A sponge of the Cliona viridis complex invades and excavates corals of the Gulf of Mannar, south-eastern India

2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (6) ◽  
pp. 874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arathy Mol Ashok ◽  
Christine Hanna Lydia Schönberg ◽  
Kasper Diraviya Raj ◽  
Mahalakshmi Bhoopathi ◽  
M. Selva Bharath ◽  
...  

Sponges play an important role in biogenic coral-reef degradation, and it is acknowledged that elevated levels of sponge erosion commonly indicate poor health of coral-reef environments. An increase in the abundance of coral-excavating sponge has been reported from several locations, a development that may move coral-reef carbonate budgets increasingly towards net erosion. The role of coral-excavating sponges on Indian reefs has not been studied in as much detail as elsewhere. The present paper describes the observation of a coral-excavating sponge from the family Clionaidae. This brown, endolithic sponge formed a coherent thin layer over the surface of the substratum and had a spicule complement of tylostyles and spirasters. Therefore it belongs to the Cliona viridis species complex, which, as a group, is widely distributed and commonly displays high bioerosion rates. Accurate identification will require molecular studies and is presently deferred. The sponge was found excavating only Turbinaria mesenterina colonies of Gulf of Mannar. Within the surveyed area of 60m2, 38.58% of T. mesenterina colonies were found to be invaded by the sponge. Targeted long-term studies across a larger spatial scale are warranted to assess the role of this sponge in more detail, and whether its abundance changes over time.

2010 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 9-14
Author(s):  
Suhartati M. Natsir

Seribu Islands are archipelago within Jakarta Bay built upon the pleistocene coral formation of the Sunda Shelf. The islands are characterized by unique and high biodiversity such as coral reefs. Since coral reef degradation would lead to a decrease of human prosperity, the determination of the coral reef quality is of high importance. Foraminifera offers an early warning system for the coral reef condition, as exemplified by the FORAM Index, i.e. Foraminifera in Reef Assessment and Monitoring Index. This study compared the foraminiferal community structure and the FORAM Index of two islands between the Damar Besar and Jukung. Both islands were dominated by symbiont-bearing foraminifera of the genera Amphistegina, Calcarina, Heterostegina, Marginophora, and Operculina. However, the number of benthic foraminifers at Jukung Island was higher than that at Damar Besar Island, having 17 individuals per species on average. Jukung Island was a conducive site to reef growth, as indicated by a FORAM Index (between 6,48 and 6,57), and Damar Besar Island was liable to environmental change.


2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher H. R. Goatley ◽  
Roberta M. Bonaldo ◽  
Rebecca J. Fox ◽  
David R. Bellwood

Coral Reefs ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 451-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin K. C. Wen ◽  
Mary C. Bonin ◽  
Hugo B. Harrison ◽  
David H. Williamson ◽  
Geoffrey P. Jones

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Briones-Fourzán ◽  
Lorenzo Álvarez-Filip ◽  
Cecilia Barradas-Ortíz ◽  
Piedad S. Morillo-Velarde ◽  
Fernando Negrete-Soto ◽  
...  

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2597 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Lirman ◽  
Stephanie Schopmeyer

Reef restoration activities have proliferated in response to the need to mitigate coral declines and recover lost reef structure, function, and ecosystem services. Here, we describe the recent shift from costly and complex engineering solutions to recover degraded reef structure to more economical and efficient ecological approaches that focus on recovering the living components of reef communities. We review the adoption and expansion of the coral gardening framework in the Caribbean and Western Atlantic where practitioners now grow and outplant 10,000’s of corals onto degraded reefs each year. We detail the steps for establishing a gardening program as well as long-term goals and direct and indirect benefits of this approach in our region. With a strong scientific basis, coral gardening activities now contribute significantly to reef and species recovery, provide important scientific, education, and outreach opportunities, and offer alternate livelihoods to local stakeholders. While challenges still remain, the transition from engineering to ecological solutions for reef degradation has opened the field of coral reef restoration to a wider audience poised to contribute to reef conservation and recovery in regions where coral losses and recruitment bottlenecks hinder natural recovery.


2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 1041-1049 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Rogers ◽  
Julia L. Blanchard ◽  
Peter J. Mumby

2013 ◽  
Vol 475 ◽  
pp. 303-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Lecchini ◽  
VP Waqalevu ◽  
E Parmentier ◽  
CA Radford ◽  
B Banaigs

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