Euphyllia paradivisa, a successful mesophotic coral in the northern Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba, Red Sea

Eyal, Gal; Eyal-Shaham, Lee; Cohen, Itay; Tamir, Raz; Ben-Zvi, Or; Sinniger, Frédéric; Loya, Yossi

doi:10.1007/s00338-015-1372-1

Cited by 42 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…Euphyllia paradivisa is restricted to 40–80 m (Eyal et al. ). In addition, clear changes in coral abundance along the depth gradient were found (Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, Eyal et al. ). Light and physiological profiles may only loosely correlate with depth (Laverick et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The spectral composition also becomes increasingly dominated by the ultraviolet/blue part of the spectrum (Kirk 2011). This environmental gradient is an important factor in controlling the productivity, physiology, and ecology of corals (Gattuso et al 2006, Frade et al 2008, Cooper et al 2010, Kahng et al 2010, Ben-Zvi et al 2015 with different species necessarily occupying different depth ranges or niches (Kahng and Kelley 2007, Bridge et al 2012, Eyal et al 2016. Light and physiological profiles may only loosely correlate with depth (Laverick et al 2019), and even slight, temporary, changes in water transparency can exert a crucial effect on mesophotic reefs operating near the limits of photosynthesis (Kahng et al 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Light environment drives the shallow‐to‐mesophotic coral community transition

et al. 2019

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Light quality is a crucial physical factor driving coral distribution along depth gradients. Currently, a 30 m depth limit, based on SCUBA regulations, separates shallow and deep mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs). This definition, however, fails to explicitly accommodate environmental variation. Here, we posit a novel definition for a regional or reef‐to‐reef outlook of MCEs based on the light vs. coral community–structure relationship. A combination of physical and ecological methods enabled us to clarify the ambiguity in relation to the mesophotic definition. To characterize coral community structure with respect to the light environment, we conducted wide‐scale spatial studies at five sites along shallow and MCEs of the Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba (0–100 m depth). Surveys were conducted by technical‐diving and drop‐cameras, in addition to one year of light spectral measurements. We quantify two distinct coral assemblages: shallow (<40 m) and MCEs (40–100 m), exhibiting markedly different relationships with light. The depth ranges and morphology of 47 coral genera were better explained by light than depth, mainly, due to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and ultraviolet radiation (UVR) (1% at 76 and 36 m, respectively). Branching coral species were found mainly at shallower depths, that is, down to 36 m. Among the abundant upper‐mesophotic specialist corals, Leptoseris glabra, Euphyllia paradivisa, and Alveopora spp. were found strictly between 40 and 80 m depth. The only lower‐mesophotic specialist, Leptoseris fragilis, was found deeper than 80 m. We suggest that shallow coral genera are light‐limited below a level of 1.25% surface PAR and that the optimal PAR for mesophotic communities is at 7.5%. This study contributes to moving MCE ecology from a descriptive phase into identifying key ecological and physiological processes structuring MCE coral communities. Moreover, it may serve as a model enabling the description of a coral zonation worldwide on the basis of light quality data.

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“…Euphyllia paradivisa is restricted to 40–80 m (Eyal et al. ). In addition, clear changes in coral abundance along the depth gradient were found (Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, Eyal et al. ). Light and physiological profiles may only loosely correlate with depth (Laverick et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Light environment drives the shallow‐to‐mesophotic coral community transition

et al. 2019

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“…340-400 µmol m −2 s −1 during the experiment at midday on a cloudless day which corresponds to ca. 15 m water depth at the end of winter in the Gulf of Aqaba (Dishon, Dubinsky, Fine, & Iluz, 2012;Eyal et al, 2016), thereby approximating the light level at the colony collection depth. Furthermore, high light levels were avoided since the effects of feeding are more explicit under low light in corals (Ferrier-Pagès, Hoogenboom, & Houlbrèque, 2011).…”

Section: Experimental Conditions and Collection Of Planulaementioning

confidence: 99%

Feeding increases the number of offspring but decreases parental investment of Red Sea coral Stylophora pistillata

Bellworthy

Spangenberg

Fine

2019

Ecology and Evolution

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Successful reproductive output and recruitment is crucial to coral persistence and recovery following anthropogenic stress. Feeding is known to alter coral physiology and increase resilience to bleaching.The goal of the study was to address the knowledge gap of the influence of feeding on reproductive output and offspring phenotype.Colonies of Stylophora pistillata from the Northern Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea) were fed an Artemia diet or unfed for 5 months during gametogenesis, fertilization, and brooding. In addition, time to settlement and mortality of planulae were assessed at water temperatures ranging from winter temperature (22°C) to three degrees above average peak summer temperature (31°C). A range of physiological parameters was measured in parents and offspring.In brooding parents, feeding significantly increased protein concentration and more than tripled the number of released planulae. Planulae from unfed colonies had higher chlorophyll per symbiont concentration and concomitantly higher photosynthetic efficiency compared to planulae from fed parents. In settlement assays, planulae showed a similar thermal resistance as known for this Red Sea adult population. Mortality was greater in planulae from unfed parents at ambient and 3°C above ambient temperature despite higher per offspring investment in terms of total fatty acid content. Fatty acid profiles and relative abundances were generally conserved between different fed and unfed colonies but planulae were enriched in monounsaturated fatty acids relative to adults, that is, 16:1, 18:1, 20:1, 22:1, and 24:1 isomers.Ultimately the availability of zooplankton could influence population physiology and recruitment in corals.

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“…Benthic communities of MCEs are mainly comprised of corals, macroalgae, sponges and bryozoans (Kahng and Kelley 2007). The dominant taxa change from photosynthetic organisms in shallower depths to obligate heterotrophs at greater depths (Kahng et al 2014), and the amount of live benthic cover generally decreases with depth (Kahng and Kelley 2007;Rooney et al 2010) although such a pattern can be site-specific and likely depends on depth ranges and intervals of analysis (e.g., Brokovich et al 2008;Eyal et al 2016). Fish assemblages on mesophotic reefs are characterized by relatively high abundances of planktivores and relatively low abundances of herbivores Fukunaga et al 2016;Rosa et al 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in mesophotic reef fish assemblages along depth and geographical gradients in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

2017

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Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) extend from 30 to 150 m in depth and support diverse communities of marine organisms. We investigated changes in the structure of mesophotic reef fish assemblages (27-100 m) in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) along depth and geographical gradients using open-and closed-circuit trimix diving. There were clear changes in the assemblage structure from the southeastern to the northwestern end of the NWHI and from shallow to deep waters. Interactive effects of depth and location were also detected. MCEs in the NWHI can be treated as three regions: southeastern and mid regions primarily separated by the presence and absence, respectively, of the introduced species Lutjanus kasmira, and a northwestern region where fish assemblages are largely composed of endemic species. These spatial patterns may be explained, at least in part, by differences in temperature among the regions.

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Euphyllia paradivisa, a successful mesophotic coral in the northern Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba, Red Sea

Cited by 42 publications

References 68 publications

Light environment drives the shallow‐to‐mesophotic coral community transition

Light environment drives the shallow‐to‐mesophotic coral community transition

Feeding increases the number of offspring but decreases parental investment of Red Sea coral Stylophora pistillata

Changes in mesophotic reef fish assemblages along depth and geographical gradients in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

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