ORCID Profile
0000-0002-1862-8459
Current Organisation
James Cook University
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Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Environmental Science and Management | Conservation And Biodiversity | Marine And Estuarine Ecology (Incl. Marine Ichthyology) | Natural Resource Management | Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology) | Ecological Impacts of Climate Change | Ecology | Ecosystem Function | Environment And Resource Economics | Environmental Management | Conservation and Biodiversity | Environmental Management And Rehabilitation | Global Change Biology
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Living resources (incl. impacts of fishing on non-target species) | Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Marine Environments | Coastal and Marine Management Policy | Ecosystem Adaptation to Climate Change | Climate change | Expanding Knowledge in the Environmental Sciences | Integrated (ecosystem) assessment and management | Marine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity | Marine protected areas | Global climate change adaptation measures | Regional planning |
Related Links
Publications
Geographic variation in resource use by specialist versus generalist butterflyfishes
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-11-2011
The role of protein extracts in the induction of disease in Acanthaster planci
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2012
Projected shifts in coral size structure in the Anthropocene
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2020
From cooperation to combat: adverse effect of thermal stress in a symbiotic coral-crustacean community
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-12-2014
DOI: 10.1007/S00442-013-2858-6
Abstract: Although mutualisms are ubiquitous in nature, our understanding of the potential impacts of climate change on these important ecological interactions is deficient. Here, we report on a thermal stress-related shift from cooperation to antagonism between members of a mutualistic coral-dwelling community. Increased mortality of coral-defending crustacean symbionts Trapezia cymodoce (coral crab) and Alpheus lottini (snapping shrimp) was observed in response to experimentally elevated temperatures and reduced coral-host (Pocillopora damicornis) condition. However, strong differential numerical effects occurred among crustaceans as a function of species and sex, with shrimp (75%), and female crabs (55%), exhibiting the fastest and greatest declines in numbers. These declines were due to forceful eviction from the coral-host by male crabs. Furthermore, surviving female crabs were impacted by a dramatic decline (85%) in egg production, which could have deleterious consequences for population sustainability. Our results suggest that elevated temperature switches the fundamental nature of this interaction from cooperation to competition, leading to asymmetrical effects on species and/or sexes. Our study illustrates the importance of evaluating not only in idual responses to climate change, but also potentially fragile interactions within and among susceptible species.
Elevated CO2 affects the behavior of an ecologically and economically important coral reef fish
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-11-2013
Increasing ocean temperatures reduce activity patterns of a large commercially important coral reef fish
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-11-2014
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.12452
Abstract: Large-bodied fish are critical for sustaining coral reef fisheries, but little is known about the vulnerability of these fish to global warming. This study examined the effects of elevated temperatures on the movement and activity patterns of the common coral trout Plectropomus leopardus (Serranidae), which is an important fishery species in tropical Australia and throughout the Indo West-Pacific. Adult fish were collected from two locations on Australia's Great Barrier Reef (23°S and 14°S) and maintained at one of four temperatures (24, 27, 30, 33 °C). Following >4 weeks acclimation, the spontaneous swimming speeds and activity patterns of in iduals were recorded over a period of 12 days. At 24-27 °C, spontaneous swimming speeds of common coral trout were 0.43-0.45 body lengths per second (bls(-1)), but dropped sharply to 0.29 bls(-1) at 30 °C and 0.25 bls(-1) at 33 °C. Concurrently, in iduals spent 9.3-10.6% of their time resting motionless on the bottom at 24-27 °C, but this behaviour increased to 14.0% at 30 °C and 20.0% of the time at 33 °C (mean ± SE). The impact of temperature was greatest for smaller in iduals ( 55 cm TL) were first affected by 30 °C and 33 °C, respectively. Importantly, there was some indication that populations can adapt to elevated temperature if presented with adequate time, as the high-latitude population decreased significantly in swimming speeds at both 30 °C and 33 °C, while the low-latitude population only showed significant reductions at 33 °C. Given that movement and activity patterns of large mobile species are directly related to prey encounter rates, ability to capture prey and avoid predators, any reductions in activity patterns are likely to reduce overall foraging and energy intake, limit the energy available for growth and reproduction, and affect the fitness and survival of in iduals and populations.
Limited Cross-Shelf Variation in the Growth of Three Branching Corals on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 17-09-2018
DOI: 10.20944/PREPRINTS201809.0302.V1
Abstract: Pronounced differences exist in the bio ersity and structure of coral reef assemblages with increasing distance from shore, which may be expected given marked cross-shelf gradients in environmental conditions. Cross-shelf variation in the abundance of coral reef organisms is likely to be caused, at least in part, by differences in demography (e.g., growth and survival), though this has rarely been tested. This study quantified growth of three distinct coral taxa (Acropora nasuta, Pocillopora spp., and Stylophora pistillata) at 6 sites on Australia& rsquo s Great Barrier Reef (GBR), encompassing inshore, mid-shelf and outer-shelf reefs. Replicate colonies (up to 15 colonies per species, per reef) were stained using Alizarin red in December 2015 and retrieved 1-year later to quantify linear extension on replicate branches for each colony. Annual linear extension varied within and among coral taxa, with pronounced differences among reefs. For A. nausta. and S. pistillata, growth rates were highest at Orpheus Island, which is an inner shelf reef. However, inter-reef differences in coral growth were not explained by shelf position. Based on differences in skeletal density, which did vary according to shelf position, branching corals at the inshore sites may actually have higher rates of calcification compared to conspecifics on mid- and outer-shelf reefs. This study shows that growth of branching corals is not lower at inshore sites (and perhaps even higher) compared to sites at mid-shelf and outer reefs, despite generally higher levels of sedimentation and turbidity.
Variational estimate method for solving autonomous ordinary differential equations
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 04-2018
Holdfasts of Sargassum swartzii are resistant to herbivory and resilient to damage
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-10-2018
Coral size, health and structural complexity: effects on the ecology of a coral reef damselfish
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 07-06-2012
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS09687
Environmental Tipping Points for Sperm Motility, Fertilization, and Embryonic Development in the Crown-of-Thorns Starfish, Acanthaster cf. solaris
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 12-2016
DOI: 10.20944/PREPRINTS201612.0010.V1
Abstract: For broadcast spawning invertebrates such as the crown-of-thorns starfish, early life history stages (from spawning to settlement) may be exposed to a wide range of environmental conditions, and could have a major bearing on reproductive success and population replenishment. Arrested development in response to multiple environmental stressors at the earliest stages can be used to define lower and upper limits for normal development. Here, we compared sperm swimming speeds and proportion of motile sperm and rates of fertilization and early development under a range of environmental variables (temperature: 20-36& deg C, salinity: 20-34 psu, and pH: 7.6-8.2) to identify environmental tipping points and thresholds for reproductive success. We also tested the effects of water-soluble compounds derived from eggs on sperm activity. Our results demonstrate that gametes, fertilization, and early development are robust to a wide range of temperature, salinity, and pH levels that are outside the range found at the geographical limits of adult distribution and can tolerate environmental conditions that exceed expected anomalies as a result of climate change. Water-soluble compounds associated with eggs also enhance sperm activity, particularly in environmental conditions where sperm motility is initially limited. These findings suggest that fertilization and embryonic development of crown-of-thorns starfish are tolerant to a wide range of environmental conditions, though environmental constraints on recruitment success may occur at later ontogenic stages.
Spawning time of Acanthaster cf. solaris on the Great Barrier Reef inferred using qPCR quantification of embryos and larvae: do they know it’s Christmas?
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-09-2019
DOI: 10.1007/S00227-019-3582-5
Abstract: Outbreaks of crown-of-thorns seastars (CoTS Acanthaster spp.) are a major contributor to degradation of Indo-Pacific coral reefs. Understanding the dispersal and fate of planktonic life stages is crucial to understand and manage outbreaks, but visual detection of CoTS larvae is challenging. We apply a quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay to enumerate CoTS larvae in a 3-year time series of plankton s les from two reefs (Agincourt and Moore Reefs) on the Great Barrier Reef. Plankton surveys were complemented with settlement assays, and benthic surveys of juvenile and adult densities over time. Only one out of 109 plankton s les from Agincourt Reef had detectable CoTS mtDNA compared to 41 out of 575 s les from Moore Reef. This may be explained by differences in adult densities, or differences in connectivity and larval retention. Detections of larval CoTS were restricted to summer (November–February), with first detections each year coinciding with water temperatures reaching 28 °C and peak detections late December. A disproportionate number of larval detections occurred in 7 days around full moon. Complementary s ling of settlement and post-settlement life stages confirmed that elevated densities of CoTS larvae at Moore Reef translated to high rates of settlement adding to infestations at this reef. Moreover, there were declines in the detection of larvae, as well densities of juvenile and adult CoTS at Moore Reef, in 2017 and 2018. This study demonstrates that qPCR for genetic identification and quantification of larvae can assist to elucidate life history parameters of nuisance species difficult to obtain with other tools.
Differences in demographic traits of four butterflyfish species between two reefs of the Great Barrier Reef separated by 1,200 km
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-11-2012
Variation in the Physiological Condition of Common Coral Trout (Plectropomus leopardus) Unrelated to Coral Cover on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 05-10-2023
Changes in the incidence of coral injuries during mass bleaching across Australia's Coral Sea Marine Park
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 20-01-2022
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS13935
Abstract: Changes in coral abundance are typically used to assess coral mortality rates following major acute disturbances on coral reefs. However, coral abundance metrics do not consider partial mortality (hereafter injury) or background mortality occurring independently of major disturbances. As such we have little understanding about the influence of major versus routine disturbances on coral assemblages. We compared the incidence of recent (in the last 4-6 wk) coral injury (tissue loss affecting 5-99% of the colony) among different genera and size classes ( , 5-40 and cm diameter) at 16 reefs throughout Australia’s Coral Sea Marine Park before and during a mass bleaching event in 2020. Despite mass bleaching, the overall incidence of recent injury was consistent and low ( %) across both years. However, there were marked inter-annual changes in the taxonomic hierarchy for incidence of recent injury. Interestingly, massive Porites exhibited higher incidence of recent injury during the 2020 mass bleaching whilst Acropora and Pocillopora exhibited less recent injury during mass bleaching compared to surveys conducted before the bleaching in 2018-2019. Incidence of recent injury increased with colony size, highlighting the vulnerability of large colonies and possibility of shifts in community size structure. Continued assessment of recent injuries as coral communities recover will be critical to understand their vulnerability to future disturbances and changing environmental conditions.
New and emerging directions in coral reef conservation
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2020
The use of specialisation indices to predict vulnerability of coral‐feeding butterflyfishes to environmental change
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-07-2011
Environmental and biological cues for spawning in the crown-of-thorns starfish
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 29-03-2017
Recent Advances in Understanding the Effects of Climate Change on Coral Reefs
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 18-05-2016
DOI: 10.3390/D8020012
Contributions of pre- versus post-settlement processes to fluctuating abundance of crown-of-thorns starfishes (Acanthaster spp.)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2018.07.006
Abstract: Numerous hypotheses have been put forward to account for population outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfishes (CoTS, Acanthaster spp.), which place specific importance on either pre- or post-settlement mechanisms. The purpose of this review is to specifically assess the contributions of pre- versus post-settlement processes in the population dynamics of CoTS. Given the immense reproductive potential of CoTS (>100 million eggs per female), persistent high densities would appear inevitable unless there were significant constraints on larval development, settlement success, and/or early post-settlement growth and survival. In terms of population constraints, pre- and post-settlement processes are both important and have additive effects to suppress densities of juvenile and adult CoTS within reef ecosystems. It is difficult, however, to assess the relative contributions of pre- versus post-settlement processes to population outbreaks, especially given limited data on settlement rates, as well as early post-settlement growth and mortality. Prioritising this research is important to resolve potential effects of anthropogenic activities (e.g., fishing) and habitat degradation on changing population dynamics of CoTS, and will also improve management effectiveness.
Patterns of coral settlement in an extreme environment: the southern Persian Gulf (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 03-03-2014
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS10662
Temporal variability in gametogenesis and spawning patterns of crown-of-thorns starfish within the outbreak initiation zone in the northern Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 2021
Body size and substrate type modulate movement by the western Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster solaris
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 06-09-2017
Interactive effects of live coral and structural complexity on the recruitment of reef fishes
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-06-2012
Reproductive investment and fecundity of Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) on the Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-05-2021
Metabolic Responses of Pacific Crown-of-Thorns Sea Stars (Acanthaster sp.) to Acute Warming
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Date: 12-2021
DOI: 10.1086/717049
Abstract: AbstractClimate change and population irruptions of crown-of-thorns sea stars (
Editorial
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-11-2017
Bottlenecks to coral recovery in the Seychelles
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-03-2014
Localised hydrodynamics influence vulnerability of coral communities to environmental disturbances
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-2017
Temporal and taxonomic contrasts in coral growth at Davies Reef, central Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-03-2018
Changes in the population and community structure of corals during recent disturbances (February 2016-October 2017) on Maldivian coral reefs
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-06-2019
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-019-44809-9
Abstract: Climate change is the greatest threat to coral reef ecosystems. In particular, increasing ocean temperatures are causing severe and widespread coral bleaching, contributing to extensive coral loss and degradation of coral reef habitats globally. Effects of coral bleaching are not however, equally apportioned among different corals, leading to shifts in population and community structure. This study explored variation in bleaching susceptibility and mortality associated with the 2016 severe mass bleaching in the Central Mal es Archipelago. Five dominant coral taxa (tabular Acropora , Acropora humilis , Acropora muricata , Pocillopora and massive Porites ) were surveyed in February 2016 and October 2017 to test for changes in abundance and size structure. Substantial taxonomic differences in rates of mortality were observed the most severely affected taxa, Acropora , were virtually extirpated during the course of this study, whereas some other taxa (most notably, massive Porites ) were relatively unaffected. However, even the least affected corals exhibited marked changes in population structure. In February 2016 (prior to recent mass-bleaching), size-frequency distributions of all coral taxa were dominated by larger size classes with over-centralized, peaked distributions (negatively skewed with positive kurtosis) reflecting a mature population structure. In October 2017, after the bleaching, coral populations were dominated by smaller and medium size classes, reflecting high levels of mortality and injury among larger coral colonies. Pronounced changes in coral populations and communities in the Mal es, caused by coral bleaching and other disturbances (outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish and sedimentation), will constrain recovery capacity, further compounding upon recent coral loss.
