Spatio-temporal patterns of coral recruitment at Vamizi Island, Quirimbas Archipelago, Mozambique

Sola, Erwan; Silva, Isabel Marques da; Glassom, David

doi:10.2989/1814232x.2015.1113201

Cited by 7 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 46 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Results reveal that overall recruitment rates measured on outer reef slopes at Reunion and Rodrigues islands from 2015 to 2017 were low, not exceeding 150 recruitsm –2 at Reunion and 40 recruitsm –2 at Rodrigues, during the summer. When compared to other reefs in the SWIO, recruitment rates from the present study were much lower than those on the Nyali reef in Kenya (908 recruitsm –2 y -1 ; [ 53 ]), along the coast of South Africa (1000 recruitsm –2 during peak settlement; [ 70 ]), or on the reefs of Vamizi island in Mozambique (1130 recruitsm –2 y -1 ; [ 10 ]). However, the recruitment rates at Reunion and Rodrigues islands were similar to those recorded at Coral Gardens in Kenya (101 recruitsm –2 y -1 ; [ 53 ]).…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 61%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Multiscale variability in coral recruitment in the Mascarene Islands: From centimetric to geographical scale

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Coral recruitment refers to the processes allowing maintenance and renewal of coral communities. Recruitment success is therefore indispensable for coral reef recovery after disturbances. Recruitment processes are governed by a variety of factors occurring at all spatial and temporal scales, from centimetres to hundreds of kilometres. In the present context of rising disturbances, it is thus of major importance to better understand the relative importance of different scales in this variation, and when possible, the factors associated with these scales. Multiscale spatio-temporal variability of scleractinian coral recruitment was investigated at two of the Mascarene Islands: Reunion and Rodrigues. Recruitment rates and taxonomic composition were examined during three consecutive six-month periods from regional to micro-local scales (i.e. from hundreds of kilometres to few centimetres) and between two protection levels (no-take zones and general protection zones). Very low recruitment rates were observed. Rodrigues displayed lower recruitment rates than Reunion. Recruit assemblage was dominated by Pocilloporidae (77.9%), followed by Acroporidae (9.9%) and Poritidae (5.2%). No protection effect was identified on coral recruitment, despite differences in recruitment rates among sites within islands. Recruits were patchily distributed within sites but no aggregative effect was detected, i.e. the preferentially colonised tiles were not spatially grouped. Recruits settled mainly on the sides of the tiles, especially at Rodrigues, which could be attributed to the high concentration of suspended matter. The variability of recruitment patterns at various spatial scales emphasises the importance of micro- to macro-local variations of the environment in the dynamics and maintenance of coral populations. High temporal variability was also detected, between seasons and years, which may be related to the early 2016 bleaching event at Rodrigues. The low recruitment rates and the absence of protection effect raise questions about the potential for recovery from disturbances of coral reefs in the Mascarene Islands.

show abstract

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 61%

“…While some studies have compared recruitment rates inside and outside MPAs (e.g. [ 10 , 11 , 52 , 53 ]), few have concluded a positive effect of MPAs on coral recruitment (but see [ 54 ]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiscale variability in coral recruitment in the Mascarene Islands: From centimetric to geographical scale

