Unusual shallow water Devonian coral community from Queensland and its recent analogues from the inshore Great Barrier Reef

AbstractPalaeozoic coral communities were dominated by two extinct coral groups: Tabulata and Rugosa. Whilst they are not closely related to modern Scleractinia, they are morphologically convergent, displaying many morphological characters that allow comparisons between recent and ancient coral reef communities. The extensive shallow-water reef communities of the Devonian were generally dominated by stromatoporoid sponges, with corals occupying deeper environments. Here, we describe an unusual, shallow water coral reef community from the Middle Devonian (Givetian, approx. 385 Ma) of the Fanning River area, Queensland, Australia. The coral community is dominated by tabulate corals, but also includes solitary and occasionally colonial rugose corals. Tabulate corals most commonly exhibit foliose and massive morphologies, but encrusting and branching growth forms also occur. The depositional environment was characterized by a shallow water depth, moderate hydrodynamic energy, high sedimentation rate, and high turbidity. Since these environmental factors influence the morphological composition of modern coral communities, we hypothesize that similar environments may result in morphologically equivalent coral assemblages throughout the Phanerozoic. To test this idea, we qualitatively compare the Fanning River reefs with modern scleractinian coral assemblages in a similar environmental setting at Magnetic Island. Both reefs are located in a shallow water less than 10 m deep, with high sediment flux, moderate wave energy, and generally high turbidity. Like Fanning River, Magnetic Island coral communities are dominated by foliose morphologies, with contributions from massive and branching forms. The Fanning River reef, together with previously identified Silurian and Devonian mesophotic coral ecosystems, suggest that Palaeozoic coral assemblages may share many functional characteristics with modern scleractinian reefs in similar environments. Therefore, the geological record of inshore, high turbidity-adapted coral communities can be traced back as far as 385 Ma.

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The Probability of an Unrecoverable Coral Community in Dongsha Atoll Marine National Park Due to Recurrent Disturbances

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12219052 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (21) ◽

pp. 9052

Author(s):

Yu-Rong Cheng ◽

Chi-Hsiang Chin ◽

Ding-Fa Lin ◽

Chao-Kang Wang

Keyword(s):

Coral Reef ◽

National Park ◽

Anthropogenic Impacts ◽

Sustainable Use ◽

Coral Community ◽

Functional Ecology ◽

The Past ◽

Coral Communities ◽

Coral Reef Ecosystems ◽

Dongsha Atoll

In recent decades, coral reefs worldwide have been impacted annually by climate change and anthropogenic impacts. Marine parks are utilized to protect coral reef ecosystems and to ensure it is in sustainable use. In the present study, a 15-year change in coverage and composition of a hard coral community at Dongsha Atoll Marine National Park (DAMNP) was examined from 2005 to 2019. The reef has experienced several disturbances, including 11 typhoons and six coral bleaching events. A 34.39% decline in coral coverage had been recorded over the past 15 years in response to multiple and recurrent natural disturbances. The coral communities and functional ecology of the Dongsha Atoll changed during this period. The average dissimilarities in coral communities ranged from 55.38 to 59.02%. The dramatic decrease in the abundance of branching corals in addition to a slight increase in massive and encrusting corals suggest the habitat has simplified. The degraded coral reef communities represent a low resilience ecosystem, even though the DAMNP has been established. Without effective management, the coral reef ecosystem of the Dongsha Atoll may not persist due to repeated impacts from recurrent disturbances.

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Ecological Aspects of the Distribution of Reef Corals in the Netherlands Antilles

Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde ◽

10.1163/26660644-04502002 ◽

1975 ◽

Vol 45 (2) ◽

pp. 181-190 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

Rolf P. M. Bak

Keyword(s):