Predation on crown-of-thorns starfish larvae by damselfishes
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-08-2016
Identification of twenty one microsatellite loci for conservation genetic studies of the endemic butterflyfish Chaetodon tricinctus
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-09-2012
Damselfishes alleviate the impacts of sediments on host corals
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 04-2020
DOI: 10.1098/RSOS.192074
Abstract: Mutualisms play a critical role in ecological communities however, the importance and prevalence of mutualistic associations can be modified by external stressors. On coral reefs, elevated sediment deposition can be a major stressor reducing the health of corals and reef resilience. Here, we investigated the influence of severe sedimentation on the mutualistic relationship between small damselfishes ( Pomacentrus moluccensis and Dascyllus aruanus ) and their coral host ( Pocillopora damicornis ). In an aquarium experiment, corals were exposed to sedimentation rates of approximately 100 mg cm −2 d −1 , with and without fishes present, to test whether: (i) fishes influence the accumulation of sediments on coral hosts, and (ii) fishes moderate partial colony mortality and/or coral tissue condition. Colonies with fishes accumulated much less sediment compared with colonies without fishes, and this effect was strongest for colonies with D. aruanus (fivefold less sediment than controls) as opposed to P. moluccensis (twofold less sediment than controls). Colonies with symbiont fishes also had up to 10-fold less sediment-induced partial mortality, as well as higher chlorophyll and protein concentrations. These results demonstrate that fish mutualisms vary in the strength of their benefits, and indicate that some mutualistic or facilitative interactions might become more important for species health and resilience at high-stress levels.
Specialist corallivores dominate butterflyfish assemblages in coral-dominated reef habitats
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-03-2013
DOI: 10.1111/JFB.12056
Abstract: This study examined the dietary habits and functional composition of butterflyfishes in the Chagos Archipelago, central Indian Ocean. Eighteen species of butterflyfishes were recorded in Chagos, including six obligate corallivores (Chaetodon bennetti, Chaetodon guttatissimus, Chaetodon meyeri, Chaetodon trifascialis, Chaetodon trifasciatus and Chaetodon zanzibarensis), five facultative corallivores (Chaetodon auriga, Chaetodon falcula, Chaetodon interruptus, Chaetodon kleinii and Chaetodon madagaskariensis), two non-corallivores (Chaetodon lunula and Chaetodon xanthocephalus) and a further five species (Chaetodon citrinellus, Chaetodon lineolatus, Heimitaurichthys zoster, Heniochus monoceros and Forcipiger flavissimus), for which local dietary habits were not studied. There were marked differences in the abundance of butterflyfishes among sites and between reef zones, mostly associated with variation in abundance of scleractinian corals. Obligate coral-feeding species (mostly C. trifascialis) dominated across all sites. This study suggests that coral feeding and high levels of dietary specialization contribute to high population-level fitness among coral reef butterflyfishes. Despite being more vulnerable to habitat disturbances and coral loss, it appears likely that specialist coral-feeding butterflyfishes are also much more resilient to occasional disturbances, and therefore dominate in a wide range of coral reef habitats.
Global declines in coral reef calcium carbonate production under ocean acidification and warming
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 10-05-2021
Abstract: The growth of coral reefs is threatened by the dual stressors of ocean warming and acidification. Despite a wealth of studies assessing the impacts of climate change on in idual taxa, projections of their impacts on coral reef net carbonate production are limited. By projecting impacts across 233 different locations, we demonstrate that the majority of coral reefs will be unable to maintain positive net carbonate production globally by the year 2100 under representative concentration pathways RCP4.5 and 8.5, while even under RCP2.6, coral reefs will suffer reduced accretion rates. Our results provide quantitative projections of how different climate change stressors will influence whole ecosystem carbonate production across coral reefs in all major ocean basins.
Mixed responses of tropical Pacific fisheries and aquaculture to climate change
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-03-2013
DOI: 10.1038/NCLIMATE1838
Incidence and severity of injuries among juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-08-2019
Specialization in habitat use by coral reef damselfishes and their susceptibility to habitat loss
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-07-2012
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.321
Homing behaviour by destructive crown-of-thorns starfish is triggered by local availability of coral prey
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 04-11-2020
Abstract: Corallivorous crown-of-thorns starfishes ( Acanthaster spp.) can decimate coral assemblages on Indo-Pacific coral reefs during population outbreaks. While initial drivers of population irruptions leading to outbreaks remain largely unknown, subsequent dispersal of outbreaks appears coincident with depletion of coral prey. Here, we used in situ time-lapse photography to characterize movement of the Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish ( Acanthaster cf. solaris ) in the northern and southern Great Barrier Reef in 2015, during the fourth recorded population outbreak of the starfish, but prior to widespread coral bleaching. Daily tracking of 58 in iduals over a total of 1117 h revealed all starfish to move a minimum of 0.52 m, with around half of all tracked starfish showing negligible daily displacement (less than 1 m day −1 ), ranging up to a maximum of 19 m day −1 . Movement was primarily nocturnal and daily displacement varied spatially with variation in local availability of Acropora spp., which is the preferred coral prey. Two distinct behavioural modes emerged: (i) homing movement, whereby tracked paths (as tested against a random-walk-model) involved short displacement distances following distinct ‘outward' movement to Acropora prey (typically displaying ‘feeding scars') and ‘homebound' movement to nearby shelter versus (ii) roaming movement, whereby in iduals showed directional movement beyond initial tracking positions without return. Logistic modelling revealed more than half of all tracked starfish demonstrated homing when local abundance (percentage cover) of preferred Acropora coral prey was greater than 33%. Our results reveal facultative homing by Acanthaster with the prey-dependent behavioural switch to roaming forays providing a mechanism explaining localized aggregations and diffusion of these population irruptions as prey is locally depleted.
The role of maternal nutrition on oocyte size and quality, with respect to early larval development in the coral-eating starfish, acanthaster planci
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 21-06-2016
Species-Specific Coral Calcification Responses to the Extreme Environment of the Southern Persian Gulf
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 27-02-2018
Habitat selectivity and reliance on live corals for Indo-Pacific hawkfishes (family: Cirrhitidae)
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 03-11-2015
Effects of climate change on coral grouper (Plectropomus spp.) and possible adaptation options
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-12-2017
Limited genetic signal from potential cloning and selfing within wild populations of coral-eating crown-of-thorns seastars (Acanthaster cf. solaris)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-10-2021
Local bleaching thresholds established by remote sensing techniques vary among reefs with deviating bleaching patterns during the 2012 event in the Arabian/Persian Gulf
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2016.03.001
Abstract: A severe bleaching event affected coral communities off the coast of Abu Dhabi, UAE in August/September, 2012. In Saadiyat and Ras Ghanada reefs ~40% of the corals showed signs of bleaching. In contrast, only 15% of the corals were affected on Delma reef. Bleaching threshold temperatures for these sites were established using remotely sensed sea surface temperature (SST) data recorded by MODIS-Aqua. The calculated threshold temperatures varied between locations (34.48 °C, 34.55 °C, 35.05 °C), resulting in site-specific deviations in the numbers of days during which these thresholds were exceeded. Hence, the less severe bleaching of Delma reef might be explained by the lower relative heat stress experienced by this coral community. However, the dominance of Porites spp. that is associated with the long-term exposure of Delma reef to elevated temperatures, as well as the more pristine setting may have additionally contributed to the higher coral bleaching threshold for this site.
Global warming may disproportionately affect larger adults in a predatory coral reef fish
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-12-2017
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.13552
Abstract: Global warming is expected to reduce body sizes of ectothermic animals. Although the underlying mechanisms of size reductions remain poorly understood, effects appear stronger at latitudinal extremes (poles and tropics) and in aquatic rather than terrestrial systems. To shed light on this phenomenon, we examined the size dependence of critical thermal maxima (CTmax) and aerobic metabolism in a commercially important tropical reef fish, the leopard coral grouper (Plectropomus leopardus) following acclimation to current-day (28.5 °C) vs. projected end-of-century (33 °C) summer temperatures for the northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR). CTmax declined from 38.3 to 37.5 °C with increasing body mass in adult fish (0.45-2.82 kg), indicating that larger in iduals are more thermally sensitive than smaller conspecifics. This may be explained by a restricted capacity for large fish to increase mass-specific maximum metabolic rate (MMR) at 33 °C compared with 28.5 °C. Indeed, temperature influenced the relationship between metabolism and body mass (0.02-2.38 kg), whereby the scaling exponent for MMR increased from 0.74 ± 0.02 at 28.5 °C to 0.79 ± 0.01 at 33 °C, and the corresponding exponents for standard metabolic rate (SMR) were 0.75 ± 0.04 and 0.80 ± 0.03. The increase in metabolic scaling exponents at higher temperatures suggests that energy budgets may be disproportionately impacted in larger fish and contribute to reduced maximum adult size. Such climate-induced reductions in body size would have important ramifications for fisheries productivity, but are also likely to have knock-on effects for trophodynamics and functioning of ecosystems.
Relationships between structural complexity, coral traits, and reef fish assemblages
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-01-2017
Pair bond endurance promotes cooperative food defense and inhibits conflict in coral reef butterflyfishes
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 06-11-2017
DOI: 10.1101/214627
Abstract: Pair bonding is generally linked to monogamous mating systems, where the reproductive benefits of extended mate guarding and/or of bi-parental care are considered key adaptive functions. However, in some species, including coral reef butterflyfishes (f. Chaetodonitidae), pair bonding occurs in sexually immature and homosexual partners, and in the absence of parental care, suggesting there must be non-reproductive adaptive benefits of pair bonding. Here, we examined whether pair bonding butterflyfishes cooperate in defense of food, conferring direct benefits to one or both partners. Pairs of Chaetodon lunulatus and C. baronessa use contrasting cooperative strategies. In C. lunulatus, both partners mutually defend their territory, while in C. baronessa, males prioritize territory defence conferring improvements in feeding and energy reserves in both sexes relative to solitary counterparts. We further demonstrate that partner fidelity contributes to this function by showing that re-pairing invokes intra-pair conflict and inhibits cooperatively-derived feeding benefits, and that partner endurance is required for these costs to abate. Overall, our results suggest that in butterflyfishes, pair bonding enhances cooperative defense of prey resources, ultimately benefiting both partners by improving food resource acquisition and energy reserves.
Correction to: ‘Coral reef fish smell leaves to find island homes’ (2022) by Dixson et al.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 14-12-2022
Biogeographical variation in diurnal behaviour of Acanthaster planci versus Acanthaster cf. Solaris
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 20-02-2020
Foraging in corallivorous butterflyfish varies with wave exposure
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-03-2014
Differential use of shelter holes by sympatric species of blennies (Blennidae)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-04-2013
Variation in calcification rate of Acropora downingi relative to seasonal changes in environmental conditions in the northeastern Persian Gulf
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-06-2016
The Coral Trait Database, a curated database of trait information for coral species from the global oceans
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-12-2016
Abstract: Scientific Data 3:160017 doi: 10.1038/sdata.2016.17 (2016) Published 29 March 2016 Updated 5 December 2017. The authors regret that Aaron Harmer was omitted in error from the author list of the original version of this Data Descriptor. This omission has now been corrected in the HTML and PDF versions.
Impacts of ocean warming on echinoderms: A meta‐analysis
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-2023
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.10307
Abstract: Rising ocean temperatures are threatening marine species and populations worldwide, and ectothermic taxa are particularly vulnerable. Echinoderms are an ecologically important phylum of marine ectotherms and shifts in their population dynamics can have profound impacts on the marine environment. The effects of warming on echinoderms are highly variable across controlled laboratory‐based studies. Accordingly, synthesis of these studies will facilitate the better understanding of broad patterns in responses of echinoderms to ocean warming. Herein, a meta‐analysis incorporating the results of 85 studies (710 in idual responses) is presented, exploring the effects of warming on various performance predictors. The mean responses of echinoderms to all magnitudes of warming were compared across multiple biological responses, ontogenetic life stages, taxonomic classes, and regions, facilitated by multivariate linear mixed effects models. Further models were conducted, which only incorporated responses to warming greater than the projected end‐of‐century mean annual temperatures at the collection sites. This meta‐analysis provides evidence that ocean warming will generally accelerate metabolic rate (+32%) and reduce survival (−35%) in echinoderms, and echinoderms from subtropical (−9%) and tropical (−8%) regions will be the most vulnerable. The relatively high vulnerability of echinoderm larvae to warming (−20%) indicates that this life stage may be a significant developmental bottleneck in the near‐future, likely reducing successful recruitment into populations. Furthermore, asteroids appear to be the class of echinoderms that are most negatively affected by elevated temperature (−30%). When considering only responses to magnitudes of warming representative of end‐of‐century climate change projections, the negative impacts on asteroids, tropical species and juveniles were exacerbated (−51%, −34% and −40% respectively). The results of these analyses enable better predictions of how keystone and invasive echinoderm species may perform in a warmer ocean, and the possible consequences for populations, communities and ecosystems.
Variation in abundance, diversity and composition of coral reef fishes with increasing depth at a submerged shoal in the northern Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-06-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S11160-022-09716-9
Abstract: Coral reef fishes often exhibit specific or restricted depth distributions, but the factors (biotic or abiotic) that influence patterns of depth use are largely unknown. Given inherent biological gradients with depth (i.e. light, nutrients, habitat, temperature), it is expected that fishes may exploit certain depths within their environment to seek out more favourable conditions. This study used baited remote underwater video (BRUV) systems to document variation in the taxonomic and functional (trophic and size) structure of a fish assemblage along a shallow to upper-mesophotic depth gradient (13–71 m) at a submerged, offshore shoal in the northern Great Barrier Reef. BRUVs were deployed during two separate time periods (February and August 2017), to separately examine patterns of depth use. Both the relative abundance and ersity of reef fishes declined with depth, and there were pronounced differences in the taxonomic and functional structure of the fish assemblage across the depth gradient. In shallow habitats ( 30 m), the fish assemblage was dominated by herbivores, detritivores, planktivores and sessile invertivores, whereas the fish assemblage in deeper habitats ( 30 m) was dominated by piscivores and mobile invertivores. Depth and habitat type were also strong predictors for important fisheries species such as coral trout ( Plectropomus spp.), emperors ( Lethrinus spp.) and trevallies (Carangid spp.). We found limited evidence of temporal changes in depth and habitat use by fishes (including fisheries target species), although recorded temperatures were 4 °C higher in February 2017 compared to August 2017.
