From Coral Triangle to Trash Triangle—How the Hot spot of Global Marine Biodiversity Is Threatened by Plastic Waste

2017 ◽  
pp. 107-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus T. Lasut ◽  
Miriam Weber ◽  
Fransisco Pangalila ◽  
Natalie D. C. Rumampuk ◽  
Joice R. T. S. L. Rimper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hot Spot ◽  
Plastic Waste ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Coral Triangle

scholarly journals The Coral Triangle Initiative: what are we missing? A case study from Aceh

Oryx ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 482-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edi Rudi ◽  
Stuart J. Campbell ◽  
Andrew S. Hoey ◽  
Nur Fadli ◽  
Matthew Linkie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Western Indian Ocean ◽  
Andaman Sea ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Western Boundary ◽  
Coral Triangle ◽  
Coral Fauna ◽  
High Conservation ◽  
Reef Fauna

AbstractThe Coral Triangle Initiative is an ambitious attempt to conserve the marine biodiversity hotspot known as the Coral Triangle. However, the reef fauna in many nearby regions remains poorly explored and, consequently, the focus on the Coral Triangle risks overlooking other areas of high conservation significance. One region of potential significance, Aceh, Indonesia, has not been visited by coral taxonomists since the Dutch colonial period. Here we document the species richness of scleractinian corals of Pulau Weh, Aceh. We also compare the species richness of the genus Acropora at 3–5 sites in each of nine regions in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Although dominated by widespread Indo-Pacific species, the coral fauna of Pulau Weh is also the eastern and western boundary for many Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean species, respectively. We identified a total of 133 scleractinian species, of which three have been previously recorded only in the western Indian Ocean and five are presently undescribed. The mean species richness of the Acropora at Pulau Weh is similar to regions within the Coral Triangle. This high species richness plus the high proportion of endemics suggests that the Andaman Sea is of similarly high conservation value to the Coral Triangle. We suggest that an international initiative similar to the Coral Triangle Initiative is required to conserve this region, which includes the territorial waters of six countries.

scholarly journals Delineating priority areas for marine biodiversity conservation in the Coral Triangle

2018 ◽  
Vol 222 ◽  
pp. 198-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irawan Asaad ◽  
Carolyn J. Lundquist ◽  
Mark V. Erdmann ◽  
Mark J. Costello
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Coral Triangle ◽  
Priority Areas

scholarly journals Sleuthing cryptic Chromodorids (Mollusca, Nudibranchia): adding to Philippine marine biodiversity

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Coral Triangle ◽  
Anatomical Features ◽  
Reef Environments ◽  
A New Species ◽  
Water Coral ◽  
Pseudocryptic Species

The Verde Island Passage of the Philippines is renowned for its rich marine biodiversity and heterobranch mollusks are demonstrable models of that species richness of the region. Chromodorid nudibranchs represent a particularly rich taxon, with species of Chromodoris being one of the most iconic and abundant taxa in shallow water coral reef environments. Despite being one of the best-documented clades of nudibranch mollusks, recent work has shown that numerous cryptic and pseudocryptic species are abundant in the waters of the Coral Triangle region. This paper reviews the species richness and distribution of Chromodoris species in the Philippines and provides a description of a new species of Chromodoris from the region. Chromodoris alcalai Gosliner, n. sp. is named to honor Dr. Angel Alcala’s 90th birthday and his pioneering contributions to preserving the marine biodiversity of the Philippines. This species is most similar externally to C. dianae Gosliner and Behrens, 1998, with which it was erroneous lumped. Distinctness of molecular data, external morphology and coloration, and internal anatomical features clearly distinguish these two species. KEYWORDS: systematics, Nudibranchia, coral reefs, Indo-Pacific, Coral Triangle

scholarly journals The distribution of benthic amphipod crustaceans in Indonesian seas

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12054
Author(s):  
Tri Arfianti ◽  
Mark John Costello
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Sampling Methods ◽  
Fish Predation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Coral Triangle ◽  
Research Needs ◽  
Indonesian Seas ◽  
Biogeographic Region ◽  
Network Method

Amphipod crustaceans are an essential component of tropical marine biodiversity. However, their distribution and biogeography have not been analysed in one of the world’s largest tropical countries nested in the Coral Triangle, Indonesia. We collected and identified amphipod crustaceans from eight sites in Indonesian waters and combined the results with data from 32 additional sites in the literature. We analysed the geographic distribution of 147 benthic amphipod crustaceans using cluster analysis and the ‘Bioregions Infomaps’ neural network method of biogeographic discrimination. We found five groups of benthic amphipod crustaceans which show relationships with sampling methods, depth, and substrata. Neural network biogeographic analysis indicated there was only one biogeographic region that matched with the global amphipod regions and marine biogeographic realms defined for all marine taxa. There was no support for Wallaces or other lines being marine biogeographic boundaries in the region. Species richness was lower than expected considering the region is within the Coral Triangle. We hypothesise that this low richness might be due to the intense fish predation which may have limited amphipod diversification. The results indicated that habitat rather than biogeography determines amphipod distribution in Indonesia. Therefore, future research needs to sample more habitats, and consider habitat in conservation planning.