Coral Reef ◽

Growth Form ◽

Coral Species ◽

Water Movement ◽

General Pattern ◽

Coral Community ◽

Salinity Range ◽

Acropora Palmata ◽

Deep Reef ◽

Coral Communities

The vertical and horizontal patterns of the distribution of corals and coral reefs (to a depth of 90 m) are discussed in relation to the environmental factors: geomorphology of the bottom, available substrate, light, turbidity, sedimentation, water movement and temperature. There is a general pattern which is comparable to other well-developed Caribbean reefs. However, as in other areas variations are found, e.g. the depth and growth form of Acropora palmata will depend on the degree of exposure to water movement. There are strong correlations between the environmental variables and the occurrence of coral species and their growth form, the species composition of coral communities and the character of the coral reef. In some cases the relationship is not that obvious. The absence of Agaricia species at certain points along the coast of Aruba and the dominance of Sargassum on the deep bottom at some places along the windward coast of Curaçao is not yet explained. The relative importance of the different factors in an environmental setting is shown by a comparison of reef communities and reef habitats with a coral community of a muddy, shallow inland bay. The community of the bay consists, apart from the hardier coral species, of corals which are characteristic of the deep reef: Scolymia lacera, S. cubensis and Helioseris cucullata. These corals are adapted to sedimentation and low light intensities and are apparently able to withstand a temperature and salinity range much broader than that of their deep reef habitat. The paucity of corals and coral reef development around the islands of the Windward Group (deeper habitat included) can generally be explained by the morphology of the sea floor, the lack of suitable substrate and the effect of hurricanes. The exposed coasts of Saba and St. Eustatius, being virtually unexplored, may have richer coral growth. A new list of species of the Scleractinia of the Leeward and Windward groups, consisting of 57 species, is included.

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Beyond coral-algal regimes: high taxonomic resolution surveys and trait-based analyses reveal multiple benthic regimes

10.1101/2021.01.08.425940 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Miriam Reverter ◽

Matthew Jackson ◽

Sven Rohde ◽

Mareen Moeller ◽

Robert Bara ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Coral Reef ◽

Taxonomic Resolution ◽

Marine Biodiversity ◽

Soft Corals ◽

Benthic Assemblages ◽

North Sulawesi ◽

Reef Communities ◽

Coral Communities ◽

Specific Species ◽

Coral Reef Communities

As coral reef communities change and reorganise in response to anthropogenic and climate disturbances, there is a growing need of detecting and understanding the different emerging species regimes and their contribution to key ecosystem processes. Using a case study on coral reefs at the epicentre of tropical marine biodiversity (North Sulawesi), we explored how application of different biodiversity approaches (i.e. use of major taxonomic categories, high taxonomic resolution categories and trait-based approaches) affects the detection of distinct fish and benthic community assemblages. Our results show that using major categories (family level or above) to study coral reef communities fails to identify distinct regimes. We also show that for detection of different benthic regimes, especially communities dominated by non-coral organisms, monitoring of only scleractinian coral communities is insufficient, and that all types of benthic organisms (e.g. sponges, ascidians, soft corals, algae etc.) need to be considered. We have implemented for the first time, the use of a trait-based approach to study the functional diversity of whole coral reef benthic assemblages, which allowed us to detect five different community regimes, only one of which was dominated by scleractinian corals. We circumvented the challenge that for some benthic groups (e.g. sponges, ascidians or some soft corals) visual identification up to the species level is not possible, by identifying and categorising traits that can be applied to groups of similar organisms instead of specific species. Furthermore, by the parallel study of benthic and fish communities we provide new insights into key processes and functions that might dominate or be compromised in the different community regimes.

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Effects of terrestrial runoff on the coral communities in Santiago Bay, Colima, Mexican Pacific Coast

Revista de Biología Tropical ◽

10.15517/rbt.v64i3.21817 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 64 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Marco Agustín Liñán-Cabello ◽

Aramis Olivos-Ortiz ◽

Sonia Quijano-Scheggia ◽

Daniela Muñiz Anguiano ◽

María Luisa Reséndiz-Flores ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Coral Reef ◽

Pacific Coast ◽

Geographical Location ◽

Coral Community ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Mexican Pacific ◽