Larval connectivity and water quality explain spatial distribution of crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks across the Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2020
Knowledge Gaps in the Biology, Ecology, and Management of the Pacific Crown-of-Thorns Sea StarAcanthastersp. on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Date: 12-2021
DOI: 10.1086/717026
Abstract: AbstractCrown-of-thorns sea stars (
Spatial and Temporal Variation in Fecundity of Acropora spp. in the Northern Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 16-04-2019
DOI: 10.3390/D11040060
Abstract: The amount of energy invested in sexual reproduction by scleractinian corals depends on their life history strategies (i.e., allocation of energy between growth, reproduction, and maintenance). However, energy allocated to reproduction will also be affected by the amount of energy acquired and prevailing environmental conditions. Coral fecundity is therefore likely to vary spatially, especially along marked gradients in environmental conditions. One of the foremost gradients in reef structure and environmental conditions occurs with distance from the coast, whereby inner-shelf or near shore reefs are generally subject to higher levels of nutrients, sediments and pollutants, which often adversely affect reef-building corals. This study quantified fecundity (oocytes per polyp) for three species, Acropora nasuta, A. spathulata, and A. hyacinthus, at six locations in the northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR), encompassing inner-, mid- and outer-shelf reefs. Replicate colonies were s led at each location prior to the predicted date of spawning in 2013 and 2014. Both shelf position and year were important factors explaining variation in fecundity for each of the three coral species. Most notably, there were clear and consistent declines in the number of oocytes between 2013 and 2014, coinciding with the incidence of category 4 Cylone Ita in early 2014. Contrary to expectations, polyp-level fecundity was no lower (and in some cases substantially higher) on inner-shelf reefs, compared to conspecifics growing on mid-shelf or outer-shelf reefs. The observed patterns are much more complicated than anticipated, necessitating further research to understand differential population dynamics of corals on inner-shelf versus mid- and outer-shelf reefs.
The importance of ecological and behavioural data in studies of hybridisation among marine fishes
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-02-2016
Induction of larval settlement in crown-of-thorns starfish is not mediated by conspecific cues
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-10-2023
Localized outbreaks of Acanthaster planci at an isolated and unpopulated reef atoll in the Chagos Archipelago
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 25-07-2015
Bile salts and the single-shot lethal injection method for killing crown-of-thorns sea stars (Acanthaster planci)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2014
Neural correlates of social variation in coral reef butterflyfishes
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 06-11-2017
DOI: 10.1101/214759
Abstract: Animals display remarkable variation in social behavior. However, outside of rodents, little is known about the neural mechanisms of social variation, and whether they are shared across species and sexes, limiting our understanding of how sociality evolves. Using coral reef butterflyfishes, we examined gene expression correlates of social variation (i.e., pair bonding vs. solitary living) within and between species and sexes. In several brain regions, we quantified gene expression of receptors important for social variation in mammals: oxytocin ( OTR ), arginine vasopressin ( V1aR ), dopamine ( D1R, D2R ), and mu-opioid ( MOR ). We found that social variation across in iduals of the oval butterflyfish, Chaetodon lunulatus , is linked to differences in OTR,V1aR, D1R, D2R , and MOR gene expression within several forebrain regions in a sexually dimorphic manner. However, this contrasted with social variation among six species representing a single evolutionary transition from pair bonded to solitary living. Here, OTR expression within the supracommissural part of the ventral telencephalon was higher in pair bonded than solitary species, specifically in males. These results contribute to the emerging idea that nonapeptide, dopamine, and opioid signaling is a central theme to the evolution of sociality across in iduals, although the precise mechanism may be flexible across sexes and species.
Comparative demography of commercially important species of coral grouper,
Plectropomus leopardus
and
P. laevis
, from Australia's great barrier reef and Coral Sea marine parks
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2020
DOI: 10.1111/JFB.14491
Erratum to: Patterns of recruitment and microhabitat associations for three predatory coral reef fishes on the southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia (Coral Reefs, 10.1007/s00338-012-0985-x)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-02-2013
Influence of fish grazing and sedimentation on the early post-settlement survival of the tabular coral Acropora cytherea
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-07-2013
Species-specific declines in the linear extension of branching corals at a subtropical reef, Lord Howe Island
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 25-12-2014
Acanthaster planci is a major cause of coral mortality in Indonesia
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-03-2013
Demographic histories shape population genomics of the common coral grouper (Plectropomus leopardus)
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-2022
DOI: 10.1111/EVA.13450
Abstract: Many coral reef fishes display remarkable genetic and phenotypic variation across their geographic ranges. Understanding how historical and contemporary processes have shaped these patterns remains a focal question in evolutionary biology since they reveal how ersity is generated and how it may respond to future environmental change. Here, we compare the population genomics and demographic histories of a commercially and ecologically important coral reef fish, the common coral grouper ( Plectropomus leopardus [Lacépède 1802]), across two adjoining regions (the Great Barrier Reef GBR, and the Coral Sea, Australia) spanning approximately 14 degrees of latitude and 9 degrees of longitude. We analysed 4548 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers across 11 sites and show that genetic connectivity between regions is low, despite their relative proximity (~100 km) and an absence of any obvious geographic barrier. Inferred demographic histories using 10,479 markers suggest that the Coral Sea population was founded by a small number of GBR in iduals and that ergence occurred ~190 kya under a model of isolation with asymmetric migration. We detected population expansions in both regions, but estimates of contemporary effective population sizes were approximately 50% smaller in Coral Sea sites, which also had lower genetic ersity. Our results suggest that P. leopardus in the Coral Sea have experienced a long period of isolation that precedes the recent glacial period (~10–120 kya) and may be vulnerable to localized disturbances due to their relative reliance on local larval replenishment. While it is difficult to determine the underlying events that led to the ergence of the Coral Sea and GBR lineages, we show that even geographically proximate populations of a widely dispersed coral reef fish can have vastly different evolutionary histories.
Thirty Years of Research on Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (1986–2016): Scientific Advances and Emerging Opportunities
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 21-09-2017
DOI: 10.3390/D9040041
Large predatory coral trout species unlikely to meet increasing energetic demands in a warming ocean
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-09-2015
DOI: 10.1038/SREP13830
Abstract: Increased ocean temperature due to climate change is raising metabolic demands and energy requirements of marine ectotherms. If productivity of marine systems and fisheries are to persist, in idual species must compensate for this demand through increasing energy acquisition or decreasing energy expenditure. Here we reveal that the most important coral reef fishery species in the Indo-west Pacific, the large predatory coral trout Plectropomus leopardus (Serranidae), can behaviourally adjust food intake to maintain body-condition under elevated temperatures and acclimate over time to consume larger meals. However, these increased energetic demands are unlikely to be met by adequate production at lower trophic levels, as smaller prey species are often the first to decline in response to climate-induced loss of live coral and structural complexity. Consequently, ubiquitous increases in energy consumption due to climate change will increase top-down competition for a dwindling biomass of prey, potentially distorting entire food webs and associated fisheries.
Regional variation in the structure and function of parrotfishes on Arabian reefs
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2015.11.035
Abstract: Parrotfishes (f. Labridae) are a unique and ubiquitous group of herbivorous reef fishes. We compared the distribution and ecosystem function (grazing and erosion) of parrotfishes across 75 reefs in Arabia. Our results revealed marked regional differences in the abundance, and taxonomic and functional composition of parrotfishes between the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and Arabian Gulf. High densities and ersity of parrotfishes, and high rates of grazing (210% year(-1)) and erosion (1.57 kgm(-2)year(-1)) characterised Red Sea reefs. Despite Arabian Sea and Red Sea reefs having broadly comparable abundances of parrotfishes, estimates of grazing (150% year(-1)) and erosion (0.43 kgm(-2)year(-1)) were markedly lower in the Arabian Sea. Parrotfishes were extremely rare within the southern Arabian Gulf, and as such rates of grazing and erosion were negligible. This regional variation in abundance and functional composition of parrotfishes appears to be related to local environmental conditions.
30 Years of Research on Crown-of-thorns Starfish (1986-2016): Scientific Advances and Emerging Opportunities
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 22-08-2017
DOI: 10.20944/PREPRINTS201708.0076.V1
Abstract: Research on the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) has waxed and waned over the last few decades, mostly in accordance with the occurrence of population outbreaks at key locations, such as Australia& rsquo s Great Barrier Reef. This review considers advances in our understanding of the biology and ecology of CoTS based on the latest resurgence of research interest, which culminated in this current special issue on the Biology, Ecology and Management of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish. More specifically, this review considers progress against 41 specific research questions posed in the seminal review by P. Moran 30 years ago, as well as exploring new directions for CoTS research. Despite the plethora of research on CoTS (& ,200 research articles), there are persistent knowledge gaps that constrain effective management of outbreaks. Although directly addressing some of these questions will be extremely difficult, there have been considerable advances in understanding the biology of CoTS, if not the proximal and ultimate cause(s) of outbreaks. Moving forward, researchers need to embrace new technologies and opportunities to advance understanding of CoTS biology and behaviour, with focus given to key questions that will improve effectiveness of management to reduce the frequency and likelihood of future outbreaks, if not preventing them altogether.
Role of prey availability in microhabitat preferences of juvenile coral trout (Plectropomus: Serranidae)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2013
Abundance, diversity, and feeding behavior of coral reef butterflyfishes at Lord Howe Island
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2014
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.1208
Structural complexity mediates functional structure of reef fish assemblages among coral habitats
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-01-2017
Joint estimation of crown of thorns (Acanthaster planci) densities on the Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: PeerJ
Date: 31-08-2016
DOI: 10.7717/PEERJ.2310
Abstract: Crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS Acanthaster spp. ) are an outbreaking pest among many Indo-Pacific coral reefs that cause substantial ecological and economic damage. Despite ongoing CoTS research, there remain critical gaps in observing CoTS populations and accurately estimating their numbers, greatly limiting understanding of the causes and sources of CoTS outbreaks. Here we address two of these gaps by (1) estimating the detectability of adult CoTS on typical underwater visual count (UVC) surveys using covariates and (2) inter-calibrating multiple data sources to estimate CoTS densities within the Cairns sector of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). We find that, on average, CoTS detectability is high at 0.82 [0.77, 0.87] (median highest posterior density (HPD) and [95% uncertainty intervals]), with CoTS disc width having the greatest influence on detection. Integrating this information with coincident surveys from alternative s ling programs, we estimate CoTS densities in the Cairns sector of the GBR averaged 44 [41, 48] adults per hectare in 2014.
A framework for understanding climate change impacts on coral reef social–ecological systems
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-07-2016
Bleaching susceptibility of aquarium corals collected across northern Australia
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-04-2020
DOI: 10.1007/S00338-020-01939-1
Abstract: There are a wide range of Scleractinian corals that are collected for the global reef aquarium market, often from non-reefal environments. The sustainability of coral harvesting is potentially threatened by increasing anthropogenic disturbances and climate change, though it is unknown to what extent many commonly harvested corals are susceptible to environmental change, or actually bleach during marine heatwaves. In this study, we experimentally tested the temperature sensitivity and bleaching susceptibility of six coral species ( Homophyllia australis , Micromussa lordhowensis , Catalaphyllia jardinei , Trachyphyllia geoffroyi , Duncanopsammia axifuga , and Euphyllia glabrescens ), which are important components of the aquarium coral fisheries across northern Australia, in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and/or Queensland. Interspecific differences were evident in the temperature sensitivity and bleaching susceptibility among the study species. Homophyllia australis , and M. lordhowensi s were found to be particularly susceptible to elevated temperatures, whereby all corals subjected to elevated temperatures died within the course of the experimental treatment (75 d). Catalaphyllia jardinei and E. glabrescens also exhibited significant increases in mortality when exposed to elevated temperatures, though some of the corals did survive, and C. jardinei mostly died only after exposure to elevated temperatures. The other species ( T. geoffroyi and D. axifuga ) exhibited marked bleaching when exposed to elevated temperatures, but mortality of these corals was similar to that of conspecifics held at ambient temperatures. This study highlights the potential for environmental change to impact the sustainability and viability of Australian coral harvest fisheries. More importantly, this study highlights the need for specific and targeted in situ monitoring for important stocks of coral fishery target species, to assess their vulnerability to fishery and fishery-independent effects.
Impacts of ocean warming on the settlement success and post-settlement survival of Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-11-2023
DOI: 10.1007/S00338-022-02314-Y
Abstract: Ocean warming and population irruptions of crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS Acanthaster cf. solaris ) are two of the greatest threats to coral reefs. As such, there is significant interest in understanding how CoTS may be directly impacted by rising ocean temperatures. Settlement of planktonic larvae and subsequent metamorphosis is purported to be a major population bottleneck in marine invertebrates, yet it is unknown how ocean warming will impact these processes in CoTS. Herein, the effect of temperature (28 °C ambient, 30 °C, 32 °C, 34 °C) on the settlement success, metamorphic success, and post-settlement survival of this corallivore was explored. While larval settlement was robust to elevated temperature, with at least 94% of larvae settling after 48 h across all temperatures, it was observed that settlement success was lower on substrate that had been pre-treated ≥ 32 °C. Metamorphic success was also significantly constrained at temperatures ≥ 32 °C. At 32 °C and 34 °C metamorphic success was 16% and 63% lower than at ambient temperature, respectively. Significant adverse effects of warming on post-settlement survival were observed at even cooler temperatures, with 10% lower survival at 30 °C compared to at ambient temperature, and at 34 °C, survival was 34% lower. Substantial reductions in metamorphic success and early post-settlement survival at elevated temperatures, as well as negative impacts of warming on the settlement substrate and its capacity to induce settlement, may present a bottleneck for recruitment in a warmer ocean.
