High diversity, abundance and distinct fish assemblages on submerged coral reef pinnacles compared to shallow emergent reefs

Galbraith, G. F.; Cresswell, Benjamin J.; McCormick, Mark I.; Bridge, Tom C. L.; Jones, Geoff

doi:10.1007/s00338-020-02044-z

Cited by 13 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 143 publications

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“…2C). These results are consistent with a previous study conducted at the same reef sites (Galbraith et al 2021).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 94%

“…1). In a recent study, we found that these pinnacles support distinct communities of fishes, with a significantly greater abundance and species richness compared to emergent reefs in both nearshore and offshore locations (Galbraith et al 2021). In that study, both emergent and submerged reef morphologies were surveyed at the same depth (20–30 m) and we found that established habitat‐based drivers of reef fish species richness, abundance, diversity and biomass (e.g., hard coral cover and benthic diversity) did not explain much of the variation in fish communities.…”

Section: Figmentioning

confidence: 90%

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Strong hydrodynamic drivers of coral reef fish biodiversity on submerged pinnacle coral reefs

Galbraith,

Cresswell,

McCormick

et al. 2023

Limnology & Oceanography

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Hydrodynamic processes are important in all marine environments and on coral reefs drive patterns of habitat zonation, community structure, and biodiversity. Abrupt geomorphological features like pinnacles and seamounts often possess distinct localized currents and these habitats are also often characterized by high abundance and biomass of fishes. However, differences in fish community structure between pinnacles and emergent reefs, and their key drivers are poorly understood. In this study, we compared fish communities among emergent fringing and offshore coral reefs, and submerged pinnacle reefs in Papua New Guinea. Submerged pinnacles possessed higher fish biomass, abundance, and species richness than both fringing and offshore emergent reefs. We collected in‐situ current speed and temperature data over a full year at each reef and used random forest analysis to investigate the relative influence of hydrodynamics compared to other well‐established drivers of reef fish biodiversity, including habitat and biogeographic factors. Environmental variables explained 70%, 52%, and 5% of variability in models for species richness, abundance and biomass respectively. In all models, average current speed, current speed variability, and reef area were consistently among the most influential variables. Models examining relationships between fish biodiversity metrics and current speed did not yield conclusive results but did highlight the association of distinct hydrodynamic regimes on pinnacles with high fish richness, abundance, and biomass. Our study highlights the strong influence of reef‐scale hydrodynamics on fish biodiversity and demonstrates the ecological value of small, submerged coral reefs, which are globally numerous yet remain understudied in coral reef ecology.

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“…2C). These results are consistent with a previous study conducted at the same reef sites (Galbraith et al 2021).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 94%

Section: Figmentioning

confidence: 90%

Strong hydrodynamic drivers of coral reef fish biodiversity on submerged pinnacle coral reefs

Galbraith,

Cresswell,

McCormick

et al. 2023

Limnology & Oceanography

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“…Furthermore, coral reefs have a higher rigidity and hence can be efficient breakwaters compared to flexible vegetation such as seagrasses (Bauma et al 2014). In addition to coastal protection, additional advantages of coral conservation are from additional associated ecosystem service provision, including income from tourism (Diedrich 2007) and conservation of a large number of fish species (Galbraith et al 2021).…”

Section: Advantages and Limitations Of Using Bioshield For Coastal Pr...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of bioshields for coastal protection in Vietnam: Current status and potential

Veettil

Ward

Dung

et al. 2021

Regional Studies in Marine Science

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“…Finally, seamounts may represent other useful examples in terms of their availability as coral-reef habitat and stepping-stones during periods of lower RSL (Galbraith et al 2021). Among those listed in the Global Seamount Database (Kim and Wessel 2011), 645 seamounts within tropical latitudes reach depths shallower than 300 m of the current sea surface level (and thus the lower limits of coral-reef habitat, 150 m, during the lowest sea-level stands).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Habitat Persistence Hypothesis: a new perspective on the distribution of coral-reef organisms

Copus¹,

Pyle²,

Bowen³

et al. 2022

Frontiers of Biogeography

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High diversity, abundance and distinct fish assemblages on submerged coral reef pinnacles compared to shallow emergent reefs

Cited by 13 publications

References 143 publications

Strong hydrodynamic drivers of coral reef fish biodiversity on submerged pinnacle coral reefs

Strong hydrodynamic drivers of coral reef fish biodiversity on submerged pinnacle coral reefs

The use of bioshields for coastal protection in Vietnam: Current status and potential

The Habitat Persistence Hypothesis: a new perspective on the distribution of coral-reef organisms

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