterns in species richness-the application of rarefaction methods is needed to determine the responses of species richness to protection elsewhere. The distinction between species density and species richness will not be important in all situations, but when it is important, inferences about species richness cannot be reliably deduced from measurements of species density.
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Abstract
Synchronous multispecific spawning by a total of 32 coral species occurred a few nights after late spring full moons in 1981 and 1982 at three locations on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. The data invalidate the generalization that most corals have internally fertilized, brooded planula larvae. In every species observed, gametes were released; external fertilization and development then followed. The developmental rates of externally fertilized eggs and longevities of planulae indicate that planulae may be dispersed between reefs.
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Salomon AK, Shears NT, Langlois TJ, Babcock RC. Cascading effects of fishing can alter carbon flow through a temperate coastal ecosystem. Ecol Appl 2008; 18:1874-87. [PMID: 19263885 DOI: 10.1890/07-1777.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Mounting evidence suggests that fishing can trigger trophic cascades and alter food web dynamics, yet its effects on ecosystem function remain largely unknown. We used the large-scale experimental framework of four marine reserves, spanning an oceanographic gradient in northeastern New Zealand, to test the extent to which the exploitation of reef predators can alter kelp carbon flux and secondary production. We provide evidence that the reduction of predatory snapper (Pagrus auratus) and lobster (Jasus edwardsii) can lead to an increase in sea urchins (Evechinus chloroticus) and indirect declines in kelp biomass in some locations but not others. Stable carbon isotope ratios (delta13C) of oysters (Crassostrea gigas) and mussels (Perna canaliculus) transplanted in reserve and fished sites within four locations revealed that fishing indirectly reduced the proportion of kelp-derived organic carbon assimilated by filter feeders in two locations where densities of actively grazing sea urchins were 23.7 and 8.3 times higher and kelp biomass was an order of magnitude lower than in non-fished reserve sites. In contrast, in the two locations where fishing had no effect on urchin density or kelp biomass, we detected no effect of fishing on the carbon signature of filter feeders. We show that the effects of fishing on nearshore trophic structure and carbon flux are context-dependent and hinge on large-scale, regional oceanographic factors. Where cascading effects of fishing on kelp biomass were documented, enhanced assimilation of kelp carbon did not result in the magnification of secondary production. Instead, a strong regional gradient in filter feeder growth emerged, best predicted by chlorophyll a. Estimates of kelp contribution to the diet of transplanted consumers averaged 56.9% +/- 6.2% (mean +/- SE) for mussels and 33.8% +/- 7.3% for oysters, suggesting that organic carbon fixed by kelp is an important food source fueling northeastern New Zealand's nearshore food webs. The importance of predators in mediating benthic primary production and organic carbon flux suggests that overfishing can have profound consequences on ecosystem functioning particularly where pelagic primary production is limiting. Our results underscore the broader ecosystem repercussions of overfishing and its context-dependent effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne K Salomon
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, P.O. Box 351800, Seattle, Washington 98195-1800, USA.
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Shears NT, Babcock RC, Salomon AK. Context-dependent effects of fishing: variation in trophic cascades across environmental gradients. Ecol Appl 2008; 18:1860-73. [PMID: 19263884 DOI: 10.1890/07-1776.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Marine reserves provide a large-scale experimental framework to investigate the effects of fishing on food web dynamics and how they vary with environmental context. Because marine reserves promote the recovery of previously fished predators, spatial comparisons between reserve and fished sites are often made to infer such effects; however, alternative explanations for differences between reserve and fished sites are seldom tested (e.g., environmental variation among sites). We investigated the context dependency of the predator-urchin-kelp trophic cascade reported in northeastern New Zealand by comparing the abundance of herbivorous sea urchins (Evechinus chloroticus), the extent of urchin barrens habitat, and macroalgal biomass between reserve and fished sites within six locations that span an environmental gradient in wave exposure, sedimentation, and water clarity. At depths where differences in urchin abundance or macroalgal biomass were found between reserve and fished sites we used a model selection approach to identify which variables (fishing or environmental factors) best explained the variation among sites. Differences between reserve and fished sites were not ubiquitous across the locations examined and were highly depth specific. At sheltered locations, urchins were rare and barrens absent at both reserve and fished sites. At moderately exposed coastal locations, actively grazing urchins were most abundant at 4-6 m depth, and significant differences in macroalgal biomass between reserve and fished sites were observed. In contrast, at offshore island locations, urchins extended into deeper water, and differences between reserve and fished sites were found at 4-9 m depth. These differences could only be attributed to trophic cascades associated with protection from fishing in two of the six locations examined. In other cases, variation between reserve and fished sites was equally well explained by differences in sediment or wave exposure among sites. These results suggest that trophic cascades are not ubiquitous to northeastern New Zealand's subtidal reefs and the importance of sea urchins, and indirectly predators, in controlling macroalgal biomass will vary at local and regional scales in relation to abiotic factors. A better mechanistic understanding of how environmental variation affects the strength of species interactions across multiple spatial scales is needed to predict the ecosystem-level effects of fishing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick T Shears
- Leigh Marine Laboratory, University of Auckland, P.O. Box 349, Warkworth, New Zealand.
