Photobiology of corals from Brazil’s near-shore marginal reefs of Abrolhos

Suggett, David J.; Kikuchi, Ruy Kenji Papa de; Oliveira, Marília D. M.; Spanó, Saulo; Carvalho, Rafael Cabral; Smith, David J.

doi:10.1007/s00227-012-1925-6

Cited by 45 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 38 publications

(87 reference statements)

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“…Corals employ physiological plasticity to persist in turbid waters, including flexible photosynthetic properties, which may include a change of algal endosymbiont genetic type, and/or enhanced host heterotrophy (Anthony, 2000;Anthony and Fabricius, 2000;Hennige et al, 2008Hennige et al, , 2010Suggett et al, 2012b). Morgan et al (2016) recently described over 21 genera of coral surviving in muddy waters on the inshore GBR suggesting that turbid systems may afford important range (niche) extension beyond that currently considered for many key "blue water" tropical oligotrophic reef-forming coral taxa.…”

Section: Turbid Reefsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Future of Coral Reefs Subject to Rapid Climate Change: Lessons from Natural Extreme Environments

et al. 2018

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Global climate change and localized anthropogenic stressors are driving rapid declines in coral reef health. In vitro experiments have been fundamental in providing insight into how reef organisms will potentially respond to future climates. However, such experiments are inevitably limited in their ability to reproduce the complex interactions that govern reef systems. Studies examining coral communities that already persist under naturally-occurring extreme and marginal physicochemical conditions have therefore become increasingly popular to advance ecosystem scale predictions of future reef form and function, although no single site provides a perfect analog to future reefs. Here we review the current state of knowledge that exists on the distribution of corals in marginal and extreme environments, and geographic sites at the latitudinal extremes of reef growth, as well as a variety of shallow reef systems and reef-neighboring environments (including upwelling and CO 2 vent sites). We also conduct a synthesis of the abiotic data that have been collected at these systems, to provide the first collective assessment on the range of extreme conditions under which corals currently persist. We use the review and data synthesis to increase our understanding of the biological and ecological mechanisms that facilitate survival and success under sub-optimal physicochemical conditions. This comprehensive assessment can begin to: (i) highlight the extent of extreme abiotic scenarios under which corals can persist, (ii) explore whether there are commonalities in coral taxa able to persist in such extremes, (iii) provide evidence for key mechanisms required to support survival and/or persistence under sub-optimal environmental conditions, and (iv) evaluate the potential of current sub-optimal coral environments to act as potential refugia under changing environmental conditions. Such a collective approach is critical to better understand the future survival of corals in our changing environment. We finally outline priority areas for future research on extreme and marginal coral environments, and discuss the additional management options they may provide for corals through refuge or by providing genetic stocks of stress tolerant corals to support proactive management strategies.

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Section: Turbid Reefsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Future of Coral Reefs Subject to Rapid Climate Change: Lessons from Natural Extreme Environments

et al. 2018

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“…Whilst the latter term is often denoted as Φ PSII , we use F q ′ /F m ′ to be consistent with Hennige et al (2008) and Suggett et al (2012). A light-response curve for F q ′ /F m ′ was thus generated for each RLC and then fit to a model that characterizes the light-dependent quantum efficiency of PSII using least squares non-linear regression (Equation 1), described in Hennige et al (2008).…”

Section: Seasonal Changes In Symbiodinium Photochemical Pathwaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Equation (1) also derives F q ′ /F m ′ (max) (dimensionless) which is an alternate estimate of the maximum PSII photochemical efficiency, which can differ from the dark-acclimated maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (F v /F m ) depending on light history, see Suggett et al (2012).…”

Section: Seasonal Changes In Symbiodinium Photochemical Pathwaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Symbiodinium photoacclimation to changes in light availability (photosynthetically active radiation, PAR) has been particularly well-studied in hospite of corals distributed along natural spatial light gradients (Iglesias-Prieto et al, 2004), and shallow to mesophotic (Frade et al, 2008;Lesser et al, 2010;Cooper et al, 2011) and clear to turbid (Hennige et al, 2008;Suggett et al, 2012) waters, complimented with reciprocal transplants of coral species across these habitats (Cohen and Dubinsky, 2015). Here, upon moving Symbiodinium to darker or deeper habitats, light-harvesting efficiency is altered through adjustment of light-harvesting capacity (Frade et al, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Utility of Photochemical Traits as Diagnostics of Thermal Tolerance amongst Great Barrier Reef Corals

