Depth distribution of algal species on the deep insular fore reef at Lee Stocking Island, Bahamas

Aponte, Nilda E.; Ballantine, David L.

doi:10.1016/s0967-0637(01)00011-5

Cited by 42 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…and Corallinales. Similarly, many of the macroscopic species recognized at depths of 50 to 100 m in other studies (see Larkum et al, 1967;Littler et al, 1986;Aponte and Ballantine, 2001) were also dominated by Peyssonneliaceae and Corallinales. The coralline/Peyssonnelia dominance at mesophotic depths in tropical and warm temperate Atlantic regions may be a universal deepwater distributional pattern.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

“…Also in the western Atlantic, a series of submersible dives on the east Florida shelf (Eiseman, 1979;Eiseman and Blair, 1982;Hanisak and Blair, 1988a) resulted in a substantial increase in our knowledge of the deep algal flora of the region. More recently in the Bahamas, use of submersible-based dive collections also resulted in recognition of new algal species and new geographical records (Aponte and Ballantine, 2001;Ballantine and Aponte, 1996, 2002a, 2003. Dredging collections to 90 m in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (Gulf of Mexico) by Fredericq's research group (reported in Fredericq, 2003, 2005; further resulted in the characterization of new algal species and new species records.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Mesophotic, Coral Reef-Associated, Marine Algal Flora of Puerto Rico, Caribbean Sea

Ballantine¹,

Torres²,

Aponte³

2016

Smithsonian Contributions to Botany

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s m i t h s o n i a n c o n t r i b u t i o n s t o b o t a n y • n u m b e r 1 0 5 Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press Smithsonian Institution Scholarly PressThe Mesophotic, Coral Reef-Associated, Marine Algal Flora of Puerto Rico, Caribbean Sea David L. Ballantine, Hector Ruiz Torres, and Nilda E. Aponte SERIES PUBLICATIONS OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTIONEmphasis upon publication as a means of "diffusing knowledge" was expressed by the first Secretary of the Smithsonian. In his formal plan for the Institution, Joseph Henry outlined a program that included the following statement: "It is proposed to publish a series of reports, giving an account of the new discoveries in science, and of the changes made from year to year in all branches of knowledge." This theme of basic research has been adhered to through the years by thousands of titles issued in series publications under the Smithsonian imprint, commencing with Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge in 1848 and continuing with the following active series: s m i t h s o n i a n c o n t r i b u t i o n s t o b o t a n y • n u m b e r 1 0 5The Cover images, from left to right: Edge of insular shelf, offshore from La Parguera; technical divers' descent to the mesophotic; bottom habit, edge of insular shelf, "Weinberg," offshore from La Parguera. Published by SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION SCHOLARLY PRESS

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Mesophotic, Coral Reef-Associated, Marine Algal Flora of Puerto Rico, Caribbean Sea

Ballantine¹,

Torres²,

Aponte³

2016

Smithsonian Contributions to Botany

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“…Therefore, it is possible that these 2 families take over the function of the damselfishes with increasing depth. The present study not only extended the known bathymetric range of many species but also, and possibly as a consequence of this, deepened the location of the richest habitat from the 5 m fore reef (Brokovich et al 2006) to 30 m, which is typically the depth limit of a majority of coral fish reef studies (Fricke & Schumacher 1983, Colin et al 1986, Fricke 1996, Aponte & Ballantine 2001, Cappo et al 2004, Feitoza et al 2005. Fish assemblage structure showed a gradual change in species composition along the depth gradient.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 58%

“…The literature now includes a number of studies that use remote video, submersibles and mixed gas diving to study reef communities of fishes, invertebrates and plants in both tropical and subtropical waters deeper than 30 m (Fricke & Schumacher 1983, Colin et al 1986, Fricke 1996, Aponte & Ballantine 2001, Cappo et al 2004, Feitoza et al 2005. Deep scuba diving has become safer through the use of special gas mixtures (Trimix) thus enabling deeper and longer research.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Descending to the twilight-zone: changes in coral reef fish assemblages along a depth gradient down to 65 m