Spatial decoupling of α and β diversity suggest different management needs for coral reef fish along an extensive mid-oceanic ridge
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2022
Butterflyfishes as a System for Investigating Pair Bonding
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 06-11-2017
DOI: 10.1101/214544
Abstract: For many animals, affiliative relationships such as pair bonds form the foundation of society, and are highly adaptive. Animal systems amenable for comparatively studying pair bonding are important for identifying underlying biological mechanisms, but mostly exist in mammals. Better establishing fish systems will enable comparison of pair bonding mechanisms across taxonomically distant lineages that may reveal general underlying principles. We examined the utility of wild butterflyfishes (f: Chaetodontidae g: Chaetodon ) for comparatively studying pair bonding. Stochastic character mapping inferred that within the family, pairing is ancestral, with at least seven independent transitions to group formation and seven transition to solitary behavior from the late Miocene to recent. In six sympatric and wide-spread species representing a clade with one ancestrally reconstructed transition from paired to solitary grouping, we then verified social systems at Lizard Island, Australia. In situ observations confirmed that Chaetodon baronessa, C. lunulatus , and C. vagabundus are predominantly pair bonding, whereas C. rainfordi, C. plebeius , and C. trifascialis are predominantly solitary. Even in the predominantly pair bonding species, C. lunulatus , a proportion of adults (15 %) are solitary. Importantly, inter- and intra-specific differences in social systems do not co-vary with other previously established attributes (geographic occurrence, parental care, diet, or territoriality). Hence, the proposed butterflyfish populations are promising for comparative analyses of pair bonding and its mechanistic underpinnings. Avenues for further developing the system are proposed, including determining whether the utility of these species applies across their geographic disruptions.
Key aspects of the biology, fisheries and management of Coral grouper
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 23-03-2016
Spatial and temporal variation in fecundity among populations of Acropora millepora on the Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 15-12-2016
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS11936
Temperature-growth performance curves for a coral reef fish, Acanthochromis polyacanthus
Publisher: Japanese Coral Reef Society
Date: 2012
Intraspecific Variation in Physiological Condition of Reef-Building Corals Associated with Differential Levels of Chronic Disturbance
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 13-03-2014
Recurrent Mass-Bleaching and the Potential for Ecosystem Collapse on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2021
Territoriality and condition of chevron butterflyfish (Chaetodon trifascialis) with varying coral cover on the great barrier reef, Australia
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 2021
3D photogrammetry quantifies growth and external erosion of individual coral colonies and skeletons
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-2017
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-017-16408-Z
Abstract: Growth and contraction of ecosystem engineers, such as trees, influence ecosystem structure and function. On coral reefs, methods to measure small changes in the structure of microhabitats, driven by growth of coral colonies and contraction of skeletons, are extremely limited. We used 3D reconstructions to quantify changes in the external structure of coral colonies of tabular Acropora spp., the dominant habitat-forming corals in shallow exposed reefs across the Pacific. The volume and surface area of live colonies increased by 21% and 22%, respectively, in 12 months, corresponding to a mean annual linear extension of 5.62 cm yr −1 (±1.81 SE). The volume and surface area of dead skeletons decreased by 52% and 47%, respectively, corresponding to a mean decline in linear extension of −29.56 cm yr −1 (±7.08 SE), which accounted for both erosion and fragmentation of dead colonies. This is the first study to use 3D photogrammetry to assess fine-scale structural changes of entire in idual colonies in situ , quantifying coral growth and contraction. The high-resolution of the technique allows for detection of changes on reef structure faster than other non-intrusive approaches. These results improve our capacity to measure the drivers underpinning ecosystem bio ersity, status and trajectory.
The Influence of Coral Reef Benthic Condition on Associated Fish Assemblages
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 08-2012
Erratum to: Key aspects of the biology, fisheries and management of Coral grouper (Rev Fish Biol Fisheries, 10.1007/s11160-016-9427-0)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-04-2016
Latitudinal and seasonal variation in space use by a large, predatory reef fish, Plectropomus leopardus
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-01-2019
Size-weight relationships for estimating harvestable biomass of Acropora corals on Australia's Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARENVRES.2022.105633
Abstract: Although hard corals (order Scleractinia) are listed in Appendix II of the Convention for the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), there is significant ongoing wild harvest and international trade, mostly for the aquarium industry. Acropora corals account for the majority of aquarium corals harvested and traded, but are also extremely vulnerable to fisheries-independent threats, especially climate-induced coral bleaching. Reconciling effects of coral harvesting is complicated as harvest limits are based on weight, while there is limited data on standing biomass of Acropora from different reef environments. Here, a management-friendly methodology that allows for quantification of Acropora spp. biomass is described and demonstrated, thus providing means for the development and implementation of a rigorous sustainable harvest strategy. We establish size-weight relationships for four growth forms of Acropora spp. harvested from Australia's Great Barrier Reef, to facilitate estimates of harvestable biomass and better understand the ecological context of current weight-based harvest levels and limits. Using these relationships, and field-based s ling at 12 sites across seven distinct reefs, the estimated biomass of Acropora spp. ranges from 0.12 kg ⋅ m
Plasticity in Three-Dimensional Geometry of Branching Corals Along a Cross-Shelf Gradient
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 21-03-2019
DOI: 10.3390/D11030044
Abstract: Scleractinian corals often exhibit high levels of morphological plasticity, which is potentially important in enabling in idual species to occupy benthic spaces across a wide range of environmental gradients. This study tested for differences in the three-dimensional (3D) geometry of three branching corals, Acropora nasuta, Pocillopora spp. and Stylophora pistillata among inner-, mid- and outer-shelf reefs in the central Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Important attributes of coral morphology (e.g., surface area to volume ratio) were expected to vary linearly across the shelf in accordance with marked gradients in environmental conditions, but instead, we detected non-linear trends in the colony structure of A. nasuta and Pocillopora spp. The surface area to volume ratio of both A. nasuta and Pocillopora spp. was highest at mid-shelf locations, (reflecting higher colony complexity) and was significantly lower at both inner-shelf and outer-shelf reefs. The branching structure of these corals was also far more tightly packed at inner-shelf and outer-shelf reefs, compared to mid-shelf reefs. Apparent declines in complexity and inter-branch spacing at inner and outer-shelf reefs (compared to conspecifics from mid-shelf reefs) may reflect changes driven by gradients of sedimentation and hydrodynamics. The generality and explanations of observed patterns warrant further investigation, which is very feasible using the 3D-photogrammetry techniques used in this study.
Culling crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. Solaris) on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef: Rationale and effectiveness
Publisher: Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.7882/AZ.2018.021
Interspecific variation in potential importance of planktivorous damselfishes as predators of Acanthaster sp. eggs
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-02-2017
Spatial Variation in Abundance, Size and Orientation of Juvenile Corals Related to the Biomass of Parrotfishes on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 28-02-2013
Exceptional biodiversity of the cryptofaunal decapods in the Chagos Archipelago, central Indian Ocean
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2018.07.063
Abstract: The Chagos Archipelago is geographically remote and isolated from most direct anthropogenic pressures. Here, we quantify the abundance and ersity of decapod crustaceans inhabiting dead coral colonies, representing a standardised microhabitat, across the Archipelago. Using morphological and molecular techniques we recorded 1868 decapods from 164 nominal species within 54 dead coral colonies, but total species estimates (Chao1 estimator) calculate at least 217 species. Galatheids were the most dominant taxa, though alpheids and hippolytids were also very abundant. 32% of species were rare, and 46% of species were found at only one atoll. This prevalence of rarer species has been reported in other cryptofauna studies, suggesting these assemblages maybe comprised of low-abundance species. This study provides the first estimate of ersity for reef cryptofauna in Chagos, which will serve as a useful baseline for global comparisons of coral reef bio ersity.
Lethal doses of oxbile, peptones and thiosulfate-citrate-bile-sucrose agar (TCBS) for Acanthaster planci; exploring alternative population control options
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2013.07.053
Abstract: Effective control of outbreaks of Acanthaster planci represents the most immediate and practical intervention to reverse sustained declines in coral cover on reefs in the Indo-Pacific. This study explored the minimum doses of oxbile, oxgall, and thiosulfate-citrate-bile-sucrose agar (TCBS) that result in reliable and comprehensive mortality when injected into adult A. planci. The minimum doses required to induce 100% mortality among starfish (n=10) were 4 g l(-1) of oxbile, 8 g l(-1) of oxgall and 22 g l(-1) of TCBS. Moreover, there was no evidence of unintended side effects for other coral reef organisms (e.g., scleractinian corals, echinoderms and fishes) when using oxbile, oxgall, or TCBS at minimum doses. The effectiveness of peptones in killing crown-of-thorns starfish was also tested, but inconsistency in the results revealed that these proteins are unreliable.
Aggression, interference, and the functional response of coral-feeding butterflyfishes
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-2017
DOI: 10.1007/S00442-017-3902-8
Abstract: Functional responses describing how foraging rates change with respect to resource density are central to our understanding of interspecific interactions. Competitive interactions are an important determinant of foraging rates however, the relationship between the exploitation and interference components of competition has received little empirical or theoretical consideration. Moreover, little is known about the relationship between aggressive behavioural interactions and interference competition. Using a natural gradient of consumer and resource densities, we empirically examine how aggressiveness relates to consumer-consumer encounter rates and foraging for four species of Chaetodon reef fish spanning a range of dietary niche breadths. The probability of aggression was most strongly associated with both total consumer and resource densities. In contrast, total encounter rates were best predicted by conspecific consumer density, and were highest for the most specialised consumer (Chaetodon trifascialis), not the most aggressive (Chaetodon baronessa). The most specialised consumer, not the most aggressive, also exhibited the largest reduction in foraging rates with increasing consumer density. Our results support the idea of a positive link between the exploitation and interference components of competition for the most specialised consumer. Moreover, our results caution against inferring the presence of ecological interactions (competition) from observations of behaviour (aggression and agonism) alone.
Telomere dynamics in the Pacific crown-of-thorns seastar (Acanthaster cf. solaris): effect of age, diet, and tissue type
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 18-07-2023
DOI: 10.1007/S00338-023-02405-4
Abstract: Population irruptions of crown-of-thorns seastar (CoTS, Acanthaster spp.) represent a perennial threat to Indo-Pacific coral reefs. Age determination of CoTS is challenging, thereby hindering understanding and management of this nuisance species. Telomeres, which are protective DNA structure found at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes that shorten at each cell ision, have been used to estimate age in wild animals. To investigate the use of telomeres in CoTS, we optimized a quantitative PCR protocol to measure relative telomere length (rTL) in CoTS for the first time. Comparing rTL among four age groups (4, 7, 16, 24 months post-settlement), we found that adult CoTS generally exhibit shorter rTL than juveniles, which is the first evidence of age-related telomere attrition in CoTS. However, there was large within-age class variation, and no significant relationships were found between adult CoTS rTL and potential age-indicating external features. Furthermore, we found accelerated telomere attrition under sub-optimal diet, where in iduals that were fed crustose coralline algae for 16 months exhibited shorter rTL than their counterparts fed on coral. A positive correlation was found between rTL of tube feet and pyloric caeca, suggesting synchronization of telomere dynamics across somatic tissues in CoTS. Overall, our results suggest that rTL could be used to classify CoTS into broad age groups, though in idual variation constrains the ability to resolve specific cohorts. The present study contributes to the understanding of telomere dynamics in marine invertebrates, while laying the groundwork for future research into rTL as biomarker for age and potentially stress for CoTS.
Assessing different causes of Crown-of-Thorns starfish outbreaks and appropriate responses for management on the great barrier reef
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 30-12-2016
Recruitment hotspots boost the effectiveness of no-take marine reserves
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2013
Variation in social systems within Chaetodon butterflyfishes, with special reference to pair bonding
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 11-04-2018
Trait and phylogenetic diversity provide insights into community assembly of reef‐associated shrimps (Palaemonidae) at different spatial scales across the Chagos Archipelago
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-03-2018
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.3969
The effects of coral bleaching on settlement preferences and growth of juvenile butterflyfishes
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARENVRES.2014.03.003
Abstract: Coral bleaching and associated mortality is an increasingly prominent threat to coral reef ecosystems. Although the effects of bleaching-induced coral mortality on reef fishes have been well demonstrated, corals can remain bleached for several weeks prior to recovery or death and little is known about how bleaching affects resident fishes during this time period. This study compared growth rates of two species of juvenile butterflyfishes (Chaetodon aureofasciatus and Chaetodon lunulatus) that were restricted to feeding upon either bleached or healthy coral tissue of Acropora spathulata or Pocillopora damicornis. Coral condition (bleached vs. unbleached) had no significant effects on changes in total length or weight over a 23-day period. Likewise, in a habitat choice experiment, juvenile butterflyfishes did not discriminate between healthy and bleached corals, but actively avoided using recently dead colonies. These results indicate that juvenile coral-feeding fishes are relatively robust to short term effects of bleaching events, provided that the corals do recover.
Predation scars may influence host susceptibility to pathogens: evaluating the role of corallivores as vectors of coral disease
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-03-2018
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-018-23361-Y
Abstract: Infectious diseases not regulated by host density, such as vector-borne diseases, have the potential to drive population declines and extinctions. Here we test the vector potential of the snail Drupella sp. and butterflyfish Chaetodon plebeius for two coral diseases, black band (BBD) and brown band (BrB) disease. Drupella transmitted BrB to healthy corals in 40% of cases immediately following feeding on infected corals, and even in 12% of cases 12 and 24 hours following feeding. However, Drupella was unable to transmit BBD in either transmission treatment. In a field experiment testing the vector potential of naturally-occurring fish assemblages, equivalent numbers of caged and uncaged coral fragments became infected with either BrB, BBD or skeletal eroding band, indicating that corallivorous fish were unlikely to have caused transmission. In aquaria, C . plebeius did not transmit either BBD or BrB, even following extended feeding on both infected and healthy nubbins. A literature review confirmed only four known coral disease vectors, all invertebrates, corroborating our conclusion that polyp-feeding fishes are unlikely to be vectors of coral diseases. This potentially because polyp-feeding fishes produce shallow lesions, not allowing pathogens to invade coral tissues. In contrast, corallivorous invertebrates that create deeper feeding scars increase pathogens transmission.
