Coral recruitment: patterns and processes determining the dynamics of coral populations

Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 98(6), С. 1862 - 1886

Опубликована: Июнь 20, 2023

Coral recruitment describes the addition of new individuals to populations, and it is one most fundamental demographic processes contributing population size. As many coral reefs around world have experienced large declines in cover abundance, there has been great interest understanding factors causing vary conditions under which can support community resilience. While progress these areas being facilitated by technological scientific advances, best tools quantify remains humble settlement tile, variants use for over a century. Here I review biology ecology recruits process, largely as resolved through tiles, by: (i) defining how terms 'recruit' 'recruitment' used, explaining why loose terminology impeded advancement; (ii) describing measured tiles value this purpose; (iii) summarizing previous efforts quantitative analyses recruitment; (iv) advances from hypothesis-driven studies determining refuges, seawater flow, grazers modulate (v) reviewing small corals (i.e. recruits) understand better they respond environmental conditions; (vi) updating compilation extending 1974 present, thus revealing long-term global density recruits, juxtaposed with apparent resilience bleaching. Finally, future directions study recruitment, highlight need expand deliver taxonomic resolution, explain time series tile deployments are likely remain pivotal quantifying recruitment.

Язык: Английский

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Coral adaptation to climate change: Meta‐analysis reveals high heritability across multiple traits

Global Change Biology, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 27(22), С. 5694 - 5710

Опубликована: Сен. 5, 2021

Abstract Anthropogenic climate change is a rapidly intensifying selection pressure on biodiversity across the globe and, particularly, world's coral reefs. The rate of adaptation to proportional amount phenotypic variation that can be inherited by subsequent generations (i.e., narrow‐sense heritability, h 2 ). Thus, traits have higher heritability (e.g., > 0.5) are likely adapt future conditions faster than with lower < 0.1). Here, we synthesize 95 estimates 19 species reef‐building corals. Our meta‐analysis reveals low ( 0.25) gene expression metrics, intermediate = 0.25–0.50) photochemistry, growth, and bleaching, high 0.50) for metrics related survival immune responses. Some these values typically observed in other taxa, such as while others were more comparable, photochemistry. There was no detectable effect temperature but generally broad‐sense estimates, indicative significant non‐additive genetic traits. Trait also varied depending life stage, bleaching growth juveniles having compared larvae adults. These differences may result previous stabilizing or due constrained evolution resulting from trade‐offs correlations between thermotolerance. While find evidence decreases under stress, explicit tests thermal tolerance itself—such reaction norm shape—are lacking. Nevertheless, our findings overall reveal trait majority traits, suggesting corals greater potential has been assumed recent evolutionary models.

Язык: Английский

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Contrasting shifts in coral assemblages with increasing disturbances

Coral Reefs, Год журнала: 2020, Номер 39(3), С. 783 - 793

Опубликована: Апрель 20, 2020

Язык: Английский

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Newly Described Rhodolith Bed Complex Associated With Shallow Coral Reefs of Palmyra Atoll, Northern Line Islands

Aquatic Conservation Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 35(1)

Опубликована: Янв. 1, 2025

ABSTRACT Rhodolith beds are biogenic marine habitats formed by aggregations of free‐living crustose coralline algae. New descriptions rhodolith fill the gaps in our understanding global distribution and ecological significance these understudied habitats. We provide first characterisation a network associated with coral reefs tropical central Pacific. surveyed shallow eastern reef flat Palmyra Atoll to evaluate spatial extent biodiversity habitat relative adjacent reefs. mapped 15 discrete that collectively covered 1.5 ha. When combined mixed connected beds, total areal coverage was ~15 The benthos markedly different from Although cover low five genera were commonly found as coralliths. Fish abundance did not vary notably between bed habitats, but rhodoliths, particularly Neogoniolithon sp., supported higher cryptic invertebrates rubble. dominant Porolithon , third, less frequent species Harveylithon munitum. sp. most abundant displayed more structurally complex branching morphology than encrusting, lobe‐forming encrusting H. munitum . Our description previously unknown remote protected ecosystem provides novel insights persistence function undisturbed habitat.

Язык: Английский

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Abiotic and biotic controls on coral recovery 16 years after mass bleaching

Coral Reefs, Год журнала: 2019, Номер 38(6), С. 1255 - 1265

Опубликована: Июнь 17, 2019

As climate changes increase heat stress on tropical ecosystems, the long-term persistence of coral reefs requires rapid recovery following bleaching events. Using extent cover return to a pre-bleaching baseline as benchmark, fast-growing and stress-tolerant growth forms suggests that can bounce back between repeated disturbances if given adequate time protection from anthropogenic disturbances. However, dynamics communities severe mass mortality are limited, particularly for fringing along inhabited coastlines where human stressors may compromise potential. Here, we examine drivers in Seychelles, 12 returned levels after event caused > 95% mortality. Six with initially low ( < 25%) recovered within 7–12 yr and, 16 yr, exceeded by 132–305%. In contrast, six high (20–60%) remained at 48–93% levels, projected take 17–29 yr. Abiotic historic conditions constrained rates, slowest times observed deep wave-exposed cover. Reefs juvenile densities nitrogen fastest, possibly due interplay nutrient enrichment, algal proliferation, recruitment. Our findings emphasize importance understanding small-scale variation potential, whereby were governed natural limits rates modified recruitment enrichment. Ultimately, climate-impacted recover moderate but, causes mortality, short windows will prevent dominance.

