ORCID Profile
0000-0003-1963-7602
Current Organisation
James Cook University
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Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.BEPROC.2016.02.001
Abstract: Aquatic animals commonly rely on chemical cues to provide information regarding their surroundings. They can respond either by being attracted to (potential mates, preferred habitats) or avoiding (predators, competitors) the source of the stimuli. Coral reef fishes use chemical cues to detect habitats, avoid predators and recognise conspecifics. However, the extent to which chemical cues are used to detect and respond to potential competitors, has received little attention. Here we test olfactory preferences for conspecifics and heterospecifics in newly settled juvenile coral reef fishes. Juveniles of 4 common coral-associated damselfish species: Dascyllus melanurus, Dascyllus reticulatus, Chrysiptera arnazae and Pomacentrus moluccensis, were subjected to olfactory choice tests. Three of the 4 species (excluding P. moluccensis) demonstrated preferences for waterborne conspecifics odours. All species exhibited an avoidance towards heterospecific odours this aversion was consistently greatest towards P. moluccensis. A neutral response toward heterospecifics was only evident in two instances (1) between the two congeneric Dascyllus species, with D. melanurus toward D. reticulatus, and (2) with C. arnazae toward D. melanurus. While it is already known that the presence of conspecifics plays a vital role in settlement site selection, we show here that the presence of heterospecifics may also be key in determining the spatial distributions of juveniles across areas of coral reef.
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 10-03-2022
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS13981
Abstract: Coral reef benthic communities include a wide range of taxa, but most attention has been given to hard coral assemblages, and how their cover and composition vary over strong spatial gradients. Much less is known about the spatial distribution and composition of coral reef sponge communities, which may become increasingly important on reefs with declining coral cover. Here, we examined the effects of exposure, depth, aspect and location on the cover and composition of sponge assemblages on a coral reef in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea. We quantified sponge cover and species composition along replicate line transects on 6 inshore reefs, s ling exposed (seaward) and sheltered (landward) sides of reefs at 5, 10 and 15 m depth, with reef aspect sub ided into slopes or walls along each transect. Although the substratum was generally dominated by corals and algae, sponges ranked 3rd, with an average of 13.1% cover, including 63 recognisable species. Morphologically there were 38 encrusting, 21 erect and 4 massive sponge species, with the encrusting sponges Lamellodysidea cf. chlorea and Dysidea sp1 exhibiting the highest cover. Sponge cover, species richness and species composition all exhibited complex interactions among depth, exposure and location. Sponge cover and species richness increased in transects with higher percentages of wall aspects, and assemblage structure differed between slopes and walls. Sponges are a erse component of the benthos, with exposure, depth and reef aspect all contributing to explain spatial variation in assemblage structure.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2013
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-04-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S00338-022-02253-8
Abstract: Sponges (Porifera) are a key component of many coral reef ecosystems. In some biogeographic regions, they are considered the dominant benthic fauna and they have the capacity to fulfil many similar roles to reef-building scleractinians. Certainly, sponges predominate at depth, below the critical thresholds of most coral species. The biological and physical attributes of these biogenic communities contribute essential resources for many reef-associated fishes. However, while fish–sponge interactions have been widely documented, there is no global synthesis of the literature on these interrelationships from the perspective of fish ecology. Here we evaluate coral reef fish–sponge relationships, including the role of sponges in providing food and shelter for fishes, the influence fishes have on sponge distribution and abundance and possible outcomes of climate change on fish–sponge interactions. To date, 16 fish families have been shown to associate with 56 different sponge genera, using them as either a source of shelter ( n = 17) or a food source ( n = 50), although methodologies for the latter currently lack consistency. We demonstrate that a more comprehensive understanding of fish–sponge interactions has been garnered from tropical Atlantic coral reefs, which has resulted in a strong biogeographic bias. While it is evident that in some areas of the Caribbean fish are key in shaping the distribution and abundance of sponges, it is not yet known whether this conclusion applies to the Indo-Pacific. With increasing stresses such as bleaching events impacting coral reef ecosystems, further work is needed to evaluate whether sponges can fulfil similar functional roles to those previously provided by reef-building scleractinians. Similarly, determining whether sponge expansion will compensate for the negative effects of reef degradation, or contribute to their decline, is vital.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1071/MF14424
Abstract: Coral degradation is a major threat towards the bio ersity of coral-reef ecosystems, either through the physical effects of environmental change, or biological agents such as crown-of-thorns (Acanthaster planci). Coral loss is leading to significant declines in reef-fish assemblages, particularly those dependent on live coral as settlement sites. Most reef fishes use olfactory stimuli at settlement however, their ability to detect chemical stimuli from degraded corals or A. planci is unknown. Here, olfactory responses of juvenile reef fishes to the presence of stressed corals and A. planci were tested. Juveniles of eight common coral-associated species were subjected to a series of pair-wise choice tests, where the period of time spent in two differing water sources was noted. All species demonstrated a significant attraction towards healthy coral (≥76%), avoiding cues emitted by stressed coral colonies. When given the choice between a control water (untreated reef water) and water containing chemical cues from A. planci, most species elicited no response. Finally, when given the choice between chemical cues derived from feeding A. planci or the control, all species avoided A. planci (≥70%). Our results indicated that juvenile reef fish are capable of distinguishing the state of coral health, but not directly from disturbance agents.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 08-08-2022
DOI: 10.1071/MF21349
Abstract: Context Although increases in macroalgal cover on coral reefs are often reported alongside declines in coral, the composition of algal assemblages and their spatial dynamics are not commonly investigated. Aims To quantify changes in macroalgal assemblage composition over two spatial environmental gradients, depth and distance from shore, within a nearshore reef system in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea, where coral cover has declined. Methods Benthic cover was quantified at three depths (reef flat, 10 and 15 m) on the windward reef slopes of six reefs located three distances from shore (fringing reefs, and platform reefs 100–200 m and 0.7−1 km offshore). Key results Macroalgal cover was highest on the reef flat, and assemblage composition varied among depths and distances from shore. Macroalgal cover was not correlated with coral cover except where macroalgal cover was greater than 20%, where a negative correlation occurred. There was no correlation between macroalgal cover and turf algal cover. All three benthic groups were negatively correlated with the combined total cover of sand and gravel. Conclusions These results indicated a fine-scale spatial structure of macroalgal assemblages on coral reefs over a narrow depth range and short distance from shore and highlighted the importance of a solid substratum. Implications It is likely that the ecological interactions between corals and macroalgae vary considerably over narrow spatial gradients.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-05-2020
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Amy Coppock.