Coral connectivity between equatorial eastern Pacific marine protected areas: A biophysical modeling approach

Abstract

There are many marine protected areas (MPAs) containing coral reef aggregations in the eastern Pacific region. However, the connectivity of corals between MPAs is still poorly known, especially in the Marine Conservation Corridor of the Eastern Tropical Pacific (MCCETP). Here, we assess the potential connectivity of corals across equatorial eastern Pacific MPAs through a Lagrangian particle-tracking algorithm coupled offline with an ocean-circulation numerical model. Connectivity metrics and graph theory were used to analyze the networks and highlight those MPAs that are critical for maintaining the connectivity of corals across the region. Our results show that the equatorial eastern Pacific MPAs form a relatively well-connected network, at least 40% of coral larvae released per year end up within the boundaries of an MPA. MPAs like Malpelo and Gorgona islands included in the MCCETP were found to be critical for connectivity of corals because of their high betweenness centrality and potential role as stepping-stones between coastal MPAs and offshore MPAs such as the Galapagos Islands. Two pelagic larval duration (PLD) scenarios (40 and 130 days) indicate a quasi-unidirectional larval flow from coastal MPAs toward oceanic MPAs, where the only resilient MPAs (Coiba and Malpelo islands) depend mostly on subsidiary recruitment from MPAs located along the coast of Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia. In the two PLD scenarios, Cocos Island maintains a very low resilience potential. Our results indicate the imperative need to include coastal MPAs in the MCCETP network initiative, since connectivity and resilience of coral reefs in the equatorial eastern Pacific region rely heavily on coastal MPAs.

High‐frequency sampling and piecewise models reshape dispersal kernels of a common reef coral

“…, Lequeux et al. ), those assuming constant stochastic loss rates likely overestimate it (e.g., Connolly and Baird , Thomas et al. ).…”

“…Thus, whereas long-distance dispersal estimates assuming rectangular competence curves likely underestimate long-distance dispersal (e.g., Treml et al 2008, Lequeux et al 2018, those assuming constant stochastic loss rates likely overestimate it (e.g., Baird 2010, Thomas et al 2014). The discrepancy is important, given that, for instance, the tail of the dispersal kernel may be crucial for determining potential rates of movement of potentially adaptive genotypes in the face of rapid environmental change.…”

The Red-fin Goby, Evorthodus minutus Meek & Hildebrand, 1928: a new record from Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Archipelago

“…Based on a biophysical model, Lequeux et al (2018) suggested that the islands of Malpelo and Gorgona serve as "stepping stones" between the mainland and offshore islands, such as the Galapagos. This suggests that the record of E. minutus from Santa Cruz Island might be the result of quasi-unidirectional larval flow from the continent to oceanic islands in the equatorial eastern Pacific.…”

Marine connectivity in spatial conservation planning: analogues from the terrestrial realm

“…), which may vary inter-annually, seasonally and in short term. Rapidly developing field of research, that aims to resolve how physically driven connectivity should be taken into account in designating marine protected area networks, is the graph theoretic approach and network analysis (Treml et al 2008;Kininmonth et al 2011Kininmonth et al , 2019Krueck et al 2017;Treml and Kool 2018;Fox et al 2019;Friesen et al 2019), which can be coupled with oceanographic and biophysical modelling that integrates the physics of the ocean and the characteristics of species (Watson et al 2012;Thomas et al 2014;Lequeux et al 2018), including the effects of larval traits and habitat quality (Berglund et al 2012;Corell et al 2012;Jonsson et al 2016;Magris et al 2016).…”