scholarly journals Effects of Cyclone 'Joy' on nearshore coral communities of the Great Barrier Reef

1995 ◽  
Vol 128 ◽  
pp. 261-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Van Woesik ◽  
LM De Vantier ◽  
JS Glazebrook
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Coral Communities

scholarly journals High survival following bleaching highlights the resilience of a highly disturbed region of the Great Barrier Reef

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cathie A Page ◽  
Christine Giuliano ◽  
Line K Bay ◽  
Carly J Randall
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Heat Exposure ◽  
High Survival ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Recovery Potential ◽  
Coral Communities ◽  
Degree Heating Weeks ◽  
High Turbidity ◽  
Exposure Metrics

Natural bleaching events provide an opportunity to examine how local scale environmental variation influences bleaching severity and recovery. During the 2020 marine heatwave, we documented widespread and severe coral bleaching (75 – 98% of coral cover) throughout the Keppel Islands in the Southern inshore Great Barrier Reef. Acropora, Pocillopora and Porites were the most severely affected genera, while Montipora was comparatively less susceptible. Site-specific heat-exposure metrics were not correlated with Acropora bleaching severity, but recovery was faster at sites that experienced lower heat exposure. Despite severe bleaching and exposure to accumulated heat that often results in coral mortality (degree heating weeks ~ 4 – 8), cover remained stable. Approximately 94% of fate-tracked Acropora millepora colonies survived, perhaps owing to reduced irradiance stress from high turbidity, heterotrophic feeding, and large tidal flows that can increase mass transfer. Severe bleaching followed by rapid recovery, and the continuing dominance of Acropora populations in the Keppel Islands is indicative of high resilience. These coral communities have survived an 0.8 °C increase in average temperatures over the last 150 years. However, recovery following the 2020 bleaching was driven by the easing of thermal stress, which may challenge their recovery potential under further warming.

Safeguarding coastal coral communities on the central Great Barrier Reef (Australia) against climate change: realizable local and global actions

2011 ◽  
Vol 112 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 945-961 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Andrew Wooldridge ◽  
Terence J. Done ◽  
Colette R. Thomas ◽  
Iain I. Gordon ◽  
Paul A. Marshall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Coral Communities

Coral communities and reef growth in the southern Great Barrier Reef

Coral Reefs ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. van Woesik ◽  
T. J. Done
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Reef Growth ◽  
Coral Communities

scholarly journals Lower Mesophotic Coral Communities (60-125 m Depth) of the Northern Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea

PLoS ONE ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. e0170336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norbert Englebert ◽  
Pim Bongaerts ◽  
Paul R. Muir ◽  
Kyra B. Hay ◽  
Michel Pichon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Coral Sea ◽  
Coral Communities

scholarly journals Ecological changes over 90 years at Low Isles on the Great Barrier Reef

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maoz Fine ◽  
Ove Hoegh-Guldberg ◽  
Efrat Meroz-Fine ◽  
Sophie Dove
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Multiple Stressors ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Initial State ◽  
Ecosystem Responses ◽  
Ecological Changes ◽  
Coral Communities ◽  
Reef Decline

Abstract Coral reefs are under increasing stress from local and global factors. Long-term perspectives are becoming increasingly important for understanding ecosystem responses. Here, we provide insights from a 91-year study of the Low Isles on the northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR) that begins with the pioneering Great Barrier Reef Expedition (1928-29). We show that intertidal communities have experienced major phase-shifts since 1928, with few signs of a return to the initial state. Coral communities demolished by cyclones 50 years ago and exposed to multiple stressors have yet to recover. Richness and diversity of these communities systematically declined for corals and other invertebrates. Specifically, massive corals have replaced branching corals, and soft corals have become much more numerous. The long-term perspective of this study illustrates the importance of considering multiple factors in reef decline, and potential recovery, of coral reefs, and the importance of tracking changes in community structure as well as coral abundance over long periods.

Coral communities of the Gneering Shoals and Mudjimba Island, south-eastern Queensland

1995 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 1137 ◽  
Author(s):  
SA Banks ◽  
VJ Harriott
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Coral Species ◽  
Benthic Communities ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Rocky Reef ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Coral Communities ◽  
Physical Attributes ◽  
Community Types

The Gneering Shoals and Mudjimba Island are coastal rocky-reef communities approximately 250 km south of the Great Barrier Reef. Ten sites from 700 m to 12 km offshore were investigated with the use of video-transects to determine percentage cover of benthic organisms. The marine benthic communities were dominated by hard corals, soft corals and turf algae. Three community types were identified: (1) offshore communities, (2) island-associated communities, and (3) a nearshore algae-dominated community. Inshore sites were dominated by flat encrusting hard corals, whereas offshore sites were dominated by foliose and plating hard corals, particularly Acropora solitaryensis and Turbinaria spp. There was a notable scarcity of branching species, particularly from the Family Acroporidae. Seventy-seven species of scleractinian coral, representing 30 genera in 11 families, have been recorded from the Gneering Shoals region. The Gneering Shoals had low coral species richness relative to the southern Great Barrier Reef (244 species) and Flinders Reef, 50 km to the south-east (118 species). Possible explanations for the relatively low coral species richness in the Gneering Shoals region include the physical attributes of the site and the hypothesized failure of the East Australian Current to be a major influence on the region.

scholarly journals Submerged banks in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, greatly increase available coral reef habitat

2012 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 284-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter T. Harris ◽  
Thomas C.L. Bridge ◽  
Robin J. Beaman ◽  
Jody M. Webster ◽  
Scott L. Nichol ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Reef Habitat ◽  
Deep Reef ◽  
Coral Communities ◽  
Coral Reef Habitat

Abstract Harris, P. T., Bridge, T. C. L., Beaman, R. J., Webster, J. M., Nichol, S. L., and Brooke, B. P. 2013. Submerged banks in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, greatly increase available coral reef habitat. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: 284–293. Anthropogenic global ocean warming is predicted to cause bleaching of many near-sea-surface (NSS) coral reefs, placing increased importance on deeper reef habitats to maintain coral reef biodiversity and ecosystem function. However, the location and spatial extent of many deep reef habitats is poorly known. The question arises: how common are deep reef habitats in comparison with NSS reefs? We used a dataset from the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) to show that only about 39% of available seabed on submerged banks is capped by NSS coral reefs (16 110 km2); the other 61% of bank area (25 600 km2) is submerged at a mean depth of around 27 m and represents potential deep reef habitat that is spatially distributed along the GBR continental shelf in the same latitudinal distribution as NSS reefs. Out of 25 600 km2 of submerged bank area, predictive habitat modelling indicates that more than half (around 14 000 km2) is suitable habitat for coral communities.

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