Diseases leading to accelerated decline of reef corals in the largest South Atlantic reef complex (Abrolhos Bank, eastern Brazil)

Francini‐Filho, Ronaldo B.; Moura, Rodrigo L.; Thompson, Fabiano L.; Reis, Rodrigo; Kaufman, Les; Kikuchi, Ruy Kenji Papa de; Leão, Zelinda M.A.N.

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2008.02.013

Cited by 98 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…At approximately 17ºS, the continental shelf widens to form the Abrolhos Bank on which the richest and best known coral reefs of the eastern Brazilian region are located (HARTT, 1870;LABOREL, 1970, LEÃO, 1983LEÃO et al 1988, LEÃO et al, 1996, 1999GINSBURG, 1997;PITOMBO, 1997;PITOMBO et al, 1988;KIKUCHI, 2001;LEÃO et al, 2003LEÃO et al, , 2006FOURNIER, 2007;LEÃO et al, 2008;FRANCINI-FILHO et al, 2008among others). These reefs form the following two arcs: the coastal arc composed of bank reefs of various shapes and dimensions and the outer arc eastward of the islands of the Abrolhos Archipelago, which is formed by isolated "chapeirões" in water deeper than 20 m. Incipient fringing reefs border the shores of the five islands that compound the archipelago (Figures 9 and 10).…”

Section: Major Coral Reef Types and Their Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brazilian coral reefs in a period of global change: A synthesis

et al. 2016

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Brazilian coral reefs form structures significantly different from the well-known reef models, as follows: (i) they have a growth form of mushroomshaped coral pinnacles called "chapeirões", (ii) they are built by a low diversity coral fauna rich in endemic species, most of them relic forms dating back to the Tertiary, and (iii) the nearshore bank reefs are surrounded by siliciclastic sediments. The reefs are distributed in the following four major sectors along the Brazilian coast: the northern, the northeastern and the eastern regions, and the oceanic islands, but certain isolated coral species can be found in warmer waters in embayments of the southern region. There are different types of bank reefs, fringing reefs, isolated "chapeirões" and an atoll present along the Brazilian coast. Corals, milleporids and coralline algae build the rigid frame of the reefs. The areas in which the major coral reefs occur correspond to regions in which nearby urban centers are experiencing accelerated growth, and tourism development is rapidly increasing. The major human effects on the reef ecosystem are mostly associated with the increased sedimentation due to the removal of the Atlantic rainforest and the discharge of industrial and urban effluents. The effects of the warming of oceanic waters that had previously affected several reef areas with high intensity coral bleaching had not shown, by the time of the 2010 event, any episodes of mass coral mortality on Brazilian reefs. AbstrActDescriptors: Coral reefs, Global changes, Coral bleaching, Endemic fauna.Os recifes de coral do Brasil formam estruturas significativamente diferentes dos modelos conhecidos: (i) possuem uma forma de crescimento de pináculos coralíneos em forma de cogumelo, chamados "chapeirões", (ii) são construídos por uma fauna coralínea com baixa diversidade e rica em espécies endêmicas, sendo grande parte destas formas relíquias do período Terciário e (iii) os recifes costeiros estão num ambiente dominado por sedimentos siliciclásticos. Os recifes estão distribuídos em quatro áreas ao longo da costa brasileira: regiões norte, nordeste, leste, e nas ilhas oceânicas, mas espécies isoladas de coral podem ser encontradas em águas mais quentes nas enseadas da região sul. Diferentes tipos de banco recifais, recifes em franja, "chapeirões" isolados e um atol estão presentes ao longo da costa brasileira. Corais, milleporídeos e algas coralinas incrustantes constroem a estrutura rígida dos recifes. As áreas em que ocorrem os maiores recifes de coral correspondem às regiões nas proximidades de centros urbanos que estão experimentando crescimento acelerado e rápido desenvolvimento do turismo. Os principais efeitos antropogênicos sobre o ecossistema recifal estão associados, essencialmente ao aumento da sedimentação devido à remoção da mata atlântica e as descargas de efluentes industriais e urbanos. Os efeitos do aquecimento das águas oceânicas que vem afetando várias áreas de recifes, com alta intensidade de branqueamento de coral, não causaram mortalidade em massa ...

