Scleractinian coral recruitment patterns at Salt River submarine canyon, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Rogers, Caroline S.; Fitz, H. Carl; Gilnack, Marcia; Beets, Jim; Hardin, John

doi:10.1007/bf00263756

Cited by 177 publications

(128 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Patterns at the subregional level were not evident, but larger scale coinparisons indicate that corals are currently recruiting most successfully in the Abrollhos (ID#20) and on the deep reefs in Andros (ID#2) and the Virgin Islands (ID# 13). That the AGRRA data shows species composition of coral recruits often did not reflect the major coral-reef builders present is similar to other studies (e.g., Rogers et al, 1986).…”

Section: Stony Coralssupporting

confidence: 88%

Synthesis of coral reef health indicators for the Western Atlantic: Results of the AGRRA program (1997-2000)

Kramer¹

2003

Atoll Research Bulletin

147

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dcsigncd to collect both descriptive and quantitative information for a large number of rccf vitalitj' indicators over large spatial scales. AGRRA assessments conducted between 1998 and 2000 across a spectrum of western Atlantic reefs with different histories of disturbance. environmental conditions. and fishing pressure were examined to reveal means and variances for 15 indicators. Twenty surveys were con~piled into a database containing a total of 302 benthic sites (249 deep. 53 shallow), 2,337 benthic transects, 14.000 quadrats, 22.553 stony corals. Seventeen surveys contained comparable fish data for a total of 247 fish sites (206 deep, 41 shallow). 2.488 fish transects, and 71 .I02 fishes. Shallow (< 5 m) reefs were dominated by A. palmata, a good proportion of which was standing dead. while deep (>5m) reefs were nearly always dominated by the Montastraea on11u1~iri.s species con~plex. Fish communities were doininated by acanthurids and scarids wit11 seranids malting up less than 1% of the fish seen on shallow reek and 4% on deep reefs.AGRIiA benthic and fish indicators on deep reefs showed the highest variation at the smallest spatial scale (-C0.1 km), with recent mortality and macroalgal canopy height displaying the largest area and subregional scale (-1 -1 00 kin) variation. A mean live coral cover of 26% for the 20 survey areas was determined for the deep sites. Significant bleaching and disease-induced mortality of stony corals associated with the 1998 (El NiAo-Southern Oscillation) E N S 0 event were most apparent in the western Caribbean and Bahamas subregions and the Montastraea annularis complex was the most heavily impacted.The overall low nomber of sightings for larger-bodied groupers and snappers (-< 111 00 m2) as a whole suggest that the entire region is overfished for many of these more heavily targeted species. More remote reefs showed as much evidence of reef degradation as reefs more proximal to human coastal development. Characterizing present-day reef condition across the region is a complex problem since there are likely multiple sources of stress operating over several spatial and temporal scales. Not withstanding the many

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Section: Stony Coralssupporting

confidence: 88%

Synthesis of coral reef health indicators for the Western Atlantic: Results of the AGRRA program (1997-2000)

Kramer¹

2003

Atoll Research Bulletin

147

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“…If mortality at later life-history Stages were a general phenomenon leading to zonation, we would expect large numbers of unidentifiable juvenile corals to be present. Also, in the Canbbean (where taxonomic identification is much less of a problem due to lower diversity) there has been no indication of such a Pattern (Bak & Engel 1979, Rogers et al 1984. If differential suwival with depth does occur during this later period (not examined here), this would be a significant departure from the notion that the early post-settlement period of sessile invertebrates is the most precanous life-history Stage (Chia 1989).…”

Section: Platygyra Daedaleamentioning

confidence: 81%

“…settlement, early post-settlement). Bak & Engel (1979) and Rogers et al (1984) found that the depth Mar Ecol Prog Ser 198: 109-119, 2000 distribution of juvenile corals of most species rnirrors that of the adult corals, at least in terms of presencel absence. Moreover, depth-specific recruitment of coral species has been observed during recovery of coral communities from intense Acanthaster planci predation (Colgan 1987).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are vertical distribution patterns of scleractinian corals maintained by pre- or post-settlement processes? A case study of three contrasting species

Mundy¹,

Babcock²

2000

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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ABSTRACT. Vertical zonation of hard corals in tropical coral reef Systems is a weil documented and predictable pattern in the organisation of tropical coral communities. However, the mechanisms that underly vertical zonation of hard corals are poorly understood. Two alternative conceptual models for the maintenance of vertical zonation are considered; depth-dependent settlement of larvae, or indiscriminant settlement of larvae with distnbutions determined by differential post-settlement mortality with depth. These alternative models were evaluated by undertaking field translocation experiments using 10 d old juveniles of 3 species with contrasting adult distnbutions: Goniastrea aspera (Verrillrestncted to shallow reef flat habitats; Oxypora lacera (Verrili)-restncted to low light, lower slope habitats; and Platygyra daedalea (Ehs and Solander) -a species with a broad depth range. Laboratoryraised larvae of each species were settled onto terracotta settlement plates and the plates translocated to 3 depths in the field: reef flat (0 m), mid slope (5 m), lower slope (10 m). Survival of the laboratorysettled juveniles was monitored at 3, 6 and 12 mo after settlement. For each of the 3 species, juveniles survived equaliy well at all 3 depths over the 12 mo study penod. The pattern of survivorship of G. aspera and P. daedalea among depths, however, was dependent on plate surface (top, bottom). Given the absence of depth-dependent survival of juveniles from the 2 zone-specific species G. aspera and 0. lacera, we reject the hypothesis that adult distribution patterns of these 2 species is determined by indiscriminant settlement of larvae followed by differential early post-settlement mortality with depth.

