ORCID Profile
0000-0002-6319-8881
Current Organisation
James Cook University
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Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 08-07-2020
Abstract: A central issue in evolutionary ecology is how patterns of dispersal influence patterns of relatedness in populations. In terrestrial organisms, limited dispersal of offspring leads to groups of related in iduals. By contrast, for most marine organisms, larval dispersal in open waters is thought to minimize kin associations within populations. However, recent molecular evidence and theoretical approaches have shown that limited dispersal, sibling cohesion and/or differential reproductive success can lead to kin association and elevated relatedness. Here, we tested the hypothesis that limited dispersal explains small-scale patterns of relatedness in the pajama cardinalfish Sphaeramia nematoptera . We used 19 microsatellite markers to assess parentage of 233 juveniles and pairwise relatedness among 527 in iduals from 41 groups in Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea. Our findings support three predictions of the limited dispersal hypothesis: (i) elevated relatedness within groups, compared with among groups and elevated relatedness within reefs compared with among reefs (ii) a weak negative correlation of relatedness with distance (iii) more juveniles than would be expected by chance in the same group and the same reef as their parents. We provide the first ex le for natal philopatry at the group level causing small-scale patterns of genetic relatedness in a marine fish.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 31-10-2014
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 17-04-2020
DOI: 10.3390/D12040153
Abstract: Coral restoration is rapidly becoming a mainstream strategic reef management response to address dramatic declines in coral cover worldwide. Restoration success can be defined as enhanced reef functions leading to improved ecosystem services, with multiple benefits at socio-ecological scales. However, there is often a mismatch between the objectives of coral restoration programs and the metrics used to assess their effectiveness. In particular, the scales of ecological benefits currently assessed are typically limited in both time and space, often being limited to short-term monitoring of the growth and survival of transplanted corals. In this paper, we explore reef-scale responses of coral assemblages to restoration practices applied in four well-established coral restoration programs. We found that hard coral cover and structural complexity were consistently greater at restored compared to unrestored (degraded) sites. However, patterns in coral ersity, coral recruitment, and coral health among restored, unrestored, and reference sites varied across locations, highlighting differences in methodologies among restoration programs. Altogether, differences in program objectives, methodologies, and the state of nearby coral communities were key drivers of variability in the responses of coral assemblages to restoration. The framework presented here provides guidance to improve qualitative and quantitative assessments of coral restoration efforts and can be applied to further understanding of the role of restoration within resilience-based reef management.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-11-2014
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.12455
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-2019
DOI: 10.1111/MEC.15103
Abstract: Many vertebrates form monogamous pairs to mate and care for their offspring. However, genetic tools have increasingly shown that offspring often arise from matings outside of the monogamous pair bond. Social monogamy is relatively common in coral reef fishes, but there have been few studies that have confirmed monogamy or extra-pair reproduction, either for males or for females. Here, long-term observations and genetic tools were applied to examine the parentage of embryos in a paternally mouth-brooding cardinalfish, Sphaeramia nematoptera. Paternal care in fishes, such as mouth-brooding, is thought to be associated with a high degree of confidence in paternity. Two years of observations confirmed that S. nematoptera form long-term pair bonds within larger groups. However, genetic parentage revealed extra-pair mating by both sexes. Of 105 broods analysed from 64 males, 30.1% were mothered by a female that was not the partner and 11.5% of broods included eggs from two females. Despite the high paternal investment associated with mouth-brooding, 7.6% of broods were fertilized by two males. Extra-pair matings appeared to be opportunistic encounters with in iduals from outside the immediate group. We argue that while pair formation contributes to group cohesion, both males and females can maximize lifetime reproductive success by taking advantage of extra-pair mating opportunities.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1071/MF14424
Abstract: Coral degradation is a major threat towards the bio ersity of coral-reef ecosystems, either through the physical effects of environmental change, or biological agents such as crown-of-thorns (Acanthaster planci). Coral loss is leading to significant declines in reef-fish assemblages, particularly those dependent on live coral as settlement sites. Most reef fishes use olfactory stimuli at settlement however, their ability to detect chemical stimuli from degraded corals or A. planci is unknown. Here, olfactory responses of juvenile reef fishes to the presence of stressed corals and A. planci were tested. Juveniles of eight common coral-associated species were subjected to a series of pair-wise choice tests, where the period of time spent in two differing water sources was noted. All species demonstrated a significant attraction towards healthy coral (≥76%), avoiding cues emitted by stressed coral colonies. When given the choice between a control water (untreated reef water) and water containing chemical cues from A. planci, most species elicited no response. Finally, when given the choice between chemical cues derived from feeding A. planci or the control, all species avoided A. planci (≥70%). Our results indicated that juvenile reef fish are capable of distinguishing the state of coral health, but not directly from disturbance agents.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.BEPROC.2014.07.015
