The Fate of Corals: Will They Overcome Competition with Algae and Cyanobacteria in a Changing Environment?

Abstract

Coral reefs provide substantial ecological and economic services to coastal communities in the tropics. Hence, there is a great concern about the permanence of these ecosystems and the consequent loss of the economic, ecological and social services coral reefs provide due to their susceptibility to natural and anthropogenic threats. Large-scale processes such as strong El Niño Southern Oscillation events, global warming and ocean acidification represent significant challenges for coral reefs. Benthic cyanobacteria and seaweed have substantially increased in reef areas, facilitated by excessive nutrient input, reduction in herbivore populations and global warming. This review briefly describes the currently known aspects of coral, algae and cyanobacterial interactions, as well as the local and global environmental and ecological aspects that have caused the increase of algae and cyanobacteria in detriment to reef corals. Reef communities will keep changing in the light of large-scale events and anthropogenic influences. As short-term measures, ambitious programs for grazer reintroduction could help curb population growth of algae and cyanobacteria. Medium-to long-term measures should be oriented at limiting nutrient input to water bodies.

Composición taxonómica y afinidad por un sustrato de macroalgas marinas conspicuas del Parque Nacional Arrecifes de Cozumel, Quintana Roo, México

“…Coral reefs are predominantly cemented by corals and coralline algae and are considered among the most productive and biologically diverse ecosystems in the world (Sheppard et al, 2009;Davin and Brannet, 2010), as they provide habitat for a wide range of marine species, among which macroalgae stand out for their abundance and commercial value (DOF, 2015;Núñez Resendiz et al, 2019;Pereira Cuni et al, 2023). In addition, the reefs are characterized by having a high rate of primary productivity, providing protection to the coast against waves and storms, and generating substantial income for the local community through tourism, which is why they are considered ecologically and economically very important ecosystems (Puyana, 2017;Secaira et al, 2017;Spalding et al, 2017;Zucconi et al, 2018;Hutchings et al, 2019).…”