Natural inducers for coral larval metamorphosis

Heyward, Andrew; Negri, Andrew P.

doi:10.1007/s003380050193

Cited by 471 publications

(427 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The recruit density reported here (10.2 ± 1.3 recruits per square meter) is similar to that reported in other studies in Biscayne Bay (Miller et al 2000a) and in St. John, US Virgin Islands (Edmunds 2000). Many species of coral larvae require CCA to settle (Morse et al 1988;Heyward and Negri 1999), and availability of CCA is negatively correlated with macroalgal abundance (Hixon 1997). Dictyota spp., the most abundant fleshy algae observed in this study, was not as abundant on these patch reefs (15.4 ± 0.8% cover) compared to other locations on the Florida reef tract (Lirman and Biber 2000;Beach et al 2003;Kuffner et al 2006), whereas SSS was fairly abundant (overall mean 21% cover).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Biological community structure on patch reefs in Biscayne National Park, FL, USA

Kuffner

Grober‐Dunsmore

Brock

et al. 2009

Environ Monit Assess

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Coral reef ecosystem management benefits from continual quantitative assessment of the resources being managed, plus assessment of factors that affect distribution patterns of organisms in the ecosystem. In this study, we investigate the relationships among physical, benthic, and fish variables in an effort to help explain the distribution patterns of organisms on patch reefs within Biscayne National Park, FL, USA. We visited a total of 196 randomly selected sampling stations on 12 shallow (<10 m) patch reefs and measured physical variables (e.g., substratum rugosity, substratum type) and benthic and fish community variables. We also incorporated data on substratum rugosity collected remotely via airborne laser surveying (Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar-EAARL). Across all stations, only weak relationships were found between physical, benthic cover, and fish assemblage variables. Much of the variance was attributable to a "reef effect," meaning that community structure and organism abundances were more variable at stations among reefs than within reefs. However, when the reef effect was accounted for and removed statistically, patterns were detected. Within reefs, juvenile scarids were most abundant at stations with high coverage of the fleshy macroalgae Dictyota spp., and the calcified alga Halimeda tuna was most abundant at stations with low EAARL rugosity. Explanations for the overwhelming importance of "reef" in explaining variance in our dataset could include the stochastic arrangement of organisms on patch reefs related to variable larval recruitment in space and time and/or strong historical effects due to patchy disturbances (e.g., hurricanes, fishing), as well as legacy effects of prior residents ("priority" effects).

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Biological community structure on patch reefs in Biscayne National Park, FL, USA

Kuffner

Grober‐Dunsmore

Brock

et al. 2009

Environ Monit Assess

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“…Morse et al (1996) found the cue from CCA to be a cell-wall bound polysaccharide with a high molecular weight. Calcareous substrata, such as coral skeleton or rubble without CCA may also induce settlement (Heyward & Negri 1999). In addition to the CCA-generated morphogens, bacteria associated with CCA have been found to produce cues for the settlement of some coral species, specifically 2 species of Acropora, for which bacteria were inductive both in biofilms and in suspension (Negri et al 2001).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Larvae of Pocillopora damicornis (Anthozoa) settle and metamorphose in response to surface-biofilm bacteria

Tran¹,

Hadfield²

2011

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

117

105

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Larvae of the scleractinian coral Pocillopora damicornis require a natural cue from surface-biofilm bacteria to select a suitable substratum on which to attach, metamorphose, and grow into a benthic polyp. In this study, bacteria were isolated from various reef surfaces, including different species of corals and algae, and glass slides that had been placed in the field for 1 to 2 mo. Settlement assays were conducted on monospecific biofilms of bacteria isolated from the field. Of 52 different isolates, 3 showed strongly inductive capacity, whereas the others were moderately to non-inductive. The isolates were identified by sequencing their 16S rRNA genes, and their phylogenetic relationships were then analyzed. There was no correlation between the inductive capacities of individual bacterial species and their phylogenetic relationships nor between their inductive capacities and the surfaces from which they were isolated. Varying the biofilm densities affected settlement only by a strongly inductive bacterial species. Different bacterial species may also affect the inductive capacities of other species when combined. The new data provided here broaden our understanding of the roles of bacteria in the recruitment of coral larvae.

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“…Combinations of elevated SSTs and acidification further enhance CCA bleaching, productivity and reduce calcification (Anthony et al, 2008;Martin and Gattuso, 2009). Furthermore, CCA (including N. fosliei) are critical to the recruitment of many coral species (Heyward and Negri, 1999;Harrington et al, 2004), including many Acropora species, which often dominate reef habitats of the GBR. Any reduction in the capacity of CCA to induce coral larval metamorphosis by thermal stress, as described here, would clearly add to the pressures already faced by corals under conditions of a changing climate.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Coral larvae (8 days old) (n ¼ 10-20) were introduced to each dish containing a single CCA disc that had been exposed to each of the treatment temperatures for 7 days and seawater was added to a final volume of 30 ml. Larvae were defined as metamorphosed when they had changed from either free-swimming or casually-attached pear-shaped forms to squat, firmly-attached disk-shaped structures with pronounced flattening of the oral-aboral axis and typically obvious septal mesenteries radiating from the central mouth region (Heyward and Negri, 1999). A time period of 24 h was chosen as the end point for scoring early-stage metamorphosis.…”

Section: Coral Metamorphosis Assaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Elevated seawater temperature causes a microbial shift on crustose coralline algae with implications for the recruitment of coral larvae

et al. 2010

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Crustose coralline algae (CCA) are key reef-building primary producers that are known to induce the metamorphosis and recruitment of many species of coral larvae. Reef biofilms (particularly microorganisms associated with CCA) are also important as settlement cues for a variety of marine invertebrates, including corals. If rising sea surface temperatures (SSTs) affect CCA and/or their associated biofilms, this may in turn affect recruitment on coral reefs. Herein, we report that the CCA Neogoniolithon fosliei, and its associated microbial communities do not tolerate SSTs of 32 1C, only 2-4 1C above the mean maximum annual SST. After 7 days at 32 1C, the CCA exhibited clear signs of stress, including bleaching, a reduction in maximum quantum yield (F v /F m ) and a large shift in microbial community structure. This shift at 32 1C involved an increase in Bacteroidetes and a reduction in Alphaproteobacteria, including the loss of the primary strain (with high-sequence similarity to a described coral symbiont). A recovery in F v /F m was observed in CCA exposed to 31 1C following 7 days of recovery (at 27 1C); however, CCA exposed to 32 1C did not recover during this time as evidenced by the rapid growth of endolithic green algae. A 50% reduction in the ability of N. fosliei to induce coral larval metamorphosis at 32 1C accompanied the changes in microbiology, pigmentation and photophysiology of the CCA. This is the first experimental evidence to demonstrate how thermal stress influences microbial associations on CCA with subsequent downstream impacts on coral recruitment, which is critical for reef regeneration and recovery from climate-related mortality events.

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Natural inducers for coral larval metamorphosis

Cited by 471 publications

References 18 publications

Biological community structure on patch reefs in Biscayne National Park, FL, USA

Biological community structure on patch reefs in Biscayne National Park, FL, USA

Larvae of Pocillopora damicornis (Anthozoa) settle and metamorphose in response to surface-biofilm bacteria

Elevated seawater temperature causes a microbial shift on crustose coralline algae with implications for the recruitment of coral larvae

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