Abstract: Coral reef fishes are characterised by extreme site fidelity and are often socially monogamous, forming pair bonds within larger social groups. Despite this, the strong link between reproductive behaviour and site fidelity in such social species is poorly understood. We examine these relationships in the cardinalfish Ostorhinchus cyanosoma on the central Great Barrier Reef. We tagged and followed over 100 in iduals for 5 weeks to investigate pair fidelity, and behavioural differences between pairs and singles and between sexes, and we experimentally tested the strength of site and mate fidelity. Tagged pairs were typically highly site attached, and lasted throughout the study period. Sex had very little effect on pairing behaviour or habitat use. Paired in iduals showed three times higher site fidelity than single ones, with singles frequently relocating. There was a two-fold increase in the movement of in iduals that had their partners experimentally removed. Paired in iduals exhibited greater homing success, and homed regardless of whether their mate had been displaced with them or was left on the home site. These results suggest that in iduals of this species form at least seasonally stable monogamous pair bonds within larger groups, and that pair formation is closely associated with site fidelity.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-08-2020
DOI: 10.1111/MMS.12724
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 11-10-2010
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.BEPROC.2016.02.001
Abstract: Aquatic animals commonly rely on chemical cues to provide information regarding their surroundings. They can respond either by being attracted to (potential mates, preferred habitats) or avoiding (predators, competitors) the source of the stimuli. Coral reef fishes use chemical cues to detect habitats, avoid predators and recognise conspecifics. However, the extent to which chemical cues are used to detect and respond to potential competitors, has received little attention. Here we test olfactory preferences for conspecifics and heterospecifics in newly settled juvenile coral reef fishes. Juveniles of 4 common coral-associated damselfish species: Dascyllus melanurus, Dascyllus reticulatus, Chrysiptera arnazae and Pomacentrus moluccensis, were subjected to olfactory choice tests. Three of the 4 species (excluding P. moluccensis) demonstrated preferences for waterborne conspecifics odours. All species exhibited an avoidance towards heterospecific odours this aversion was consistently greatest towards P. moluccensis. A neutral response toward heterospecifics was only evident in two instances (1) between the two congeneric Dascyllus species, with D. melanurus toward D. reticulatus, and (2) with C. arnazae toward D. melanurus. While it is already known that the presence of conspecifics plays a vital role in settlement site selection, we show here that the presence of heterospecifics may also be key in determining the spatial distributions of juveniles across areas of coral reef.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2013
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 2005
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS305163
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-01-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2014
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-12-2018
DOI: 10.1007/S00442-017-4018-X
Abstract: Colonial animals often form stable pair bonds, returning to the same site to breed with the same partner every year. Familiarity with both partner and breeding site has the potential to enhance an in idual's reproductive success. However, it is often unknown whether the mating system arises because of site fidelity, mate fidelity or both. Here, observational and experimental studies are used to identify causal links between site fidelity and pair formation in a group-living coral reef cardinalfish, Sphaeramia nematoptera. A long-term field tagging study was undertaken to quantify site and mate attachment. This was followed by both mate removal and mate transplant experiments to test whether the prolonged association with home sites was primarily because of mate or site fidelity. Adult S. nematoptera exhibited a prolonged association with home sites and partners, with some pairs lasting more than 4 months at the same site. A Bayesian mixed effect model showed that in iduals in pairs were more likely to remain site attached, regardless of sex and maturity. Following mate removal, 78% of S. nematoptera found a new partner within 2 weeks on the same site, supporting the hypothesis that in iduals primarily exhibit site fidelity. This was confirmed by the partner translocation experiment, with only 1 of 24 fish following their translocated partner to a new site. In these cardinalfish, strong site attachment facilitates long-lasting pair bonds, as well as new pair formation when necessary, suggesting that site rather than mate fidelity is the major driver of the reproductive system.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-06-2010
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-05-2020
No related grants have been discovered for Naomi Gardiner.