Quantifying the decline in Corallium rubrum populations: Reply to Santangelo &amp; Bramanti (2010)

Bruckner, Andrew W.

doi:10.3354/meps08898

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Reports and journal articles have been published and a metanalysis performed on the results of implementing MPAs (e.g., Santangelo and Abbiati, 2001;Tsounis, 2005;Tsounis et al, 2006;Bruckner, 2009), though the metanalysis has been contentious (Bruckner, 2010;Santangelo and Bramanti, 2010).…”

Section: Reportingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Know Thy Anemone: A Review of Threats to Octocorals and Anemones and Opportunities for Their Restoration

et al. 2020

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In studies of habitat-forming species, those that are not spatially dominant are often considered "non-primary" habitat and may be overlooked. This is despite the fact that minority habitat formers can provide critical complexity, food, and other services that underpin ecosystem biodiversity. Octocorals and anemones are found in marine and estuarine habitats across all climate zones. Despite their potentially important ecological roles, to date there have been few studies of their specific threats and stressors or attempts at their restoration. Here we review studies of the ecology of octocorals and anemones with a focus on threats and restoration. We identify many threats including habitat damage, collection and trade, disease, predation, pollution, and the most widespread-climate change. While evidence suggests that some octocorals and anemone populations may be more resilient to disturbances than stony corals because they often recruit and grow quickly, resilience is not guaranteed. Instead, resilience or susceptibility within this large group is likely to be site and species specific. We find that the loss of octocorals and anemones has been difficult to quantify as most species have no hard structures that remain following a mortality event. Only through long-term monitoring efforts have researchers been able to document change in these populations. Due to the increasing extent and severity of human impacts in marine ecosystems, restoration of habitat forming species is becoming increasingly necessary after disturbance events. To illustrate the challenges ahead for octocoral and anemone restoration, we present two examples of ongoing restoration efforts assessed against the International Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration. Restoration planning and implementation progress are documented for the Mediterranean red coral Corallium rubrum and the temperate Australian cauliflower soft coral, Dendronephthya australis. This review and the detailed case studies demonstrate that while some octocorals and anemones can provide resilient habitat within reef systems, a greater research focus on their ecology, threats, and restoration potential is urgently required.

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Section: Reportingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Know Thy Anemone: A Review of Threats to Octocorals and Anemones and Opportunities for Their Restoration

et al. 2020

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“…Human exploitation is another factor that could explain an increased genetic drift in C. rubrum compared to P.clavata. Indeed, the red coral is a precious octocoral harvested since Antiquity for its use in jewelry (Bruckner 2010). This pressure led to a shift in population demographic structure with subsequent impacts on its reproduction (Linares et al 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative population genetics of habitat-forming octocorals in two marine protected areas: eco-evolutionary and management implications

Horaud¹,

Arizmendi-Meija

Nebot‐Colomer

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Current efforts to halt the decline of biodiversity decline are based primarily on protecting species richness. This narrow focus overlooks key components of biological diversity, particularly the infra-species genetic diversity, which is critical to consider with respect to genetic adaptation in changing environments. While comparative population genetics is recognized as a relevant approach to improve biodiversity management, it is still barely considered in practice. Here, a comparative population genetics study was conducted on two key habitat-forming octocoral species, Corallium rubrum and Paramuricea clavata, to contribute to management of two Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the northwestern Mediterranean. Contrasting patterns of genetic diversity and structure were observed in the two species, although they share many common biological features and live in similar habitats. Differential genetic drift effects induced by species-specific reproductive strategies and demographic histories most likely explain these differences. The translation of our results into management strategies supports the definition of four management units. We identified a coldspot of genetic diversity, with genetically isolated populations, and a hotspot of genetic diversity that has a central role in the system’s connectivity. Interestingly, they corresponded to the most recent and the oldest protected areas, respectively. This case study shows how moving from a“species pattern” perspective to an “eco-evolutionary processes” perspective can help assess and contribute to the effectiveness of biodiversity management plans.

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“…rubrum . This discussion raised questions about the sustainability of this fishery and if this species should be categorized as threatened [ 7 ], [ 19 ], [ 20 ], [ 21 ], [ 41 ]. Our results show that populations demonstrate a high degree of persistence in terms of density due to high survival of affected colonies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Consequently, there is a growing concern for the conservation of C . rubrum and the rest of the precious corals worldwide as evidenced by the recent struggle to include the Genus Corallium in the Appendix II of Cites [ 7 ], [ 19 ], [ 20 ], [ 21 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Harvesting Effects, Recovery Mechanisms, and Management Strategies for a Long-Lived and Structural Precious Coral

et al. 2015

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Overexploitation is a major threat for the integrity of marine ecosystems. Understanding the ecological consequences of different extractive practices and the mechanisms underlying the recovery of populations is essential to ensure sustainable management plans. Precious corals are long-lived structural invertebrates, historically overfished, and their conservation is currently a worldwide concern. However, the processes underlying their recovery are poorly known. Here, we examined harvesting effects and recovery mechanisms of red coral Corallium rubrum by analyzing long-term photographic series taken on two populations that were harvested. We compared the relative importance of reproduction and re-growth as drivers of resilience. Harvesting heavily impacted coral populations causing large decreases in biomass and strong size-class distribution shifts towards populations dominated by small colonies. At the end of the study (after 4 and 7 years) only partial recovery was observed. The observed general pattern of low recruitment and high mortality of new recruits demonstrated limited effects of reproduction on population recovery. Adversely, low mortality of partially harvested adults and a large proportion of colonies showing new branches highlighted the importance of re-growth in the recovery process. The demographic projections obtained through stochastic models confirmed that the recovery rates of C. rubrum can be strongly modulated depending on harvesting procedures. Thus, leaving the basal section of the colonies when harvesting to avoid total mortality largely enhances the resilience of C. rubrum populations and quickens their recovery. On the other hand, the high survival of harvested colonies and the significant biomass reduction indicated that abundance may not be an adequate metric to assess the conservation status of clonal organisms because it can underestimate harvesting effects. This study highlights the unsustainability of current harvesting practices of C. rubrum and provides urgently needed data to improve management practices that are still largely based on untested assumptions.

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Quantifying the decline in Corallium rubrum populations: Reply to Santangelo & Bramanti (2010)

Cited by 8 publications

References 8 publications

Know Thy Anemone: A Review of Threats to Octocorals and Anemones and Opportunities for Their Restoration

Know Thy Anemone: A Review of Threats to Octocorals and Anemones and Opportunities for Their Restoration

Comparative population genetics of habitat-forming octocorals in two marine protected areas: eco-evolutionary and management implications

Harvesting Effects, Recovery Mechanisms, and Management Strategies for a Long-Lived and Structural Precious Coral

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