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Langlois TJ, Anderson MJ, Babcock RC, Kato S. Marine reserves demonstrate trophic interactions across habitats. Oecologia 2005; 147:134-40. [PMID: 16049718 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-005-0148-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2004] [Accepted: 04/20/2005] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Several infaunal bivalve taxa show patterns of decreased biomass in areas with higher densities of adjacent reef-associated predators (the snapper, Pagrus auratus and rock lobster, Jasus edwardsii). A caging experiment was used to test the hypothesis that patterns observed were caused by predation, using plots seeded with a known initial density of the bivalve Dosinia subrosea to estimate survivorship. The caging experiment was replicated at several sites inside and outside two highly protected marine reserves: predators are significantly more abundant inside these reserves. Survivorship in fully caged, partially caged and open plots were then compared at sites having either low (non reserve) or high (reserve) predator density. The highest rates of survivorship of the bivalve were found in caged plots inside reserves and in all treatments outside reserves. However, inside reserves, open and partially caged treatments exhibited low survivorship. It was possible to specifically attribute much of this mortality to predation by large rock lobsters, due to distinctive marks on the valves of dead D. subrosea. This suggests that predation by large rock lobster could indeed account for the distributional patterns previously documented for certain bivalve populations. Our results illustrate that protection afforded by marine reserves is necessary to investigate how depletion through fishing pressure can change the role of upper-level predators and trophic processes between habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Langlois
- Leigh Marine Laboratory, University of Auckland, PO Box 349, Warkworth, New Zealand.
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Langlois TJ, Anderson MJ, Babcock RC, Kato S. Marine reserves demonstrate trophic interactions across habitats. Oecologia 2005. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-005-0237-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Appleton DR, Pearce A, Lambert G, Babcock RC, Copp BR. Isodiplamine, cystodytin K and lissoclinidine: novel bioactive alkaloids from the New Zealand ascidian Lissoclinum notti. Tetrahedron 2002. [DOI: 10.1016/s0040-4020(02)01296-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Franke ES, Babcock RC, Styan CA. Sexual Conflict and Polyspermy under Sperm‐Limited Conditions: In Situ Evidence from Field Simulations with the Free‐Spawning Marine EchinoidEvechinus chloroticus. Am Nat 2002; 160:485-96. [PMID: 18707524 DOI: 10.1086/342075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E S Franke
- Leigh Marine Laboratory, University of Auckland, P.O. Box 349, Warkworth, New Zealand
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Shears NT, Babcock RC. Marine reserves demonstrate top-down control of community structure on temperate reefs. Oecologia 2002; 132:131-142. [PMID: 28547276 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-002-0920-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2001] [Accepted: 03/06/2002] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nick T Shears
- Leigh Marine Laboratory, University of Auckland, P.O. Box 349, Warkworth, New Zealand.
| | - Russell C Babcock
- Leigh Marine Laboratory, University of Auckland, P.O. Box 349, Warkworth, New Zealand
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Pearce AN, Babcock RC, Lambert G, Copp BR. N2,N2,7-trimethylguanine, a new trimethylated guanine natural product from the New Zealand ascidian, Lissoclinum notti. Nat Prod Lett 2002; 15:237-41. [PMID: 11833618 DOI: 10.1080/10575630108041287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
From the New Zealand ascidian, Lissoclinum notti a new natural product, N2,N2,7-trimethylguanine (1) has been isolated. The structure of 1 was elucidated by analysis of spectroscopic data.