Brokovich¹,

Einbinder²,

Shashar³

et al. 2008

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

149

130

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In contrast to the abundance of literature on the relationship between fish assemblages and habitat structure in the upper 30 m of coral reefs, the deeper (> 40 m) parts of coral reefs are rarely studied. We examined changes in reef fish diversity and habitat structure along an increasing depth gradient, including the unknown deep reef. We ran visual and video transects along a substantial depth gradient (0 to 65 m) in the northern Red Sea and extended the known depth distribution for 48 reef species. We found a change in assemblage composition highly correlated to both the depth gradient and a reduction in the abundance of branching corals with depth. The number of reef fish species declined with depth and we also measured a high species turnover as measured by beta diversity (β t , β w ) in the deep reef. This pattern is mainly due to the replacement of the abundant damselfishes in the shallow reef, which prey on zooplankton, by zooplanktivorous sea basses and wrasses in the deep reef. The steep reduction in branching corals, which most damselfishes use for cover, may be the main factor contributing to this change. We found a peak in species richness (alpha diversity) at 30 m, a peak in β w at 50 to 65 m, and peaks in β t at 30 to 50 m and 50 to 65 m. The 30 m depth stratum shows species of both shallow and deep assemblages generating a transition zone with characters of both deep and shallow habitats. The fish assemblage continues to change with depth, and future research will determine if there exists a depth threshold at which the assemblage will stabilize. KEY WORDS: Depth gradient · Deep reef fish · Gulf of Aqaba · Red Sea · Twilight zone Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 371: [253][254][255][256][257][258][259][260][261][262] 2008 Nishihira 2002). Habitat structure and related abiotic parameters have been shown to be some of the main factors structuring fish communities (McGehee 1994, Lara & Gonzalez 1998, Wantiez & Chauvet 2003, Brokovich et al. 2006). In the context of depth gradients, decreased light levels may hinder the ability of mobile organisms to forage (Rickel & Genin 2005), can decrease algae growth rates (Russ 2003) and can modify coral assemblages and resulting habitat structure. Srinivasan (2003) demonstrated that the distribution of some coral reef fishes over different depths is established at and/or soon after settlement, and suggests that factors associated with depth may explain differences in settlement, growth and survival, and warrant further investigation.While scuba diving has enabled researchers to study these patterns in shallow coral reefs with relative ease and safety, deep habitats are still rarely studied in detail because of decreasing bottom times with depth, and the inherent risks of breathing elevated partial pressures of oxygen and nitrogen. The literature now includes a number of studies that use remote video, submersibles and mixed gas diving to study reef communities of fishes, invertebrates a...

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“…Crustose algal communities are found within a range of habitats from the intertidal to deepwaters (Kaehler and Williams 1996;Aponte and Ballantine 2001;BenedettiCecchi et al 2003;Piazzi et al 2004) and tend to dominate benthic communities where environmental factors (e.g., wave exposure, desiccation, irradiance, sedimentation) are extreme (Adey 1970;Daume et al 1999;Fabricius and De'ath 2001). On shallow, rocky subtidal substrates, intense grazing causes a reduction of upright algae (Hay 1981;Carpenter 1986;Andrew 1993) and the crustose morphotype has a major competitive advantage since herbivores are unable to consume crustose algae easily.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial variability, structure and composition of crustose algal communities in Diadema africanum barrens

et al. 2014

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Crustose algal communities were studied in Diadema africanum urchin barrens around Tenerife (Canary Islands, NE Atlantic). A hierarchical nested sampling design was used to study patterns of community variability at different spatial scales (sectors, three sides of the island; sites within each sector, 5-10 km apart; stations within each site, 50-100 m apart). Although noncrustose species contributed the most to community richness, cover was dominated by crustose forms, like the coralline algae Hydrolithon farinosum, H. samoënse, H. onkodes, Neogoniolithon orotavicum and N. hirtum, and the phaeophycean Pseudolithoderma adriaticum. The structure of these communities showed high spatial variability, and we found differences in the structure of urchin barrens when compared across different spatial scales. Multivariate analysis showed that variability in community structure was related to the five environmental variables studied (wave exposure, urchin density, substrate roughness, productivity and depth). Wave exposure was the variable that contributed most to community variability, followed by urchin density and substrate roughness. Productivity and depth had limited influence. The effects of these variables differed depending on the spatial scale; wave exposure and productivity were the main variables influencing community changes at the largest scale (between different sectors of the island), while D. africanum density, roughness and depth were the most influential at medium and small scales.

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Depth distribution of algal species on the deep insular fore reef at Lee Stocking Island, Bahamas

Cited by 42 publications

References 28 publications

The Mesophotic, Coral Reef-Associated, Marine Algal Flora of Puerto Rico, Caribbean Sea

The Mesophotic, Coral Reef-Associated, Marine Algal Flora of Puerto Rico, Caribbean Sea

Descending to the twilight-zone: changes in coral reef fish assemblages along a depth gradient down to 65 m

Spatial variability, structure and composition of crustose algal communities in Diadema africanum barrens

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