Adaptations to maintain the contributions of small-scale fisheries to food security in the Pacific Islands
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2018
Spatial and temporal patterns of mass bleaching of corals in the Anthropocene
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 05-01-2018
Abstract: Coral bleaching occurs when stressful conditions result in the expulsion of the algal partner from the coral. Before anthropogenic climate warming, such events were relatively rare, allowing for recovery of the reef between events. Hughes et al. looked at 100 reefs globally and found that the average interval between bleaching events is now less than half what it was before. Such narrow recovery windows do not allow for full recovery. Furthermore, warming events such as El Niño are warmer than previously, as are general ocean conditions. Such changes are likely to make it more and more difficult for reefs to recover between stressful events. Science , this issue p. 80
Age and Growth of An Outbreaking Acanthaster cf. solaris Population within the Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 14-03-2017
DOI: 10.3390/D9010018
Coral reef conservation in the Anthropocene: Confronting spatial mismatches and prioritizing functions
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2019
Microsatellites reveal genetic homogeneity among outbreak populations of crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) on Australia's Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 10-03-2017
DOI: 10.3390/D9010016
Interactive effects of endogenous and exogenous nutrition on larval development for crown-of-thorns starfish
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 04-03-2017
DOI: 10.3390/D9010015
Mass coral bleaching causes biotic homogenization of reef fish assemblages
Publisher: No publisher found
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.14119
Abstract: Global climate change is altering community composition across many ecosystems due to nonrandom species turnover, typically characterized by the loss of specialist species and increasing similarity of biological communities across spatial scales. As anthropogenic disturbances continue to alter species composition globally, there is a growing need to identify how species responses influence the establishment of distinct assemblages, such that management actions may be appropriately assigned. Here, we use trait-based analyses to compare temporal changes in five complementary indices of reef fish assemblage structure among six taxonomically distinct coral reef habitats exposed to a system-wide thermal stress event. Our results revealed increased taxonomic and functional similarity of previously distinct reef fish assemblages following mass coral bleaching, with changes characterized by subtle, but significant, shifts toward predominance of small-bodied, algal-farming habitat generalists. Furthermore, while the taxonomic or functional richness of fish assemblages did not change across all habitats, an increase in functional originality indicated an overall loss of functional redundancy. We also found that prebleaching coral composition better predicted changes in fish assemblage structure than the magnitude of coral loss. These results emphasize how measures of alpha ersity can mask important changes in the structure and functioning of ecosystems as assemblages reorganize. Our findings also highlight the role of coral species composition in structuring communities and influencing the ersity of responses of reef fishes to disturbance. As new coral species configurations emerge, their desirability will hinge upon the composition of associated species and their capacity to maintain key ecological processes in spite of ongoing disturbances.
Variation in Incidence and Severity of Injuries among Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 21-02-2017
DOI: 10.3390/D9010012
Relationships between size and reproductive output in the crown-of-thorns starfish
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-10-2016
Naturally occurring hybrids of coral reef butterflyfishes have similar fitness compared to parental species
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 03-03-2017
Variation in the size structure of corals is related to environmental extremes in the Persian Gulf
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARENVRES.2012.11.007
Abstract: The size structure of coral populations is the culmination of key demographic events, including recruitment, mortality and growth, thereby providing important insights to recent ecological dynamics. Importantly, the size structure of corals reflects both intrinsic (inherent life-history characteristics) and extrinsic (enhanced mortality due to chronic or acute disturbances) forcing on local populations, enabling post-hoc assessment of spatial and taxonomic differences in susceptibility to disturbance. This study examined the size structure of four locally abundant corals (Acropora downingi, Favia pallida, Platygyra daedalea, and massive Porites spp.) in two regions of the Persian Gulf: the southern Gulf (Dubai and Abu Dhabi) and eastern Gulf (western Musandam). Significant and consistent differences were apparent in mean colony sizes and size-distributions between regions. All corals in the southern Gulf were significantly smaller, and their size structure positively skewed and relatively more leptokurtic (i.e., peaky) compared to corals in the eastern Gulf. Sea surface temperatures, salinity, and the recent frequency of mass bleaching are all higher, in the southern Gulf, suggesting higher mortality rates and/or slower growth in these populations. Differences in size structure between locations were more pronounced than differences between species at each location, suggesting that extreme differences in environmental conditions and disturbance events have a greater influence on population dynamics in the Gulf than inherent differences in their life-history characteristics.
COTSMod: A spatially explicit metacommunity model of outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish and coral recovery
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2020
Dangerous demographics in post-bleach corals reveal boom-bust versus protracted declines
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-09-2021
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-021-98239-7
Abstract: Thermal-stress events have changed the structure, bio ersity, and functioning of coral reefs. But how these disturbances affect the dynamics of in idual coral colonies remains unclear. By tracking the fate of 1069 in idual Acropora and massive Porites coral colonies for up to 5 years, spanning three bleaching events, we reveal striking genus-level differences in their demographic response to bleaching (mortality, growth, and recruitment). Although Acropora colonies were locally extirpated, substantial local recruitment and fast growth revealed a marked capacity for apparent recovery. By contrast, almost all massive Porites colonies survived and the majority grew in area yet no new colonies were detected over the 5 years. Our results highlight contrasting dynamics of boom-and-bust vs. protracted declines in two major coral groups. These dangerous demographics emphasise the need for caution when documenting the susceptibility and perceived resistance or recovery of corals to disturbances.
Influence of coral bleaching, coral mortality and conspecific aggression on movement and distribution of coral-dwelling fish
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2012
The immune response of acanthaster planci to oxbile injections and antibiotic treatment
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1155/2014/769356
Abstract: Bile salts have been recently identified as a rapid and effective method for killing A. planci . However the mechanistic basis of this new control method is poorly understood. This study explored the immune response(s) of A. planci and/or pathogenesis resulting from the injection of bile salts. To account for the possible role of pathogenesis in causing high rates of mortality, A. planci was treated with antibiotics to minimise the incidence and severity of bacterial infections. No significant difference in the time to death between groups with and without antibiotic treatment was reported, suggesting a limited bacterial effect on the induction of disease and death of injected sea stars. The number of circulating coelomocytes increased significantly after injection confirming the induction of a strong immune response. Five types of circulating cells were identified: (1) phagocytes, (2) small hyaline cells, (3) colourless spherule cells, (4) red spherule cells, and (5) fusiform cells. Histological analysis of A. planci tissues showed that the mechanism leading to rapid mortality is related to necrosis and/or apoptosis, rather than transmissible disease. Therefore, bile salts are an effective and safe method for killing crown-of-thorns sea star in situ .
Functional composition of Chaetodon butterflyfishes at a peripheral and extreme coral reef location, the Persian Gulf
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2012.10.014
Abstract: The functional composition of reef fish assemblages is highly conserved across large biogeographic areas, but it is unknown whether assembly rules hold at biogeographical and environmental extremes for coral reefs. This study examined the functional composition of butterflyfishes in the Persian Gulf, Musandam Peninsula, and Gulf of Oman. Only five species of butterflyfishes were recorded during this study, and mostly just in the Gulf of Oman. Unlike most locations in the Indo-Pacific where butterflyfish assemblages are dominated by obligate corallivores, the only obligate corallivore recorded, Chaetodon melapterus, was rare or absent at all locations. The most common and widespread species was Chaetodon nigropunctatus, which is shown to be a facultative corallivore. The ersity of butterflyfishes in the Persian Gulf is likely to have been constrained by its' biogeographical history and isolation, but functional composition appears to be further affected by limited abundance of prey corals and harsh environmental conditions.
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2019
Multiple environmental factors influence the spatial distribution and structure of reef communities in the northeastern Arabian Peninsula
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2012.10.013
Abstract: Multivariate analysis revealed distinct sub-regional coral communities among the southern Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman. Differences in community structure among locations were associated with considerable spatial heterogeneity in oceanic conditions, and strong directional environmental gradients. Despite clear community differences, considerable changes to coral community structure have occurred throughout the northeastern Arabian Peninsula as compared with previous studies. The most dramatic of these are the apparent changes from Acropora dominated to poritid and faviid dominated communities, particularly in the southern Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. Although temperature and salinity have previously been cited as the major environmental factors structuring coral communities around the region, additional environmental parameters, including chlorophyll-a, surface currents and winds are shown to be important in structuring reef communities throughout the northeastern Arabian Peninsula.
Temporal consistency in background mortality of four dominant coral taxa along Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-04-2016
Known predators of crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster spp.) and their role in mitigating, if not preventing, population outbreaks
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 22-01-2017
DOI: 10.3390/D9010007
Recovery of an isolated coral reef system following severe disturbance
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 05-04-2013
Abstract: Coral reefs suffer mass mortality because of coral bleaching, disease, and tropical storms, but we know much more about when, where, and how rapidly these ecosystems have collapsed than we do about their recovery. Gilmour et al. (p. 69 see the Perspective by Polidoro and Carpenter ) studied a highly isolated coral reef before and after a climate-induced mass mortality event that killed 70 to 90% of the reef corals. The initial recovery of coral cover involved growth and survival of remnant colonies, which was followed by increases in larval recruitment. Thus, in the absence of chronic disturbance, even isolated reefs can recover from catastrophic disturbance.
Changes in Bleaching Susceptibility among Corals Subject to Ocean Warming and Recurrent Bleaching in Moorea, French Polynesia
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 29-07-2013
Modelling growth of Juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish on the northern Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 29-12-2017
DOI: 10.3390/D9010001
Larval Survivorship and Settlement of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) at Varying Algal Cell Densities
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 10-01-2017
DOI: 10.3390/D9010002
Coral recovery in the central Maldives archipelago since the last major mass-bleaching, in 1998
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-10-2016
DOI: 10.1038/SREP34720
Abstract: Increasing frequency and severity of disturbances is causing global degradation of coral reef ecosystems. This study examined temporal changes in live coral cover and coral composition in the central Mal es from 1997 to 2016, encompassing two bleaching events, a tsunami, and an outbreak of Acanthaster planci . We also examined the contemporary size structure for five dominant coral taxa (tabular Acropora , Acropora muricata , Acropora humilis , Pocillopora spp , and massive Porites ). Total coral cover increased throughout the study period, with marked increases following the 1998 mass-bleaching. The relative abundance of key genera has changed through time, where Acropora and Pocillopora (which are highly susceptible to bleaching) were under-represented following 1998 mass-bleaching but increased until outbreaks of A. planci in 2015. The contemporary size-structure for all coral taxa was dominated by larger colonies with peaked distributions suggesting that recent disturbances had a disproportionate impact on smaller colonies, or that recruitment is currently limited. This may suggest that coral resilience has been compromised by recent disturbances, and further bleaching (expected in 2016) could lead to highly protracted recovery times. We showed that Mal ian reefs recovered following the 1998 mass-bleaching event, but it took up to a decade, and ongoing disturbances may be eroding reef resilience.
Environmental tipping points for sperm motility, fertilization, and embryonic development in the crown-of-thorns starfish
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 15-02-2017
DOI: 10.3390/D9010010
Interspecific transmission and recovery of TCBS-induced disease between Acanthaster planci and Linckia guildingi
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 12-09-2012
DOI: 10.3354/DAO02480
Abstract: The susceptibility of the coral-feeding crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster planci to disease may provide an avenue with which to effectively control population outbreaks that have caused severe and widespread coral loss in the Indo-Pacific. Injecting thiosulfate-citrate-bile-sucrose (TCBS) agar into A. planci tissues induced a disease characterized by dermal lesions, loss of skin turgor, collapsed spines, and accumulation of mucus on spine tips. Moreover, the symptoms (and presumably the agent) of this disease would spread rapidly intraspecifically, but interspecific transmission (to other species of echinoderms) is yet to be examined. Vibrio rotiferianus, which was previously reported as a pathogen isolated from lesions of experimentally infected A. planci, was also recovered from Linckia guildingi lesions after several days of direct contact with diseased A. planci, demonstrating disease transmission. However, all L. guildingi fully recovered after 31 ± 16 d. Further studies are in progress to understand the ecology of Vibrio infection in A. planci and the potential transmission risk to corals, fishes, and other echinoderms to evaluate whether injections of TCBS could be a viable tool for controlling A. planci outbreaks.
Ancestral biogeography and ecology of marine angelfishes (F: Pomacanthidae)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.YMPEV.2019.106596
Abstract: Marine angelfishes (F: Pomacanthidae) are amongst the most conspicuous reef fish families inhabiting reefs on tropical and subtropical latitudes. While being disproportionately represented in the marine ornamental fish trade, only a handful of taxonomically restricted studies explored their biogeographic history and the evolution body size and trophic guilds. Here, we reconstruct the phylogenetic history for 70 pomacanthid species (85% of nominal species), based on previously published data for three nuclear and four mitochondrial markers. We use the resulting phylogenetic framework to explore the ancestral biogeography and ecological ersification of the family. Divergence times and ancestral range estimation highlight the origins of the family most likely lie in the Central Pacific region. Vicariance among ocean basins reflects the impact of the Terminal Tethyan Event and the closure of the Isthmus of Panama in the historical biogeography of Pomacanthus and Holacanthus genera. The reconstruction also uncovers ancestral colonization pathways via the Pacific Ocean into the western Atlantic waters for Holacanthus. We confirm the Indian Ocean invasion scenario previously proposed for the "acanthops" complex (genus: Centropyge). Finally, interspecific variation in body size among clades appeared to be correlated to some degree with trophic guilds, whereby 15% of variance in body size was explained by trophic modes. This suggests that the higher ecological ersification observed in the Centropyge clade might be promoted by smaller body sizes acting as an ecological novelty allowing the expansion of the genus within available niches.
Post-settlement growth and mortality rates of juvenile scleractinian corals in Moorea, French Polynesia versus Trunk Reef, Australia
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 15-08-2013
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS10389
Variation in growth rates of branching corals along Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-06-2017
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-017-03085-1
Abstract: Coral growth is an important component of reef health and resilience. However, few studies have investigated temporal and/or spatial variation in growth of branching corals, which are important contributors to the structure and function of reef habitats. This study assessed growth (linear extension, density, and calcification) of three branching coral species ( Acropora muricata , Pocillopora damicornis and Isopora palifera ) at three distinct locations (Lizard Island, Davies/Trunk Reef, and Heron Island) along Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Annual growth rates of all species were highest at Lizard Island and declined with increasing latitude, corresponding with differences in temperature. Within locations, however, seasonal variation in growth did not directly correlate with temperature. Between October 2012 and October 2014, the highest growth of A . muricata was in the 2013–14 summer at Lizard Island, which was unusually cool and ~0.5 °C less than the long-term summer average temperature. At locations where temperatures reached or exceeded the long-term summer maxima, coral growth during summer periods was equal to, if not lower than, winter periods. This study shows that temperature has a significant influence on spatiotemporal patterns of branching coral growth, and high summer temperatures in the northern GBR may already be constraining coral growth and reef resilience.