scholarly journals Patterns of species range evolution in Indo-Pacific reef assemblages reveal the Coral Triangle as a net source of transoceanic diversity

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 20160090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean M. Evans ◽  
Caroline McKenna ◽  
Stephen D. Simpson ◽  
Jennifer Tournois ◽  
Martin J. Genner
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Central Position ◽  
Coral Triangle ◽  
Pacific Region ◽  
Sea Level Changes ◽  
Centre Of Origin

The Coral Triangle in the Indo-Pacific is a region renowned for exceptional marine biodiversity. The area could have acted as a ‘centre of origin’ where speciation has been prolific or a ‘centre of survival’ by providing refuge during major environmental shifts such as sea-level changes. The region could also have acted as a ‘centre of accumulation’ for species with origins outside of the Coral Triangle, owing to it being at a central position between the Indian and Pacific oceans. Here, we investigated support for these hypotheses using population-level DNA sequence-based reconstructions of the range evolution of 45 species (314 populations) of Indo-Pacific reef-associated organisms. Our results show that populations undergoing the most ancient establishment were significantly more likely to be closer to the centre of the Coral Triangle than to peripheral locations. The data are consistent with the Coral Triangle being a net source of coral-reef biodiversity for the Indo-Pacific region, suggesting that the region has acted primarily as a centre of survival, a centre of origin or both. These results provide evidence of how a key location can influence the large-scale distributions of biodiversity over evolutionary timescales.

Putting the ‘Indo’ back into the Indo-Pacific: resolving marine phylogeographic gaps

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 86 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. G. Wilson ◽  
L. A. Kirkendale
Keyword(s):  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Western Indian Ocean ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Coral Triangle ◽  
West Pacific ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
Leeuwin Current ◽  
Marine Realm ◽  
The Indian Ocean

The Indo-Pacific is an extremely large marine realm that unites two oceans via a restricted Coral Triangle corridor, which was historically subjected to lowered sea levels during global glaciation. Although a strong phylogeographic focus on the Central and West Pacific has produced a large body of research, the Indian Ocean has been largely neglected. This may have serious consequences, because the Indian Ocean hosts a large number of marine centres of endemism, yet a large number of nations rely on its marine resources. We examine reasons for this neglect and review what is known about this region and its connectivity to the Indo-West Pacific. We draw attention to the ‘Leeuwin Effect’, a phenomenon where the southward flow of the Leeuwin Current is responsible for transporting larval propagules from the Coral Triangle region down the coast of Western Australia, resulting in broader Indo-West Pacific rather than Indian Ocean affinities. Given challenges in accessing infrastructure and samples, collaboration will inevitably be key to resolving data gaps. We challenge the assumption that the peak of shallow-water marine biodiversity is solely centred in the Coral Triangle, and raise awareness of a seemingly forgotten hypothesis promoting a secondary peak of biodiversity in the western Indian Ocean.

scholarly journals Beyond the Coral Triangle: high genetic diversity and near panmixia in Singapore's populations of the broadcast spawning sea star Protoreaster nodosus

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (8) ◽  
pp. 160253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. C. Tay ◽  
M. W. P. Chng ◽  
W. W. G. Sew ◽  
F. E. Rheindt ◽  
K. P. P. Tun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Small Population ◽  
Population Connectivity ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Coral Triangle ◽  
Sea Star ◽  
High Genetic Diversity ◽  
Broadcast Spawning ◽  
Genome Wide

The Coral Triangle is widely considered the most important centre of marine biodiversity in Asia while areas on its periphery such as the South China Sea, have received much less interest. Here, we demonstrate that a small population of the knobbly sea star Protoreaster nodosus in Singapore has similarly high levels of genetic diversity as comparable Indonesian populations from the Coral Triangle. The high genetic diversity of this population is remarkable because it is maintained despite decades of continued anthropogenic disturbance. We postulate that it is probably due to broadcast spawning which is likely to maintain high levels of population connectivity. To test this, we analysed 6140 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci for Singapore's populations and demonstrate a pattern of near panmixia. We here document a second case of high genetic diversity and low genetic structure for a broadcast spawner in Singapore, which suggests that such species have high resilience against anthropogenic disturbances. The study demonstrates the feasibility and power of using genome-wide SNPs for connectivity studies of marine invertebrates without a sequenced genome.

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