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Affiliation(s)
- A N Pearce
- Department of Chemistry, School of Environmental and Marine Science, University of Auckland, New Zealand
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Pearce AN, Babcock RC, Battershill CN, Lambert G, Copp BR. Enantiomeric 1,2,3-trithiane-containing alkaloids and two new 1,3-dithiane alkaloids from New Zealand ascidians. J Org Chem 2001; 66:8257-9. [PMID: 11722237 DOI: 10.1021/jo010769+] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A N Pearce
- Department of Chemistry, and Leigh Laboratory, School of Environmental and Marine Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
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Johnson LG, Babcock RC. Temperature and the Larval Ecology of the Crown-of-Thorns Starfish, Acanthaster planci. Biol Bull 1994; 187:304-308. [PMID: 29281400 DOI: 10.2307/1542287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The recently reported dramatic population increases (outbreaks) of the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci, which have damaged many reefs in the Indo-Pacific, are ending (1), but questions remain about the factors that affect Acanthaster distribution and densities. For example, the narrow temperature tolerance (26° or 27° to 30° or 31°C) reported for Acanthaster's larval development (2) is problematic because Acanthaster occurs where temperatures do not rise into this range (3, 4). We have further examined some temperature relationships in Acanthaster's early development. Cleavage proceeded normally over a range of about 10°C but specific limiting temperatures depended upon the geographic source of the parents or their recent history of temperature exposure. Hatched, swimming gastrulae continued normal development to bipinnaria throughout a temperature range of 13°C. These results indicate that the narrow developmental temperature tolerances reported earlier for Acanthaster do not apply to all early developmental stages, and they add to the list of larval adaptations that can facilitate dispersal of Acanthaster larvae and propagation of outbreaks.
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Babcock RC, Mundy CN, Whitehead D. Sperm Diffusion Models and In Situ Confirmation of Long-Distance Fertilization in the Free-Spawning Asteroid Acanthaster planci. Biol Bull 1994; 186:17-28. [PMID: 29283304 DOI: 10.2307/1542033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This study was undertaken to compare fertilization rates of the sea star Acanthaster planci that were predicted using sperm diffusion models with those that were determined under natural conditions in the field. During experimentally induced spawnings, measured fertilization rates for broadcast eggs were high. More than 70% of the eggs were fertilized at distances as great as 8 m downstream from a single spawning male starfish, and more than 20% were fertilized at separations of more than 60 m. Fertilization was still measurable, at 5.8%, 100 m downstream. Lateral diffusion of sperm away from the axis of flow produced fertilization rates of 13.8% at 8 m normal to the flow and 32 m downstream. The large volumes of sperm released by male A. planci are the primary cause of high rates of fertilization for eggs derived from widely spaced individuals. Models of sperm diffusion using high sperm release rates such as those found in this starfish accurately confirmed the fertilization rates measured in situ for two populations of A. planci with widely differing rates of sperm release. We observed some changes in starfish density and degree of aggregation in the study population for spawning periods during two spawning seasons, though these were not striking. High levels of aggregation may not be necessary for fertilization success in this starfish, due to the potential for long-distance fertilization and the probability that, for any spawning starfish, the total number of zygotes formed will be greater at some distance from the point of spawning. Although fertilization rates in areas distant from the sperm source were relatively low, the total area for potential gamete encounters is much greater and may make a large contribution to net fertilization. We predict that other behaviors, such as migration to shallow water, commonly associated with spawning in A. planci and other marine invertebrates will have measurable impacts on fertilization success. The potential for high levels of fertilization in A. planci was realized during natural spawnings. Fertilization rates as high as 99% were recorded when levels of spawning synchrony were high.
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