Regional versus latitudinal variation in the life‐history traits and demographic rates of a reef fish, Centropyge bispinosa , in the Coral Sea and Great Barrier
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-08-2021
DOI: 10.1111/JFB.14865
Abstract: Environmental temperature is an important determinant of physiological processes and life histories in ectotherms. Over latitudinal scales, variation in temperature has been linked to changes in life‐history traits and demographic rates, with growth and mortality rates generally being greatest at low latitudes, and longevity and maximum length being greater at higher latitudes. Using the two‐spined angelfish, Centropyge bispinosa , as our focal species, we compared growth patterns, growth rates, longevity, mortality, asymptotic length and maximum length across 22 reefs that span 13° of latitude within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP) and the Coral Sea Marine Park (CSMP), Australia. We found no predictable latitudinal variation in mortality rates, growth patterns, growth rates, asymptotic or maximum length of C. bispinosa at regional to biogeographic scales. However, C. bispinosa consistently exhibited reduced longevity at lower, warmer latitudes within the CSMP. The greatest differences in mean maximum length of C. bispinosa were between continental (GBRMP) and oceanic (central CSMP) reefs of similar latitude, with in iduals being larger on average on continental versus oceanic reefs. The lack of predictable life‐history and demographic variation in C. bispinosa across a 13° latitudinal gradient within the CSMP, coupled with differences in mean maximum length between continental and oceanic reefs at similar latitudes, suggest that local environmental conditions have a greater influence than environmental temperature on the demographic rates and life‐history traits of C. bispinosa .
Keep your friends close and your anemones closer – ecology of the endemic wideband anemonefish, Amphiprion latezonatus
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 31-10-2020
Independent effects of ocean warming versus acidification on the growth, survivorship and physiology of two Acropora corals
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-10-2019
Global warming impairs stock–recruitment dynamics of corals
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-2019
DOI: 10.1038/S41586-019-1081-Y
Abstract: Changes in disturbance regimes due to climate change are increasingly challenging the capacity of ecosystems to absorb recurrent shocks and reassemble afterwards, escalating the risk of widespread ecological collapse of current ecosystems and the emergence of novel assemblages
Contrasting size and fate of juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish linked to ontogenetic diet shifts
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 22-07-2020
Abstract: Population dynamics of organisms are shaped by the variation in phenotypic traits, often expressed even among in iduals from the same cohort. For ex le, in idual variation in the timing of ontogenetic shifts in diet and/or habitat greatly influences subsequent growth and survival of some organisms, with critical effects on population dynamics. Few studies of natural systems have, however, demonstrated that marked phenotypic variation in growth rates or body size among in iduals within a modelled cohort is linked to dietary shifts and food availability. Population irruptions of the crown-of-thorns starfish are one of the foremost contributors to the global degradation of coral reefs, but causes of irruptions have been debated for decades. Here we demonstrate, based on extensive field s ling of juvenile starfish ( n = 3532), that marked variation in body size among juvenile starfish is linked to an ontogenetic diet shift from coralline algae to coral. This transition in diet leads to exponential growth in juveniles and is essential for in iduals to reach maturity. Because smaller in iduals experience higher mortality and growth is stunted on an algal diet, the ontogenetic shift to corallivory enhances in idual fitness and replenishment success. Our findings suggest that the availability of coral prey facilitates early ontogenetic diet shifts and may be fundamental in initiating population irruptions.
A large predatory reef fish species moderates feeding and activity patterns in response to seasonal and latitudinal temperature variation
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-10-2017
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-017-13277-4
Abstract: Climate-driven increases in ocean temperatures are expected to affect the metabolic requirements of marine species substantially. To mitigate the impacts of increasing temperatures in the short-term, it may be necessary for ectothermic organisms to alter their foraging behaviour and activity. Herein, we investigate seasonal variation in foraging behaviour and activity of latitudinally distinct populations of a large coral reef predator, the common coral trout, Plectropomus leopardus , from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. P. leopardus exhibited increased foraging frequency in summer versus winter time, irrespective of latitude, however, foraging frequency substantially declined at water temperatures °C. Foraging frequency also decreased with body size but there was no interaction with temperature. Activity patterns were directly correlated with water temperature during summer, the low-latitude population of P. leopardus spent up to 62% of their time inactive, compared with 43% for the high-latitude population. The impact of water temperature on activity patterns was greatest for larger in iduals. These results show that P. leopardus moderate their foraging behaviour and activity according to changes in ambient temperatures. It seems likely that increasing ocean temperatures may impose significant constraints on the capacity of large-bodied fishes to obtain sufficient prey resources while simultaneously conserving energy.
Coral-dwelling fish moderate bleaching susceptibility of coral hosts
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 14-12-2018
Heterospecific Aggression and Dominance in a Guild of Coral-Feeding Fishes: The Roles of Dietary Ecology and Phylogeny
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Date: 08-2013
DOI: 10.1086/670821
Abstract: Interspecific competition mediates bio ersity maintenance and is an important selective pressure for evolution. Competition is often conceptualized as being exploitative (indirect) or involving direct interference. However, most empirical studies are phenomenological, focusing on quantifying effects of density manipulations, and most competition theory has characterized exploitation competition systems. The effects on resource use of traits associated with direct, interference competition has received far less attention. Here we examine the relationships of dietary ecology and phylogeny to heterospecific aggression in a guild of corallivorous reef fishes. We find that, among chaetodontids (butterflyfishes), heterospecific aggression depends on a synergistic interaction of dietary overlap and specialization: aggression increases with dietary overlap for interactions between specialists but not for interactions involving generalists. Moreover, behavioral dominance is a monotonically increasing function of dietary specialization. The strong, positive relationship of dominance to specialization suggests that heterospecific aggression may contribute to the maintenance of bio ersity where it promotes resource partitioning. Additionally, we find strong phylogenetic signals in dietary overlap and specialization but not behavioral dominance. Our results support the use of phylogeny as a proxy for ecological similarity among butterflyfishes, but we find that direct measures of dietary overlap and specialization predict heterospecific agression much better than phylogeny.
Global warming transforms coral reef assemblages
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-2018
DOI: 10.1038/S41586-018-0041-2
Abstract: Global warming is rapidly emerging as a universal threat to ecological integrity and function, highlighting the urgent need for a better understanding of the impact of heat exposure on the resilience of ecosystems and the people who depend on them
Impaired growth and survival of tropical macroalgae (Sargassum spp.) at elevated temperatures
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-03-2020
Evaluating the effects of marine reserves on diet, prey availability and prey selection by juvenile predatory fishes
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 26-11-2012
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS09949
Social group entry rules may limit population resilience to patchy habitat disturbance
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 20-11-2013
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS10493
Indirect benefits of high coral cover for non-corallivorous butterflyfishes
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 23-12-2014
Global warming and recurrent mass bleaching of corals
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-2017
DOI: 10.1038/NATURE21707
Abstract: During 2015-2016, record temperatures triggered a pan-tropical episode of coral bleaching, the third global-scale event since mass bleaching was first documented in the 1980s. Here we examine how and why the severity of recurrent major bleaching events has varied at multiple scales, using aerial and underwater surveys of Australian reefs combined with satellite-derived sea surface temperatures. The distinctive geographic footprints of recurrent bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef in 1998, 2002 and 2016 were determined by the spatial pattern of sea temperatures in each year. Water quality and fishing pressure had minimal effect on the unprecedented bleaching in 2016, suggesting that local protection of reefs affords little or no resistance to extreme heat. Similarly, past exposure to bleaching in 1998 and 2002 did not lessen the severity of bleaching in 2016. Consequently, immediate global action to curb future warming is essential to secure a future for coral reefs.
Oceanography and Marine Biology
Publisher: CRC Press
Date: 26-08-2015
DOI: 10.1201/B18733
Larval Survivorship and Settlement of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) at Varying Chlorophyll Concentrations
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 14-11-2016
DOI: 10.20944/PREPRINTS201611.0074.V1
Abstract: The dispersal potential of crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) larvae is important in understanding both the initiation and spread of population outbreaks, and is fundamentally dependent upon how long larvae can persist while still retaining the capacity to settle. This study quantified variation in larval survivorship and settlement rates for CoTS maintained at three different chlorophyll concentrations (0.1, 1.0 or 10.0 & micro g.L-1), achieved by varying densities of single-celled flagellate phytoplankton, Proteomonas sulcata. Based on the larval starvation hypothesis we expected that low to moderate algal concentrations would significantly constrain both survival and settlement. CoTS larvae were successfully maintained for up to 50 days post-fertilization, but larval survival differed significantly between treatments. Survival was greatest at intermediate (1.0 & micro g.L-1) chlorophyll concentrations, and lowest at highest (10.0 & micro g.L-1) chlorophyll concentrations. Rates of settlement were also highest at intermediate (1.0 & micro g.L-1) chlorophyll concentrations and peaked at 22 days post-fertilization. Peak settlement was delayed at low chlorophyll concentrations, probably reflective of delayed development, but there was no evidence of accelerated development at high chlorophyll concentrations. CoTS larvae were capable of settling 17-43 days post-fertilization, but under optimum conditions with intermediate chlorophyll concentrations, peak settlement occurred at 22 days post-fertilization. Moderate increases in nutrient concentrations and algal densities may increase the number of CoTS that effectively settle, but are unlikely to influence dispersal dynamics.
Size-specific recolonization success by coral-dwelling damselfishes moderates resilience to habitat loss
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-10-2020
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-020-73979-0
Abstract: Increasing degradation of coral reef ecosystems and specifically, loss of corals is causing significant and widespread declines in the abundance of coral reef fishes, but the proximate cause(s) of these declines are largely unknown. Here, we examine specific responses to host coral mortality for three species of coral-dwelling damselfishes ( Dascyllus aruanus , D. reticulatus , and Pomacentrus moluccensis ), explicitly testing whether these fishes can successfully move and recolonize nearby coral hosts. Responses of fishes to localized coral loss was studied during population irruptions of coral feeding crown-of-thorns starfish, where starfish consumed 29 (34%) out of 85 coral colonies, of which 25 (86%) were occupied by coral-dwelling damselfishes. Damselfishes were not tagged or in idually recognizable, but changes in the colonization of different coral hosts was assessed by carefully assessing the number and size of fishes on every available coral colony. Most damselfishes ( 90%) vacated dead coral hosts within 5 days, and either disappeared entirely (presumed dead) or relocated to nearby coral hosts. Displaced fishes only ever colonized corals already occupied by other coral-dwelling damselfishes (mostly conspecifics) and colonization success was strongly size-dependent. Despite movement of damselfishes to surviving corals, the local abundance of coral-dependent damselfishes declined in approximate accordance with the proportional loss of coral habitat. These results suggest that even if alternative coral hosts are locally abundant, there are significant biological constraints on movement of coral-dwelling damselfishes and recolonization of alternative coral habitats, such that localized persistence of habitat patches during moderate or patchy disturbances do not necessarily provide resilience against overall habitat loss.
Prevalence and severity of sublethal injuries in crown-of-thorns starfish relative to marine reserves in the Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-01-2022
DOI: 10.1002/AQC.3762
Abstract: Spatial and temporal stochasticity in the abundance and population dynamics of crown‐of‐thorns starfish (COTS Acanthaster spp.) highlight the critical need for improved knowledge of demographic variability within and among populations. This study compared the prevalence (proportion of in iduals) and severity (extent of damage) of injuries in adult COTS between contrasting fisheries management zones in Australia's Great Barrier Reef, explicitly testing whether injuries are more prevalent or severe on reefs where fishing is not permitted. Prevalence of sublethal injuries was significantly higher for COTS collected from reefs within Marine National Park Zones, where fishing is effectively prohibited, versus Conservation Park Zones or Habitat Protection Zones, where fishing is permitted, but regulated. This finding is consistent with the notion that predation rates on COTS are higher within reef habitats where fishing is prohibited, presumably due to the bigger size or higher abundance of predatory fishes. Severity was predominantly low among the injured starfish and there was no significant difference between management zones. Nevertheless, there was a higher frequency of in iduals with between one and three injured arms in no‐take reefs compared to those from reefs that were open to fishing. Prevalence and severity of sublethal injuries was higher in medium‐sized COTS (11–30 cm diameter) compared to larger COTS ( cm diameter). This study adds to existing evidence that established networks of marine reserves can have benefits beyond conservation and fisheries management, including potential reductions in the likelihood of devastating population irruptions of COTS and mitigation of further coral loss.
Consumption of tabular acroporid corals by reef fishes: a comparison with plant–herbivore interactions
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-11-2011
Pair bond endurance promotes cooperative food defense and inhibits conflict in coral reef butterflyfish
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-04-2018
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-018-24412-0
Abstract: Pair bonding is generally linked to monogamous mating systems, where the reproductive benefits of extended mate guarding and/or of bi-parental care are considered key adaptive functions. However, in some species, including coral reef butterflyfishes (f. Chaetodonitidae), pair bonding occurs in sexually immature and homosexual partners, and in the absence of parental care, suggesting there must be non-reproductive adaptive benefits of pair bonding. Here, we examined whether pair bonding butterflyfishes cooperate in defense of food, conferring direct benefits to one or both partners. We found that pairs of Chaetodon lunulatus and C . baronessa use contrasting cooperative strategies. In C . lunulatus , both partners mutually defend their territory, while in C . baronessa , males prioritize territory defence conferring improvements in feeding and energy reserves in both sexes relative to solitary counterparts. We further demonstrate that partner fidelity contributes to this function by showing that re-pairing invokes intra-pair conflict and inhibits cooperatively-derived feeding benefits, and that partner endurance is required for these costs to abate. Overall, our results suggest that in butterflyfishes, pair bonding enhances cooperative defense of prey resources, ultimately benefiting both partners by improving food resource acquisition and energy reserves.
Patterns of recruitment and microhabitat associations for three predatory coral reef fishes on the southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-2013
Enigmatic declines of Australia's sea snakes from a biodiversity hotspot
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2013
Benthic predators influence microhabitat preferences and settlement success of crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 09-12-2016
DOI: 10.3390/D8040027
Assembly Rules of Reef Corals Are Flexible along a Steep Climatic Gradient
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.CUB.2012.02.068
Abstract: Coral reefs, one of the world's most complex and vulnerable ecosystems, face an uncertain future in coming decades as they continue to respond to anthropogenic climate change, overfishing, pollution, and other human impacts [1, 2]. Traditionally, marine macroecology is based on presence/absence data from taxonomic checklists or geographic ranges, providing a qualitative overview of spatial shifts in species richness that treats rare and common species equally [3, 4]. As a consequence, regional and long-term shifts in relative abundances of in idual taxa are poorly understood. Here we apply a more rigorous quantitative approach to examine large-scale spatial variation in the species composition and abundance of corals on midshelf reefs along the length of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, a biogeographic region where species richness is high and relatively homogeneous [5]. We demonstrate that important functional components of coral assemblages "s le" space differently at 132 sites separated by up to 1740 km, leading to complex latitudinal shifts in patterns of absolute and relative abundance. The flexibility in community composition that we document along latitudinal environmental gradients indicates that climate change is likely to result in a reassortment of coral reef taxa rather than wholesale loss of entire reef ecosystems.