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Overall recruit abundances in Aldabra’s lagoon (2080 ± 193 recruits m -2 ) were substantially higher than those reported at other lagoonal reefs (i.e., annual mean of 101–908 recruits m -2 post-1998 bleaching in Kenya [ 73 ]; means of 225–780 recruits m -2 pre-2016 bleaching in Fiji [ 37 ]). However, the abundances at Aldabra’s seaward site (141 ± 26 recruits m -2 ) were low compared to those recorded at seaward reefs in the Inner Seychelles (means of 355–832 recruits m -2 pre-2016 bleaching [ 20 ]), Vamizi Island, Mozambique (annual mean of 1135 recruits m -2 pre-2016 bleaching [ 78 ]), the Spermonde Archipelago (annual mean of 286–686 recruits m -2 [ 79 ]) and French Polynesia (mean of 569 recruits m -2 [ 80 ]), and closer to values reported from the Mascarene Islands, Réunion and Rodrigues (maximum 40–150 recruits m -2 post-2016 bleaching [ 81 ]). Comparisons, however, should be treated with caution due to different methods used [ 82 , 83 ] and high spatial and temporal variability of recruitment [ 71 , 84 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First insights into coral recruit and juvenile abundances at remote Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Coral recruitment and successive growth are essential for post-disturbance reef recovery. As coral recruit and juvenile abundances vary across locations and under different environmental regimes, their assessment at remote, undisturbed reefs improves our understanding of early life stage dynamics of corals. Here, we first explored changes in coral juvenile abundance across three locations (lagoon, seaward west and east) at remote Aldabra Atoll (Seychelles) between 2015 and 2019, which spanned the 2015/16 global coral bleaching event. Secondly, we measured variation in coral recruit abundance on settlement tiles from two sites (lagoon, seaward reef) during August 2018–August 2019. Juvenile abundance decreased from 14.1 ± 1.2 to 7.4 ± 0.5 colonies m-2 (mean ± SE) during 2015–2016 and increased to 22.4 ± 1.2 colonies m-2 during 2016–2019. Whilst juvenile abundance increased two- to three-fold at the lagoonal and seaward western sites during 2016–2018 (from 7.7–8.3 to 17.3–24.7 colonies m-2), increases at the seaward eastern sites occurred later (2018–2019; from 5.8–6.9 to 16.6–24.1 colonies m-2). The composition of coral recruits on settlement tiles was dominated by Pocilloporidae (64–92% of all recruits), and recruit abundance was 7- to 47-fold higher inside than outside the lagoon. Recruit abundance was highest in October–December 2018 (2164 ± 453 recruits m-2) and lowest in June–August 2019 (240 ± 98 recruits m-2). As Acroporid recruit abundance corresponded to this trend, the results suggest that broadcast spawning occurred during October–December, when water temperature increased from 26 to 29°C. This study provides the first published record on coral recruit abundance in the Seychelles Outer Islands, indicates a rapid (2–3 years) increase of juvenile corals following a bleaching event, and provides crucial baseline data for future research on reef resilience and connectivity within the region.

show abstract

“…Since the 1980s, patterns of coral recruitment have been documented for many coral reefs worldwide (re viewed in Adjeroud et al 2017). One of the main characteristics of coral recruitment is its variability across spatial scales, from large geographic scales of regions and oceanic basins to local scales within and among reef habitats and sites (Hughes et al 2002, Adjeroud et al 2007, Sola et al 2015, Davidson et al 2019, Jouval et al 2019. This high heterogeneity is largely related to the variety of biophysical processes that may influence the biology of coral recruits and which vary in frequency, intensity, and spatial scale, as well as to the contrasting life history traits observed among coral taxa (Ritson-Williams et al 2009, Kayal et al 2015, Richmond et al 2018, Gouezo et al 2020, Thomson et al 2021.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extremely high but localized pulses of coral recruitment in the southwestern lagoon of New Caledonia and implications for conservation

Adjeroud

Peignon

Gauliard

et al. 2022

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Recruitment processes largely drive spatial distributions, dynamics, and recovery potential of marine communities. Determining scales of variation in recruitment rates and composition can help in understanding population replenishment mechanisms, while identifying recruitment hotspots is crucial for improving conservation strategies, particularly for threatened marine ecosystems such as coral reefs. We examined the spatial and interannual variability (2012-2014) of coral recruitment at multiple scales within and among reef habitats (14 stations) in the southwestern lagoon of New Caledonia. Recruit assemblages were characterized by high recruitment rates compared to other regions (overall mean of 34.9 recruits per 11 × 11 × 1 cm settlement tile, corresponding to 1220.9 recruits m-2) and strong dominance of Acroporidae. We found a marked spatial heterogeneity among habitats but also exceptionally high interannual variation (100-fold), with extreme recruitment peaks (up to 13572.8 recruits m-2, with a maximum of 811 recruits on a single tile) recorded in 2014 at some fringing and mid-shelf reefs, the highest records ever reported to date. These encouraging results contrast with other reefs where recent declines in coral recruitment rates have been documented with major concerns for their resilience capacities. However, the marked spatio-temporal variability of coral recruitment complicates conservation strategies, as it makes it difficult to identify ‘recruitment hotspots’ as priority sites to protect for their potential capacity to boost the replenishment of local populations.

show abstract

Spatio-temporal patterns of coral recruitment at Vamizi Island, Quirimbas Archipelago, Mozambique

Cited by 7 publications

References 46 publications

Multiscale variability in coral recruitment in the Mascarene Islands: From centimetric to geographical scale

Multiscale variability in coral recruitment in the Mascarene Islands: From centimetric to geographical scale

First insights into coral recruit and juvenile abundances at remote Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles

Extremely high but localized pulses of coral recruitment in the southwestern lagoon of New Caledonia and implications for conservation

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About