Species-specific declines in the linear extension of branching corals at a subtropical reef, Lord Howe Island

Species-Specific Coral Calcification Responses to the Extreme Environment of the Southern Persian Gulf

“…An alternative outcome of sea temperature rise for Gulf corals is that an increase in winter minima alleviates cold constraints on coral growth. For example, on subtropical reefs, some corals have achieved gains in extension and calcification over periods of warming (Cooper et al, 2012;Anderson et al, 2015).…”

“…However, extreme environmental conditions can pose significant constraints on individual performance (e.g., calcification and reproduction) and abundance of corals, leading to limited reef development in "marginal" reef environments (Kleypas et al, 1999). At high latitudes, for example, annual linear extension of corals may be <30% of extension rates recorded in lower latitudes due to low light, temperature and aragonite saturation (Anderson et al, 2015). Conversely, some corals appear unaffected, or may actually benefit, from prolonged exposure to otherwise adverse environmental conditions (Harriott, 1999;Fabricius et al, 2011;Riegl et al, 2011), implying that specialization via physiological (acclimation) and/or genetic (adaptation) mechanisms may provide a degree of performance compensation.…”

Environmental and physiochemical controls on coral calcification along a latitudinal temperature gradient in Western Australia

“…The influence of rising seawater temperatures and OA on coral calcification is also likely to vary spatially (e.g., with latitude) and temporally (e.g., seasonally; Heron, Maynard, Van Hooidonk, & Eakin, 2016;van Hooidonk et al, 2014). For instance, optimal seawater pH conditions for calcification are projected to contract towards the tropics, making high-latitude reefs (i.e., above 28°N and below 28°S) less suitable to support coral calcification (Anderson, Heron, & Pratchett, 2014;Orr et al, 2005;van Hooidonk et al, 2014). At the same time, ocean warming during winter at high-latitude when lower temperatures currently limit calcification rates (Cohen, Smith, McCartney, & van Etten, 2004;Courtney et al, 2017;Crossland, 1984;Kuffner, Hickey, & Morrison, 2013) could be expected to enhance coral calcification rates and hence potentially outweigh the negative effects of OA (Cooper, O'Leary, & Lough, 2012;McCulloch, Falter, Trotter, & Montagna, 2012).…”

High coral cover on a mesophotic, subtropical island platform at the limits of coral reef growth

“…Increased acidification (Couce et al, 2013) and high macroalgal cover (Hoey et al, 2011) may also inhibit coral growth at this higher latitude location. Some coral species at Lord Howe Island have shown declines in accretion (Anderson et al, 2015), however contrasting trends have been observed for other high latitude areas (Cooper et al, 2012;Ross et al, 2015). High rates of in-situ sedimentation may impede coral development, particularly with prevalent flat morphologies of corals which are susceptible to smothering (Stoddart, 1969).…”

“…Decadal changes in community composition in relation to recent increases in seasurface temperature suggest the shallow reefs around Lord Howe Island are relatively stable and may provide limited refuge potential for tropical coral populations (Dalton and Roff, 2013). However, for the Lord Howe region the benefits of an enhanced EAC may be confounded by vulnerabilities to coral bleaching (Harrison et al, 2011), reduced linear extension rates (Anderson et al, 2015), low recruitment success (Keith et al, 2015) and high macroalgal cover (Hoey et al, 2011). These factors have been shown to limit coral growth along the southwestern coast of Australia (Menza et al, 2007;Thomson et al, 2011;Abdo et al, 2012;Ross et al, 2015).…”