The Status ◽

Coral Communities ◽

Coral Reef Ecosystems ◽

Coral Health

Coral reef ecosystems are under stress of different origins, from factors including sedimentation, fragmentation, overfishing, and tourism, depending on their geographical location, depth, and proximity to recreation areas. In this study of Juluapan Lagoon, we examined the relationship between various water-quality attributes and the status indicators of the coral community at La Boquita reef. During 2011 (12 months of sampling), six monitoring stations in the Juluapan lagoon were established in order to observe the gradient of the distribution of the physicochemical parameters: three stations on the upper part, or BI, (S4 to S6) and three more in the lower part, or BII, (S1 to S3). A control station (CS) was located in the coral reef close to the lagoon channel, and where dissolved inorganic nutrients and cellular carbon content were determined. Additionally, we considered the monitoring of three of the eight largest coral structures/headlands of this community: the first was the station closest to the channel communicating with Juluapan lagoon (C1), the second was in the intermediate region with respect to that lagoon (C2), and the third was farthest from the channel (C3). Three line intercept transects (LIT) 30 m in length and perpendicular to the coast provenance were established in each station, and the parameters indicative of the status of corals were evaluated in an area of 60 m2 on each transect (180 m2 by the station). Turbidity, evidence of fishing, signs of settling, algal coverage, abundance of fish, rate of sediment, and coral health records (as for CoralWach chart) were determined in situ and from digital photographs and videos. Considering various community status indicators used in the reef area, we could recognize a state of general deterioration, which was reflected in the loss of 17 % of coral coverage. The main anthropogenic disturbances in adjacent areas to La Boquita reef included wastewater discharges into the lagoon, tourist developments in the coastal zone, deforestation and erosion resulting from inappropriate development, and the runoff of nutrients from agricultural lands nearby the lagoon. All these significantly contributed to the nutrient-enriched waters of the lagoon, especially in summer, with negative effects on the coral community. Continued exposure to these factors, coupled with the lack of control over other anthropogenic components, has promoted the maintenance of a chronic stress state in the studied coral community. Our findings highlight the need for the development of appropriate coastal management and conservation policies for the coral reefs of the Mexican Pacific Coast.

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Changes in coral reef communities across a natural gradient in seawater pH

Science Advances ◽

10.1126/sciadv.1500328 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 1 (5) ◽

pp. e1500328 ◽

Cited By ~ 62

Author(s):

Hannah C. Barkley ◽

Anne L. Cohen ◽

Yimnang Golbuu ◽

Victoria R. Starczak ◽

Thomas M. DeCarlo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Coral Reef ◽

Ocean Acidification ◽

Benthic Communities ◽

Coral Community ◽

Low Ph ◽

Coralline Algae ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Skeletal Density ◽

Coral Communities ◽

Coral Reef Ecosystems

Ocean acidification threatens the survival of coral reef ecosystems worldwide. The negative effects of ocean acidification observed in many laboratory experiments have been seen in studies of naturally low-pH reefs, with little evidence to date for adaptation. Recently, we reported initial data suggesting that low-pH coral communities of the Palau Rock Islands appear healthy despite the extreme conditions in which they live. Here, we build on that observation with a comprehensive statistical analysis of benthic communities across Palau’s natural acidification gradient. Our analysis revealed a shift in coral community composition but no impact of acidification on coral richness, coralline algae abundance, macroalgae cover, coral calcification, or skeletal density. However, coral bioerosion increased 11-fold as pH decreased from the barrier reefs to the Rock Island bays. Indeed, a comparison of the naturally low-pH coral reef systems studied so far revealed increased bioerosion to be the only consistent feature among them, as responses varied across other indices of ecosystem health. Our results imply that whereas community responses may vary, escalation of coral reef bioerosion and acceleration of a shift from net accreting to net eroding reef structures will likely be a global signature of ocean acidification.

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Bearing the wrong identity: A case study of an Indo-Pacific common shallow water sponge of the genus Neopetrosia (Haplosclerida; Petrosiidae)

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4500.1.2 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 4500 (1) ◽

pp. 43 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

EDWIN SETIAWAN ◽

DIRK ERPENBECK ◽

GERT WÖRHEIDE ◽

NICOLE J. DE VOOGD

Keyword(s):

Coral Reef ◽

Shallow Water ◽

Species Delimitation ◽

Morphological Characters ◽

Molecular Barcoding ◽

Similar Morphology ◽

Phylogenetic Methods ◽

Reef Environments ◽

Molecular Phylogenetic

Sponges of the order Haplosclerida are often abundant and characteristic components of Indo-Pacific reefs, but are often misidentified, because of the lack of clear distinctive morphological characters. Neopetrosia exigua is an example of a haplosclerid sponge that is very common in Indonesian shallow coral reef environments but bears several different names. In the present study we investigated type material of several Indo-Pacific Neopetrosia species with a similar morphology and examined freshly collected specimen materials including specimens that are deposited at several institutions. In addition, we used molecular phylogenetic methods for assisting the morphological examinations. We conclude that the true identity of Neopetrosia exigua should be Neopetrosia chaliniformis. Likewise, N. exigua and N. pacifica should be considered as junior synonyms of N. chaliniformis. In conclusion, we advocate that molecular barcoding could significantly aid on sponge species’ delimitation that possess limited morphological characters.

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