Язык: Английский

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Seabirds boost coral reef resilience

Science Advances, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 9(49)

Опубликована: Дек. 6, 2023

Global climate change threatens tropical coral reefs, yet local management can influence resilience. While increasing anthropogenic nutrients reduce resistance and recovery, it is unknown how the loss, or restoration, of natural nutrient flows affects reef recovery. Here, we test seabird-derived subsidies, which are threatened by invasive rats, mechanisms patterns recovery following an extreme marine heatwave using multiyear field experiments, repeated surveys, Bayesian modeling. Corals transplanted from rat to seabird islands quickly assimilated nutrients, fully acclimating new conditions within 3 years. Increased in turn, caused a doubling growth rates both individuals across entire reefs. Seabirds were also associated with faster time Acropora cover (<4 years) more dynamic trajectories benthic communities. We conclude that restoring populations pathways may foster greater resilience through enhanced corals.

Язык: Английский

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Causal drivers of climate‐mediated coral reef regime shifts

Ecosphere, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 13(3)

Опубликована: Март 1, 2022

Abstract Climate‐induced coral bleaching events are a leading threat to reef ecosystems and can result in coral–macroalgal regime shifts that difficult reverse. It is unclear how different factors causally influence shift or recovery trajectories after event. Here, we use structural causal modeling (SCM) its application of directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) determine key affect versus potential across reefs Seychelles, which were severely impacted by 1998 2016. Our models reveal additional drivers shifts, including initial macroalgal cover, wave exposure, branching cover. We also find reduced depth complexity increased nutrients increase the likelihood shifting. Further, DAG‐informed predictive model show recovering expected change recent 2016 event, suggesting three out 12 given their predisturbance conditions. Collectively, our results provide first grounded analysis postbleaching on reefs. More broadly, SCM stands apart from previous observational provides strong framework for inference other ecological studies.

Язык: Английский

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Optimizing coral reef recovery with context-specific management actions at prioritized reefs

Journal of Environmental Management, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 295, С. 113209 - 113209

Опубликована: Июль 15, 2021

Язык: Английский

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Impacts of a prolonged marine heatwave and chronic local human disturbance on juvenile coral assemblages

PLoS ONE, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 20(2), С. e0300084 - e0300084

Опубликована: Фев. 25, 2025

Coral reefs are threatened by climate change and chronic local human disturbances. Although some laboratory studies have investigated the effects of combined stressors, such as nutrient enrichment heat stress, on growth survival early life stage corals, in situ remain limited. To assess influence multiple stressors juvenile we quantified densities corals ≤ 5 cm at 18 forereef sites with different exposure levels to underlying disturbance before, during, after 2015-2016 El Niño. This marine heatwave caused prolonged stress devastating losses coral cover shallow forereef’s Kiritimati, central equatorial Pacific Ocean. Here, enumerated a total 7732 from 13 families. Over 80% were four families: 70% Agariciidae, Merulinidae, or Poritidae, which all stress-tolerant history strategies, 11% Acroporidae has competitive life-history strategy. Both significantly negatively related densities. Prior heatwave, average 72% lower most disturbed (7.2 ± 1.9 m -2 ) compared least ones (15.3 3.8 ). Overall, had bleaching prevalence mortality during when their adult counterparts. Still, resulted loss half (49%) those weedy strategies undergoing greater declines than ones. increased slightly year following effect was statistically non-significant. Our results highlight anthropogenic heatwaves

Язык: Английский

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Sea Urchins Play an Increasingly Important Role for Coral Resilience Across Reefs in Taiwan

Frontiers in Marine Science, Год журнала: 2020, Номер 7

Опубликована: Дек. 15, 2020

Herbivores are an important functional group that control algae, create new space, and promote recruitment for coral recovery. However, on many reefs, overfishing has greatly decreased the density of herbivores, especially fishes gastropods, impairing resilience. On such overfished remnant herbivores not target species local fisheries, e.g., sea urchins, expected to play increasingly role, yet few studies, except those in Caribbean Kenya have examined non-fish relation Here, we conducted field surveys at 30 sites along three reefs Taiwan between 2016 2017, examine relative importance six key factors resilience: herbivore abundance (fishes, urchins), cover, macroalgal habitat complexity, water depth, wave exposure. The juvenile was used as a proxy Diadematid urchins ( Echinothrix spp. Diadema spp.) dominated most (19 sites) multivariable regression models showed urchin best positive predictor density. results elucidated increasing role diadematid Taiwan. Given is widespread issue, this phenomenon may be occurring globally. More studies needed remnant, but often ignored, herbivory Reef managers should consider monitoring locally incorporating them into management strategies.

Язык: Английский

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