et al. 2018

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Light availability is considered a key factor regulating the thermal sensitivity of reef building corals, where excessive excitation of photosystem II (PSII) further exacerbates pressure on photochemical pathways already compromised by heat stress. Coral symbionts acclimate to changes in light availability (photoacclimation) by continually fine-tuning the photochemical operating efficiency of PSII. However, how this process adjusts throughout the warmest months in naturally heat-tolerant or sensitive species is unknown, and whether this influences the capacity to tolerate transient heat stress is untested. We therefore examined the PSII photophysiology of 10 coral species (with known thermal tolerances) from shallow reef environments at Heron Island (Great Barrier Reef, Australia), in spring (October-November, 2015) vs. summer (February-March, 2016). Corals were maintained in flow-through aquaria and rapid light curve (RLC) protocols using pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometry captured changes in the PSII photoacclimation strategy, characterized as the minimum saturating irradiance (E k ), and the extent of photochemical ([1 -C], operating efficiency) vs. non-photochemical ([1 -Q]) energy dissipation. Values of E k across species were >2-fold higher in all coral species in spring, consistent with a climate of higher overall light exposure (i.e., higher PAR from lower cloud cover, rainfall and wind speed) compared with summer. Summer decreases in E k were combined with a shift toward preferential photochemical quenching in all species. All coral species were subsequently subjected to thermal stress assays. An equivalent temperature-ramping profile of 1 • C increase per day and then maintenance at 32 • C was applied in each season. Despite the significant seasonal photoacclimation, the species hierarchy of thermal tolerance [maximum quantum yields of PSII (F v /F m ), monitored at dawn and dusk] did not shift between seasons, except for Pocillopora damicornis (faster declines in summer) and Stylophora pistillata (total mortality in spring). Furthermore, the strategy for dealing with light energy (i.e., preferential photochemical vs. non-photochemical quenching) was unchanged for thermally tolerant species across seasons, whereas thermally sensitive species switched between preferential [1 -Q] and [1 -C] from spring to summer. We discuss how such traits can potentially be used as a diagnostic of thermal tolerance under non-stressed conditions.

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“…Brazilian coral reefs have peculiar features as relatively low coral diversity, high sedimentation rates and elevated turbidity due to abundant river flow into shore. These conditions have been considered marginal for coral optimal growth, so these reefs are known as marginal coral reefs (Leão et al, 2003;Suggett et al, 2012;Loiola et al, 2013). A small number of studies have conducted spongivorous fish stomach content analysis in rock (Andréa et al, 2007;Batista et al, 2012) or coral reefs (Reis et al, 2013) in Brazil and spongivorous feeding behavior was not previously investigated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spongivory by Fishes on Southwestern Atlantic Coral Reefs: No Evidence of Top-Down Control on Sponge Assemblages

et al. 2018

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Predator-prey dynamics can affect assemblage structure and ecosystem processes representing a central theory in ecology. In coral reef ecosystems, recent evidences have suggested that sponge assemblages in regions with high diversity, like the Caribbean, are controlled by reef fishes (i.e., top-down control); however, this has been poorly studied in low diversity coral reefs. This study investigated the influence of fish predators on sponge assemblage structure in South Atlantic coral reefs, systems with high endemism and relatively low hermatypic coral diversity. We investigates (i) whether sponge cover is negatively correlated to spongivorous fish density, (ii) potential spongivory effects on competitive interactions between sponges and hermatypic corals, and (iii) foraging preferences of spongivorous fishes. Benthic cover and spongivorous fish density were assessed by photo sampling and visual census, respectively. We did not observe a negative correlation of the total density of spongivorous fish with total sponge cover. However, a significant negative correlation between density of fish species Pomacanthus arcuatus and cover of sponge species Scopalina ruetzleri was found. Spongivorous fish consumed preferentially the sponges Desmapsamma anchorata, Niphates erecta, Aplysina cauliformis, and S. ruetzleri, the first two species considered palatable and the second two with chemically defense mechanism. An increase to angelfish density was not related with the number of coral-sponge encounters. Thus, the effects of spongivorous fishes on sponges cover and competitive interactions with hermatypic corals is weaker in Southwestern Atlantic than previously reported in Caribbean coral reefs. We discuss how local human impacts (e.g., fishing and nutrients input) can influence the observed patterns.

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Photobiology of corals from Brazil’s near-shore marginal reefs of Abrolhos

Cited by 45 publications

References 38 publications

The Future of Coral Reefs Subject to Rapid Climate Change: Lessons from Natural Extreme Environments

The Future of Coral Reefs Subject to Rapid Climate Change: Lessons from Natural Extreme Environments

Utility of Photochemical Traits as Diagnostics of Thermal Tolerance amongst Great Barrier Reef Corals

Spongivory by Fishes on Southwestern Atlantic Coral Reefs: No Evidence of Top-Down Control on Sponge Assemblages

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