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Section: Major Coral Reef Types and Their Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brazilian coral reefs in a period of global change: A synthesis

et al. 2016

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“…Over the last 30 yr, coral diseases have been responsible for significant mortalities and coral community structure changes in many Caribbean and Indo-Pacific tropical coral reefs (Gladfelter 1982, Willis et al 2004, Miller et al 2006. Only a few of the common damaging coral diseases of the tropics have been reported from the northern-and southernmost coral reef communities in both the Atlantic−Caribbean (Weil et al 2002, Weil 2004, Francini-Filho et al 2008, and the Indo-Pacific (Yamashiro et al 2000, Yamashiro 2004, Irikawa 2006, Irikawa et al 2011, Dalton & Smith 2006.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extended geographic distribution of several Indo-Pacific coral reef diseases

Weil¹,

Irikawa²,

Casareto³

et al. 2012

Dis. Aquat. Org.

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Other than coral bleaching, few coral diseases or diseases of other reef organisms have been reported from Japan. This is the first report of lesions similar to Porites ulcerative white spots (PUWS), brown band disease (BrB), pigmentation response (PR), and crustose coralline white syndrome (CCWS) for this region. To assess the health status and disease prevalence, qualitative and quantitative surveys (3 belt transects of 100 m 2 each on each reef) were performed in March and September 2010 on 2 reefs of the Ginowan-Ooyama reef complex off Okinawa, and 2 protected reefs off Zamani Island, in the Kerama Islands 40 km west of Okinawa. Overall, mean (± SD) disease prevalence was higher in Ginowan-Ooyama (9.7 ± 7.9%) compared to Zamami (3.6 ± 4.6%). Porites lutea was most affected by PUWS at Ooyama (23.1 ± 10.4 vs. 4.5 ± 5.2%). White syndrome (WS) mostly affected Acropora cytherea (12. 5 ± 18.0%) in Zamami and Oxipora lacera (10.2 ± 10%) in Ooyama. Growth anomalies (GA) and BrB were only observed on A. cytherea (8.3 ± 6.2%) and A. nobilis (0.8%) at Zamami. Black band disease affected Pachyseris speciosa (6.0 ± 4.6%) in Ooyama only. Pigmentation responses (PR) were common in massive Porites in both localities (2.6 ± 1.9 and 5.6 ± 2.3% respectively). Crustose coralline white syndrome (CCWS) was observed in both localities. These results significantly expand the geographic distribution of PUWS, BrB, PR and CCWS in the Indo-Pacific, indicating that the northernmost coral reefs in the western Pacific are susceptible to a larger number of coral diseases than previously thought.

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“…The known positive relationship between coral disease outbreaks and thermal stress resulting from climate change (Sutherland et al, 2004;Selig et al, 2006) have raised concerns regarding the consequences of declining coral reefs, because of the intensification of diseases (Leão et al, 2010), especially because of reports of the sharp increase in the number of sites that have diseased corals (Francini-Filho et al, 2008). Having been isolated for millions of years, the Atlantic coral reefs should be particularly vulnerable to the impact of new diseases that are introduced (Wilkinson, 2004).…”

Section: Climate Change Global Warming and Ocean Acidificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Brazil, the increase on the incidence of coral diseases appears to be related to the synergistic effect of multiple stress factors (Francini-Filho et al, 2008).…”

Section: Climate Change Global Warming and Ocean Acidificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation of Brazilian coral reefs in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean: a change of approach

Tedesco

Segal

Calderón

et al. 2017

lajar

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ABSTRACT. Brazil has the most extensive and richest areas of coral reefs in the South Atlantic Ocean, with its fauna characterized by high endemism and adaptations related to its growth and morphology, to its coral building fauna and to the depositional environment that differ from other coral reefs around the world. In spite of the effects from changes in the global environmental, the main stress factors for Brazilian reefs are local level threats, such as pollution and overfishing. The effects from these threats reduce biodiversity and result in decreasing stocks at different trophic levels. The trend that currently exists, regarding marine resource use, implies that reassessing the conservation strategies is urgently necessary if the degradation of these environments is to be reversed. It is necessary that the practices used in adjacent watersheds be improved, combined with actions to protect and recover native vegetation, along with planning for developing coastal areas, which will ensure that sedimentation rates be controlled and pollution sources are drastically reduced. Brazil should have to adopt a multidisciplinary approach to lead an evolution from traditional threat management in individual portions of ecosystems to large-scale management strategies in complex socio-economic and natural systems.

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Diseases leading to accelerated decline of reef corals in the largest South Atlantic reef complex (Abrolhos Bank, eastern Brazil)

Cited by 98 publications

References 25 publications

Brazilian coral reefs in a period of global change: A synthesis

Brazilian coral reefs in a period of global change: A synthesis

Extended geographic distribution of several Indo-Pacific coral reef diseases

Conservation of Brazilian coral reefs in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean: a change of approach

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