Recovery from disturbance of coral and reef fish communities on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Emslie, Michael J.; Cheal, Alistair J.; Sweatman, Hugh; Delean, Steven

doi:10.3354/meps07657

Cited by 106 publications

(83 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…This indirectly links fish recovery patterns to biotic and abiotic factors that alter the benthos or structural complexity (Graham et al 2006). Other site-specific studies of the recovery of coral reef fishes have argued that re sponses appeared coupled to the recovery of the benthos (Emslie et al 2008). Nevertheless, a study of most western Indian Ocean reef closures found negligible effects of coral cover and benthic complexity on fish biomass or functional group composition for the existing range of these variables (McClanahan et al 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential and slow life-history responses of fishes to coral reef closures

McClanahan¹,

Humphries²

2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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Life-history strategies are expected to underlie key ecological responses to disturbances and are becoming increasingly important in evaluations of the increasing frequency and magnitude of anthropogenic and climate stressors. Here, we evaluate changes in life histories of coral reef fishes after fishing disturbance, including feeding (mean trophic level), growth, reproduction, and mortality characteristics using a 42 yr fish biomass chronosequence created by Kenya's fisheries closures. As expected, the longer the closure, or time since fishing disturbance, the greater the mean age and body size metrics, and the lower the growth rate and mortality metrics. Unexpectedly, a linear decline in the mean trophic level of the fish community with the age of fisheries closure was found and was attributable to relatively slow recovery of the abundant herbivores. Trophic level and other life-history metrics were not significantly correlated with one another, and the life histories of herbivorous fishes (e.g. Acanthuridae, Scaridae) produced these weak relationships. None of the life-history metrics displayed clear leveling after 42 yr of closure, which corroborates other findings that indicate that the closures do not represent undisturbed or pristine ecosystems. Growth, reproduction, and mortality parameters are most influenced by the cessation of fishing, and these metrics indicate that herbivorous fishes can be slow to fully recover, necessitating appropriate restrictions to insure their populations and associated ecological functions are maintained.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential and slow life-history responses of fishes to coral reef closures

McClanahan¹,

Humphries²

2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…Broadcast spawning species outnumber brooders in the eastern Pacific, both in terms of species richness (12 of 13 studied species are spawners) and relative abundance, potentially because they are capable of colonizing a diverse range of habitats, produce large numbers of sexual propagules that have wide dispersal potential, and tend to produce greater numbers of asexual fragments compared to brooding species. Moreover, following the mass bleaching event on the GBR in 1998, brooding species have taken longer to return to former levels of abundance than have broadcast spawning species (Emslie et al 2008). In contrast, brooding corals now dominate many Caribbean reefs following disturbances in the 1980s and 1990s (Knowlton 2001), and their recruits outnumber those of spawners following mass bleaching events (McField 1999).…”

Section: Climate Change and The Reproductive Success Of Scleractinianmentioning

confidence: 99%

Systematic and Biogeographical Patterns in the Reproductive Biology of Scleractinian Corals

Baird

Guest

Willis

2009

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst.

617

653

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A limited diversity of character states for reproductive traits and a robust phylogeny make scleractinian corals an ideal model organism with which to explore the evolution of life-history traits. Here, we explore systematic and biogeographical patterns in the reproductive biology of the Scleractinia within the context of a new molecular phylogeny and using reproductive traits from nearly 400 species. Our analyses confirm that coral sexuality is highly conserved, and mode of larval development is relatively plastic. An overabundance of species with autotrophic larvae in the eastern Pacific and Atlantic is most likely the result of increased capacity for long-distance dispersal conferred by vertical transmission of symbiotic zooxanthellae. Spawning records from diverse biogeographical regions indicate that multispecies spawning occurs in all speciose coral assemblages. A new quantitative index of spawning synchrony shows peaks at mid-tropical latitudes in the IndoPacific, influenced in part by two spawning seasons in many species on equatorial reefs.

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“…At Dairy Bull reef there was no significant difference in radial growth rates for P. astreoides colonies whether they were in contact with single colonies of the same species, or with single colonies of Sidastrea siderea, which has similar radial growth rates to P. astreoides. Hawaii (Howard et al, 2009), the Great Barrier Reef (Emslie et al, 2008), Barbados (Chapman and Kramer, 1999), the Seychelles (Wilson et al, 2007), and the Gulf of Mexico (Rooker et al, 1997). Rugose locations aid aggregation of Diadema antillarum urchins, important to keep macroalgae in check (Macia et al, 2007).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Topography and spatial arrangement of reef-building corals on the fringing reefs of North Jamaica may influence their response to disturbance from bleaching

Crabbe

2010

Marine Environmental Research

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International audienceKnowledge of factors that are important in reef resilience help us understand how reefs react following major environmental disturbances such as hurricanes and bleaching. Here we test factors that might have influenced Jamaican reef resilience to, and subsequent recovery from, the 2005 bleaching event, and which might help inform management policy for reefs in the future: reef rugosity and contact of corals with macroalgae. In addition,we test in the field, on Dairy Bull reef, whether aggregated colonies exhibit enhanced growth when exposed to superior competition from , as has been found by experiment with the Indo-Pacific corals and the superior competitor (Idjadi and Karlson, 2007)

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Recovery from disturbance of coral and reef fish communities on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Cited by 106 publications

References 61 publications

Differential and slow life-history responses of fishes to coral reef closures

Differential and slow life-history responses of fishes to coral reef closures

Systematic and Biogeographical Patterns in the Reproductive Biology of Scleractinian Corals

Topography and spatial arrangement of reef-building corals on the fringing reefs of North Jamaica may influence their response to disturbance from bleaching

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