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“…But several long-term studies have shown very limited sexual recruitment success for the O. annularis species complex (Rogers et al, 1984;Edmunds & Elahi, 2007;Irizarry-Soto & Weil, 2009), even at Mona Island (Bruckner & Hill, 2009). Edmunds (2004) also found a positive correlation between juvenile coral density and mean sea surface temperature (SST), with slower growth and higher mortality under high SST, in a pattern leading to changes in relative generic abundance.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Patrones a gran escala del reclutamiento de coral en Isla Mona, Puerto Rico: evidencia de una trayectoria transitoria de comunidad después del blanqueamiento y mortalidad coralino masivo

Hernández-Delgado

González-Ramos

Alejandro-Camis

2014

RBT

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Abstract:Coral reefs have largely declined across the northeastern Caribbean following the 2005 massive bleaching event. Climate change-related sea surface warming and coral disease outbreaks of a white plague-like syndrome and of yellow band disease (YBD) have caused significant coral decline affecting massive reef building species (i.e., Orbicella annularis species complex) which show no apparent signs of recovery through larval sexual recruitment. We addressed coral recruit densities across three spur and groove reef locations along the western shelf of remote Mona Island, Puerto Rico: Punta Capitán (PCA), Pasa de Las Carmelitas (PLC), and Las Carmelitas-South (LCS). Data were collected during November 2012 along 93 haphazard transects across three depth zones (<5m, 5-10m, 10-15m). A total of 32 coral species (9 octocorals, 1 hydrocoral, 22 scleractinians) were documented among the recruit community. Communities had low densities and dominance by short-lived brooder species seven years after the 2005 event. Mean coral recruit density ranged from 1.2 to 10.5/m 2 at PCA, 6.3 to 7.2/m 2 at LCS, 4.5 to 9.5/m 2 at PLC. Differences in coral recruit community structure can be attributed to slight variation in percent macroalgal cover and composition as study sites had nearly similar benthic spatial heterogeneity. Dominance by ephemeral coral species was widespread. Recovery of largely declining massive reef-building species such as the O. annularis species complex was limited or non-existent. The lack of recovery could be the combined result of several mechanisms involving climate change, YBD disease, macroalgae, fishing, urchins and Mona Island's reefs limited connectivity to other reef systems. There is also for rehabilitation of fish trophic structure, with emphasis in recovering herbivore guilds and depleted populations of D. antillarum. Failing to recognize the importance of ecosystem-based management and resilience rehabilitation may deem remote coral reefs recovery unlikely. Rev. Biol. Trop. 62 (Suppl. 3): 49-64. Epub 2014 September 01.Key words: Climate change, coral decline, coral recruitment, community trajectory, Mona Island, Puerto Rico, transitional state.Coral larval recruitment is critical for the maintenance of reef biodiversity, ecosystem resilience and benthic community recovery after disturbances across multiple spatial scales (Gittings, Bright, Choi & Barnett, 1988;Sammarco, 1991;Connell, Hughes & Wallace, 1997;Hughes & Tanner, 2000). Coral recruitment refers to the stage when new members of the recently settled juvenile corals become visible to be censused (Harrison & Wallace, 1990). Open reef space is necessary for settling larvae (Hughes & Connell, 1999;Kuffner et al., 2006; Díaz-Pulido et al., 2009), particularly substrates along cryptical microhabitats and areas dominated by crustose coralline algae (CCA), which are recognized by coral larvae (Doropoulos, Ward, Díaz-Pulido, Hoegh-Guldberg & Mumby, 2012). Dynamic processes leading to the creation of free space open for colonization are impor...

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Scleractinian coral recruitment patterns at Salt River submarine canyon, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Cited by 177 publications

References 18 publications

Synthesis of coral reef health indicators for the Western Atlantic: Results of the AGRRA program (1997-2000)

Synthesis of coral reef health indicators for the Western Atlantic: Results of the AGRRA program (1997-2000)

Are vertical distribution patterns of scleractinian corals maintained by pre- or post-settlement processes? A case study of three contrasting species

Patrones a gran escala del reclutamiento de coral en Isla Mona, Puerto Rico: evidencia de una trayectoria transitoria de comunidad después del blanqueamiento y mortalidad coralino masivo

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