Contrasting shifts in coral assemblages with increasing disturbances
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-04-2020
Reef fishes innately distinguish predators based on olfactory cues associated with recent prey items rather than individual species
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2012
The 2014-17 Global Coral Bleaching Event: The Most Severe and Widespread Coral Reef Destruction
Publisher: Research Square Platform LLC
Date: 06-06-2022
DOI: 10.21203/RS.3.RS-1555992/V1
Abstract: Ocean warming is increasing the incidence, scale, and severity of global-scale coral bleaching and mortality, culminating in the third global coral bleaching event that occurred during record marine heatwaves of 2014-2017. While local effects of these events have been widely reported, the global implications remain unknown. Analysis of 15,066 reef surveys during 2014-2017 revealed that 80% of surveyed reefs experienced significant coral bleaching and 35% experienced significant coral mortality. The global extent of significant coral bleaching and mortality was assessed by extrapolating results from reef surveys using comprehensive remote-sensing data of regional heat stress. This model predicted that 51% of the world’s coral reefs suffered significant bleaching and 15% significant mortality, surpassing damage from any prior global bleaching event. These observations demonstrate that global warming’s widespread damage to coral reefs is accelerating and underscores the threat anthropogenic climate change poses for the irreversible transformation of these essential ecosystems.
Isolation and characterization of twenty microsatellite markers for the study of hybridization in butterflyfish of the genus Chaetodon
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-03-2013
Importance of live coral habitat for reef fishes
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-08-2014
Abundance and composition of juvenile corals reveals divergent trajectories for coral assemblages across the United Arab Emirates
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2016.11.036
Abstract: Marked shifts in the composition of coral assemblages are occurring at many locations, but it is unknown whether these are permanent shifts reinforced by patterns of population replenishment. This study examined the composition of juvenile coral assemblages across the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Densities of juvenile corals varied significantly among locations, but were highest where coral cover was highest. Juvenile coral assemblages within the Persian Gulf were dominated by Porites, while no Acropora were recorded. We expect therefore, continued declines in Acropora abundance, while observed dominance of Porites is likely to persist. In the Oman Sea, Pocillopora was the dominant juvenile coral, with Acropora and Stylophora also recorded. This study shows that taxonomic differences in replenishment are reinforcing temporal shifts in coral composition within the southern Persian Gulf, but not in the Oman Sea. Differences in environmental conditions and disturbance regimes likely explain the ergent responses between regions.
Background mortality rates for recovering populations of Acropora cytherea in the Chagos Archipelago, central Indian Ocean
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARENVRES.2013.02.007
Abstract: This study quantified background rates of mortality for Acropora cytherea in the Chagos Archipelago. Despite low levels of anthropogenic disturbance, 27.5% (149/541) of A. cytherea colonies exhibited some level of partial mortality, and 9.0% (49/541) of colonies had recent injuries. A total of 15.3% of the overall surface area of physically intact A. cytherea colonies was dead. Observed mortality was partly attributable to overtopping and/or self-shading among colonies. There were also low-densities of Acanthaster planci apparent at some study sites. However, most of the recent mortality recorded was associated with isolated infestations of the coral crab, Cymo melanodactylus. A. cytherea is a relatively fast growing coral and these levels of mortality may be biologically unimportant. However, few studies have measured background rates of coral mortality, especially in the absence of direct human disturbances. These data are important for assessing the impacts of increasing disturbances, especially in projecting likely recovery.
Avoiding conflicts and protecting coral reefs: customary management benefits marine habitats and fish biomass
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 10-2012
DOI: 10.1017/S0030605312000348
Abstract: One of the major goals of coral reef conservation is to determine the most effective means of managing marine resources in regions where economic conditions often limit the options available. For ex le, no-take fishing areas can be impractical in regions where people rely heavily on reef fish for food. In this study we test whether coral reef health differed among areas with varying management practices and socio-economic conditions on Pulau Weh in the Indonesian province of Aceh. Our results show that gear restrictions, in particular prohibiting the use of nets, were successful in minimizing habitat degradation and maintaining fish biomass despite ongoing access to the fishery. Reef fish biomass and hard-coral cover were two- to eight-fold higher at sites where fishing nets were prohibited. The guiding principle of the local customary management system, Panglima Laot , is to reduce conflict among community members over access to marine resources. Consequently, conservation benefits in Aceh have arisen from a customary system that lacks a specific environmental ethic or the means for strong resource-based management. Panglima Laot includes many of the features of successful institutions, such as clearly defined membership rights and the opportunity for resource users to be involved in making, enforcing and changing the rules. Such mechanisms to reduce conflict are the key to the success of marine resource management, particularly in settings that lack resources for enforcement.
Capacity for regeneration in crown of thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-02-2013
Body condition of the coral-dwelling fish Dascyllus aruanus (Linnaeus 1758) following host colony bleaching
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-05-2015
Experimental evaluation of imprinting and the role innate preference plays in habitat selection in a coral reef fish
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 31-08-2014
DOI: 10.1007/S00442-013-2755-Z
Abstract: When facing decisions about where to live, juveniles have a strong tendency to choose habitats similar to where their parents successfully bred. Developing larval fishes can imprint on the chemical cues from their natal habitat. However, to demonstrate that imprinting is ecologically important, it must be shown that settlers respond and distinguish among different imprinted cues, and use imprinting for decisions in natural environments. In addition, the potential role innate preferences play compared to imprinted choices also needs to be examined. As environmental variability increases due to anthropogenic causes these two recognition mechanisms, innate and imprinting, could provide conflicting information. Here we used laboratory rearing and chemical choice experiments to test imprinting in larval anemonefish (Amphiprion percula). In iduals exposed to a variety of benthic habitat or novel olfactory cues as larvae either developed a preference for (spent >50% of their time in the cue) or increased their attraction to (increased preference but did not spend >50% of their time in the cue) the cue when re-exposed as settlers. Results indicate not only the capacity for imprinting but also the ability to adjust innate preferences after early exposure to a chemical cue. To test ecological relevance in the natural system, recruits were collected from anemones and related to their parents, using genetic parentage analysis, providing information on the natal anemone species and the species chosen at settlement. Results demonstrated that recruits did not preferentially return to their natal species, conflicting with laboratory results indicating the importance imprinting might have in habitat recognition.
A comparison of two methods of obtaining densities of zooxanthellae in Acropora millepora
Publisher: Japanese Coral Reef Society
Date: 2011
Latitudinal shifts in coral reef fishes: why some species do and others do not shift
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-04-2014
DOI: 10.1111/FAF.12036
DNA-Based Detection and Patterns of Larval Settlement of the Corallivorous Crown-of-Thorns Sea Star (Acanthaster sp.)
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Date: 12-2021
DOI: 10.1086/717539
Abstract: AbstractPopulation irruptions of the western Pacific crown-of-thorns sea star (
Limited contemporary gene flow and high self-replenishment drives peripheral isolation in an endemic coral reef fish
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-04-2013
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.584
Habitat associations of settlement-stage crown-of-thorns starfish on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-05-2020
Limits to understanding and managing outbreaks of crown-of- thorns starfish (ACANTHASTER Spp.)
Publisher: CRC Press
Date: 02-09-2014
DOI: 10.1201/B17143
Crown-of-thorns starfish larvae are vulnerable to predation even in the presence of alternative prey
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-01-2020
Managing cross-scale dynamics in marine conservation: Pest irruptions and lessons from culling of crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster spp.)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2019
Deficits in functional trait diversity following recovery on coral reefs
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 08-01-2020
Abstract: The disturbance regimes of ecosystems are changing, and prospects for continued recovery remain unclear. New assemblages with altered species composition may be deficient in key functional traits. Alternatively, important traits may be sustained by species that replace those in decline (response ersity). Here, we quantify the recovery and response ersity of coral assemblages using case studies of disturbance in three locations. Despite return trajectories of coral cover, the original assemblages with erse functional attributes failed to recover at each location. Response ersity and the reassembly of trait space was limited, and varied according to biogeographic differences in the attributes of dominant, rapidly recovering species. The deficits in recovering assemblages identified here suggest that the return of coral cover cannot assure the reassembly of reef trait ersity, and that shortening intervals between disturbances can limit recovery among functionally important species.
Selective feeding by corallivorous fishes neither promotes nor reduces progression rates of black band disease
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 26-04-2018
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS12525
High prevalence of obligate coral-dwelling decapods on dead corals in the Chagos Archipelago, central Indian Ocean
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-05-2015
No change in subordinate butterflyfish diets following removal of behaviourally dominant species
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 23-12-2016
Geographically conserved rates of background mortality among common reef-building corals in Lhaviyani Atoll, Maldives, versus northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-07-2015
The Status of Coral Reef Fish Assemblages in the Chagos Archipelago, with Implications for Protected Area Management and Climate Change
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 2013
Spatial variation in background mortality among dominant coral taxa on Australia's Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 24-06-2014
Refuge-seeking impairments mirror metabolic recovery following fisheries-related stressors in the Spanish flag snapper (Lutjanus carponotatus) on the Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1086/671166
Abstract: Fisheries and marine park management strategies for large predatory reef fish can mean that a large proportion of captured fish are released. Despite being released, these fish may experience high mortality while they traverse the water column to locate suitable refuge to avoid predators, all the while recovering from the stress of capture. The predatory reef fish Spanish flag snapper (Lutjanus carponotatus) is frequently released because of a minimum-size or bag limit or by fishers targeting more desirable species. Using L. carponotatus as a model, we tested whether simulated fishing stress (exercise and air exposure) resulted in impairments in reflexes (e.g., response to stimuli) and the ability to identify and use refuge in a laboratory arena and whether any impairments were associated with blood physiology or metabolic recovery. Control fish were consistently responsive to reflex tests and rapidly located and entered refugia in the arena within seconds. Conversely, treatment fish (exhausted and air exposed) were unresponsive to stimuli, took longer to search for refugia, and were more apprehensive to enter the refuge once it was located. Consequently, treatment fish took more than 70 times longer than control fish to enter the coral refuge (26.12 vs. 0.36 min, respectively). The finding that fish exposed to stress were hesitant to use refugia suggests that there was likely cognitive, visual, and/or physiological impairment. Blood lactate, glucose, and hematocrit measures were perturbed at 15 and 30 min after the stressor, relative to controls. However, measurements of oxygen consumption rate revealed that about 50% of metabolic recovery occurred within 30 min after the stressor, coinciding with apparent cognitive/visual hysiological recovery. Recovering the treatment fish in aerated, flow-through chambers for 30 min before introduction to the behavioral arena restored reflexes, and "recovered" fish behaved more similarly to controls. Therefore, we suggest that temporarily holding coral reef fish that have undergone an exhaustive fishing interaction and an air exposure episode should enable significant recovery of cognitive and metabolic attributes that would enable fish to more rapidly locate and utilize refugia to avoid postrelease predation. However, after nonexhaustive fishing interactions (i.e., minimal reflex impairment), it is likely that immediate release would be most beneficial.
Small-scale environmental variation influences whether coral-dwelling fish promote or impede coral growth
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-09-2014
DOI: 10.1007/S00442-014-3065-9
Abstract: Mutualistic symbioses are ubiquitous in nature and facilitate high bio ersity and productivity of ecosystems by enhancing the efficiency of energy and nutrient use within ecological communities. For ex le, small groups of fish that inhabit coral colonies in reef ecosystems potentially enhance coral growth through defense from coral predators, aeration of coral tissue and nutrient provisioning. This study examines whether the prevalence and consequences of fish-coral interactions vary among sites with different environmental conditions in a coral reef lagoon, using the humbug damselfish Dascyllus aruanus and its preferred coral host Pocillopora damicornis as a study system. Using a field experiment, we tested the site-specific effects of D. aruanus on coral growth, and show that the cost-benefit ratio for corals hosting fish varies with local environmental variation. Results of this study also demonstrate that fish prefer to inhabit coral colonies with particular branch-spacing characteristics, and that the local abundance of D. aruanus influences the proportion of coral colonies within a site that are occupied by fish rather than increasing the number of fish per colony. We also show that corals consistently benefit from hosting D. aruanus via defense from predation by corallivorous butterflyfish, regardless of local environmental conditions. These findings highlight the need to consider the potential for multiple scale- and state-dependent interaction effects when examining the ecology of fish-coral associations. We suggest that fluctuating cost-benefit ratios for species interactions may contribute to the maintenance of different colony phenotypes within coral populations.
Changes in sociality of butterflyfishes linked to population declines and coral loss
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-04-2019
Optical Feedback Loop Involving Dinoflagellate Symbiont and Scleractinian Host Drives Colorful Coral Bleaching
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2020
Ecological memory modifies the cumulative impact of recurrent climate extremes
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-12-2018
Influence of dietary specialization and resource availability on geographical variation in abundance of butterflyfish
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-06-2012
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.253
Behavioral trade-offs and habitat associations of coral-dwelling damselfishes (family Pomacentridae)
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 09-01-2020
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS13167
Reef degradation and the loss of critical ecosystem goods and services provided by coral reef fishes
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2014
Biennium horribile: Very high mortality in the reef coral Acropora millepora on the Great Barrier Reef in 2009 and 2010
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 04-10-2018
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS12750
Directing the use of DDR kinase inhibitors in cancer treatment
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 14-10-2017
Research priorities for the sustainability of coral-rich western Pacific seascapes
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-04-2023
DOI: 10.1007/S10113-023-02051-0
Abstract: Nearly a billion people depend on tropical seascapes. The need to ensure sustainable use of these vital areas is recognised, as one of 17 policy commitments made by world leaders, in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 (‘Life below Water’) of the United Nations. SDG 14 seeks to secure marine sustainability by 2030. In a time of increasing social-ecological unpredictability and risk, scientists and policymakers working towards SDG 14 in the Asia–Pacific region need to know: (1) How are seascapes changing? (2) What can global society do about these changes? and (3) How can science and society together achieve sustainable seascape futures? Through a horizon scan, we identified nine emerging research priorities that clarify potential research contributions to marine sustainability in locations with high coral reef abundance. They include research on seascape geological and biological evolution and adaptation elucidating drivers and mechanisms of change understanding how seascape functions and services are produced, and how people depend on them costs, benefits, and trade-offs to people in changing seascapes improving seascape technologies and practices learning to govern and manage seascapes for all sustainable use, justice, and human well-being bridging communities and epistemologies for innovative, equitable, and scale-crossing solutions and informing resilient seascape futures through modelling and synthesis. Researchers can contribute to the sustainability of tropical seascapes by co-developing transdisciplinary understandings of people and ecosystems, emphasising the importance of equity and justice, and improving knowledge of key cross-scale and cross-level processes, feedbacks, and thresholds.
Variation in size-frequency distributions of branching corals between a tropical versus sub-tropical reef
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 15-04-2014
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS10697
The corallivorous invertebrate Drupella aids in transmission of brown band disease on the Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-01-2013
Effects of elevated temperature on the performance and survival of pacific crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris)
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-03-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S00227-022-04027-W
Abstract: Population irruptions of Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish ( Acanthaster cf. solaris ) have caused substantial damage to coral reefs, but it is largely unknown how this asteroid will fare in a warmer ocean. We exposed these starfish to one of four thermal treatments, with final temperatures of 26 °C (control, annual average), 28 °C (summer average), 30 °C (summer maximum) and 32 °C (predicted summer maximum by 2100). We measured the righting time, movement rate, standard metabolic rate and probability of survival of the crown-of-thorns starfish at various timepoints over ~ 60 days. We found that while temperature did not affect righting time, it did significantly affect movement rate. The movement rate of starfish increased across the 26 to 30 °C range, with those at 28 °C and 30 °C moving 18 and 27% faster than those at the control temperature. Similarly, the standard metabolic rate of starfish increased from 26 to 30 °C, with metabolism 100% and 260% faster at 28 °C and 30 °C compared to those at the 26 °C control. At 32 °C, in idual starfish exhibited a 14% slower movement rate, a 33% slower metabolic rate, and also exhibited a fourfold lower probability of survival than those at 30 °C. These results indicate that 32 °C is above the thermal optimum of crown-of-thorns starfish, suggesting that prolonged exposure to temperatures that are expected to be regularly exceeded under near-future climate change may be detrimental to this species.
High‐resolution characterization of the abiotic environment and disturbance regimes on the Great Barrier Reef, 1985–2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-01-2019
DOI: 10.1002/ECY.2574
Abstract: This data compilation synthesizes 36 static environmental and spatial variables, and temporally explicit modeled estimates of three major disturbances to coral cover on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR): (1) coral bleaching, (2) tropical cyclones, and (3) outbreaks of the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster cf. solaris. Data are provided on a standardized grid (0.01° × 0.01° ~ 1 × 1 km) for reef locations along the GBR, containing 15,928 pixels and excluding the northernmost sections (<12° S) where empirical data were sparse. This compilation provides a consistent and high-resolution characterization of the abiotic environment and disturbance regimes for GBR reef locations at a fine spatial scale to be used in the development of complex ecosystem models. Static estimates of environmental variables (e.g., depth, bed shear stress, average temperature, temperature variation) originally developed by the Commonwealth of Australia's Environment Research Facility (CERF) Marine Bio ersity Hub were provided by Geoscience Australia. Annual (1985-2017) disturbance estimates were either interpolated from empirical data (A. cf. solaris), predicted from proxy indicators (e.g., degree heating weeks [DHW] as a proxy for bleaching severity), or explicitly modeled (e.g., wave height model for each cyclone). This data set synthesizes some of the most recent advances in remote sensing and modeling of environmental conditions on the GBR yet it is not exhaustive and we highlight areas that should be expanded through future research. The characterization of abiotic and disturbance regimes presented here represent an essential tool for the development of complex regional scale models of the GBR preventing redundancy between working groups and promoting collaboration, innovation, and consistency. When using the data set, we kindly request that you cite this article and/or the articles cited in the reference section, recognizing the work that went into compiling the data together and the original authors' willingness to make it publicly available.
Differences in diet and biotransformation enzymes of coral reef butterflyfishes between Australia and Hawaii
Publisher: No publisher found
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.CBPC.2018.10.004
Abstract: Many reef fishes are capable of feeding on chemically-defended benthic prey, such as soft (alcyonarian) corals however, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that underpin allelochemical biotransformation and detoxification. Butterflyfishes (Chaetodon: Chaetdontidae) are a useful group for comparatively exploring links between biotransformation enzymes and diet, because they commonly feed on chemically defended prey. Moreover, diets of some species vary among geographic locations. This study compares gene expression, protein and enzymatic activity of key detoxification enzymes (cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2, 3, epoxide hydrolase, glutathione transferase and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase) in livers of four coral-feeding butterflyfish species between Australia and Hawaii, where these fishes differ in diet composition. For C. kleinii, C. auriga, and C. unimaculatus, we found higher CYP2 and CYP3 levels were linked to more allelochemically rich diets in Australia relative to Hawaii. For C. lunulatus from Hawaii CYP2 and CYP3 levels were 1 to 20-fold higher than C. lunulatus from Australia, possibly due to their predominant prey in Hawaii (Porities spp.) being richer in allelochemicals. UGT, GST and epoxide hydrolase varied between species and location and did not correspond to any specific dietary preference or location. Higher levels of CYP2 and CYP3A isozymes in species that feed on allelochemically-rich prey suggest that these biotransformation enzymes may be involved in detoxification of coral dietary allelochemicals in butterflyfishes.
The Coral Trait Database, a curated database of trait information for coral species from the global oceans
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-03-2016
Abstract: Trait-based approaches advance ecological and evolutionary research because traits provide a strong link to an organism’s function and fitness. Trait-based research might lead to a deeper understanding of the functions of, and services provided by, ecosystems, thereby improving management, which is vital in the current era of rapid environmental change. Coral reef scientists have long collected trait data for corals however, these are difficult to access and often under-utilized in addressing large-scale questions. We present the Coral Trait Database initiative that aims to bring together physiological, morphological, ecological, phylogenetic and biogeographic trait information into a single repository. The database houses species- and in idual-level data from published field and experimental studies alongside contextual data that provide important framing for analyses. In this data descriptor, we release data for 56 traits for 1547 species, and present a collaborative platform on which other trait data are being actively federated. Our overall goal is for the Coral Trait Database to become an open-source, community-led data clearinghouse that accelerates coral reef research.
Rising temperatures may drive fishing-induced selection of low-performance phenotypes
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-01-2017
DOI: 10.1038/SREP40571
Abstract: Climate warming is likely to interact with other stressors to challenge the physiological capacities and survival of phenotypes within populations. This may be especially true for the billions of fishes per year that undergo vigorous exercise prior to escaping or being intentionally released from fishing gear. Using adult coral grouper ( Plectropomus leopardus ), an important fisheries species throughout the Indo-Pacific, we show that population-level survival following vigorous exercise is increasingly compromised as temperatures increase from current-day levels (100–67% survival at 24–30 °C) to those projected for the end of the century (42% survival at 33 °C). Intriguingly, we demonstrate that high-performance in iduals take longer to recover to a resting metabolic state and subsequently have lower survival in warm water compared with conspecifics that exercise less vigorously. Moreover, we show that post-exercise mortality of high-performance phenotypes manifests after 3–13 d at the current summer maximum (30 °C), while mortality at 33 °C occurs within 1.8–14.9 h. We propose that wild populations in a warming climate may become skewed towards low-performance phenotypes with ramifications for predator-prey interactions and community dynamics. Our findings highlight the susceptibility of phenotypic ersity to fishing activities and demonstrate a mechanism that may contribute to fishing-induced evolution in the face of ongoing climate change.
Relative efficacy of three approaches to mitigate Crown-of-Thorns Starfish outbreaks on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-07-2020
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-020-69466-1
Abstract: Population outbreaks of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (COTS Acanthaster spp.) are a major contributor to loss of hard coral throughout the Indo-Pacific. On Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR), management interventions have evolved over four COTS outbreaks to include: (1) manual COTS control, (2) Marine Protected Area (MPA) zoning, and, (3) water quality improvement. Here we evaluate the contribution of these three approaches to managing population outbreaks of COTS to minimize coral loss. Strategic manual control at sites reduced COTS numbers, including larger, more fecund and damaging in iduals. Sustained reduction in COTS densities and improvements in hard coral cover at a site were achieved through repeated control visits. MPAs influenced initial COTS densities but only marginally influenced final hard coral cover following COTS control. Water quality improvement programs have achieved only marginal reductions in river nutrient loads delivered to the GBR and the study region. This, a subsequent COTS outbreak, and declining coral cover across the region suggest their contributions are negligible. These findings support manual control as the most direct, and only effective, means of reducing COTS densities and improving hard coral cover currently available at a site. We provide recommendations for improving control program effectiveness with application to supporting reef resilience across the Indo-Pacific.
Does genetic distance between parental species influence outcomes of hybridization among coral reef butterflyfishes?
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-05-2014
DOI: 10.1111/MEC.12762
Abstract: Christmas Island is located at the overlap of the Indian and Pacific Ocean marine provinces and is a hot spot for marine hybridization. Here, we evaluate the ecological framework and genetic consequences of hybridization between butterflyfishes Chaetodon guttatissimus and Chaetodon punctatofasciatus. Further, we compare our current findings to those from a previous study of hybridization between Chaetodon trifasciatus and Chaetodon lunulatus. For both species groups, habitat and dietary overlap between parental species facilitate frequent heterospecific encounters. Low abundance of potential mates promotes heterospecific pair formation and the breakdown of assortative mating. Despite similarities in ecological frameworks, the population genetic signatures of hybridization differ between the species groups. Mitochondrial and nuclear data from C. guttatissimus × C. punctatofasciatus (1% ergence at cyt b) show bidirectional maternal contributions and relatively high levels of introgression, both inside and outside the Christmas Island hybrid zone. In contrast, C. trifasciatus × C. lunulatus (5% cyt b ergence) exhibit unidirectional mitochondrial inheritance and almost no introgression. Back-crossing of hybrid C. guttatissimus × C. punctatofasciatus and parental genotypes may eventually confound species-specific signals within the hybrid zone. In contrast, hybrids of C. trifasciatus and C. lunulatus may coexist with and remain genetically distinct from the parents. Our results, and comparisons with hybridization studies in other reef fish families, indicate that genetic distance between hybridizing species may be a factor influencing outcomes of hybridization in reef fish, which is consistent with predictions from terrestrially derived hybridization theory.
Settlement cue selectivity by larvae of the destructive crown-of-thorns starfish
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 2023
Abstract: Population irruptions of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) cause extensive degradation of coral reefs, threatening the structure and function of these important ecosystems. For population irruptions to initiate and spread, large numbers of planktonic larvae have to successfully transition into their benthic life-history stage (i.e. settlement), whereby larval behaviour and the presence of settlement cues may shape spatial patterns of recruitment and adult densities. Our results demonstrate that a wide range of coralline algae species induce COTS larvae to settle however, the capacity to promote settlement success varied manyfold among algal species, ranging from greater than 90% in Melyvonnea cf. madagascariensis to less than 2% in Lithophyllum cf. kotschyanum and two Porolithon species at 24 h. Because many coralline algae species that promote high settlement success are prevalent in shallow reef habitats, our findings challenge the hypothesis that COTS larvae predominantly settle in deep water. Considering both larval behaviour and algal ecology, this study highlights the ecological significance of coralline algae communities in driving recruitment patterns of COTS. More specifically, the local abundance of highly inductive coralline algae (especially, Melyvonnea cf. madagascariensis ) may explain some of the marked spatial heterogeneity of COTS populations and the incidence of population irruptions.
Microsatellite multiplex assay for the coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster cf. planci
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-03-2015
Limited Cross-Shelf Variation in the Growth of Three Branching Corals on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 12-11-2018
DOI: 10.3390/D10040122
Abstract: Pronounced differences exist in the bio ersity and structure of coral reef assemblages with increasing distance from shore, which may be expected given marked cross-shelf gradients in environmental conditions. Cross-shelf variation in the abundance of coral reef organisms is likely to be caused, at least in part, by differences in demography (e.g., growth and survival), though this has rarely been tested. This study quantified growth of three distinct branching coral taxa (Acropora nasuta, Pocillopora spp. and Stylophora pistillata) at six locations on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR), encompassing inshore, mid-shelf and outer-shelf reefs. Replicate colonies (0–15 colonies per species, per reef) were stained using Alizarin Red in December 2015 and retrieved one year later to quantify linear extension on replicate branches for each colony. Annual linear extension varied within and among coral taxa, with pronounced differences among reefs. For A. nasuta. and S. pistillata, growth rates were highest at one of the inshore reefs, Orpheus Island. However, inter-reef differences in linear extension were not explained by shelf position. Based on differences in skeletal density, which did vary according to shelf position, branching corals at the inshore sites may actually have higher rates of calcification compared to conspecifics on mid-and outer-shelf reefs. This study shows that growth of branching corals is not lower at inshore sites (and perhaps even higher) compared to sites at mid-shelf and outer reefs, despite generally higher levels of sedimentation and turbidity.
Reef fish hybridization: lessons learnt from butterflyfishes (genus Chaetodon)
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-12-0026
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.83
Abstract: Natural hybridization is widespread among coral reef fishes. However, the ecological promoters and evolutionary consequences of reef fish hybridization have not been thoroughly evaluated. Butterflyfishes form a high number of hybrids and represent an appropriate group to investigate hybridization in reef fishes. This study provides a rare test of terrestrially derived hybridization theory in the marine environment by examining hybridization between Chaetodon trifasciatus and C. lunulatus at Christmas Island. Overlapping spatial and dietary ecologies enable heterospecific encounters. Nonassortative mating and local rarity of both parent species appear to permit heterospecific breeding pair formation. Microsatellite loci and mtDNA confirmed the status of hybrids, which displayed the lowest genetic ersity in the s le and used a reduced suite of resources, suggesting decreased adaptability. Maternal contribution to hybridization was unidirectional, and no introgression was detected, suggesting limited, localized evolutionary consequences of hybridization. Comparisons to other reef fish hybridization studies revealed that different evolutionary consequences emerge, despite being promoted by similar factors, possibly due to the magnitude of genetic distance between hybridizing species. This study highlights the need for further enquiry aimed at evaluating the importance and long‐term consequences of reef fish hybridization.
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