The study of sediments on coral reefs: A hydrodynamic perspective

Schlaefer, Jodie A.; Tebbett, Sterling B.; Bellwood, David R.

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112580

Cited by 14 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 122 publications

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“…This may enhance carbonate sediment dissolution (Walter & Morse, 1984) and/or oxidize organic matter that can lead to the release of additional nutrients (ammonium, phosphate) into the benthic boundary layers (Yahel et al, 2008). Fourth, active sediment reworking can significantly enhance above substrate turbidity levels (Yahel et al, 2002), and this may not only increase the potential for off‐reef fine‐grained sediment transport (Schlaefer et al, 2021), but also the quantity of seston available for benthic suspension feeders (Yahel et al, 2008). Rates and impacts of these processes are less easily constrained at present but may again be important at sites with high sediment reworking rates (Figure 8).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such sediment reworking can have major sedimentary and substrate implications. First, it drives significant sediment turnover and redeposition (Schlaefer et al, 2021), potentially reworking sediments to depths of 10–15 cm (Suchanek & Colin, 1986; Yahel et al, 2002) every few days (Yahel et al, 2008). This will disrupt and mix sediment, with consequences for: (1) the fidelity of age‐depth models that can be recovered (e.g., Dillon et al, 2020); and (2) paleoenvironmental approaches using microfacies analysis, since these are based on an assumption that the sediments in a given setting reflect the local producer groups.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, resuspension of sediment during foraging and burrowing can subject sediment to current‐induced lateral transfer (Bellwood, 1995), particularly of fine‐grained sediments, and may elevate water turbidity (Yahel et al, 2002). Such sediment transport may thus result in a net transfer of sediment between habitats (Bellwood, 1995; Schlaefer et al, 2021), or the mixing of sediments generated in different environments. Both are relevant to sediment microfacies analysis (a paleoenvironmental analytical approach based on sediment composition and textural data), where it is conventionally assumed that the carbonate sediment constituents of an environment reflect its local ecological makeup and/or hydrodynamic regime.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Geo‐ecological functions provided by coral reef fishes vary among regions and impact reef carbonate cycling regimes

et al. 2022

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Coral reef fishes perform essential and well-documented ecological functions on reefs, but also contribute important geo-ecological functions, which influence reef carbonate cycling regimes. These functions include reef framework modification (through bioerosion and breakage), and the production, reworking, and transport of reefal sediments. To explore how these functions vary across reefs and regions, we compiled a dataset of available taxa-specific function rates and applied these to fish census data from sites in the Pacific Ocean (PO), Indian Ocean (IO), and Greater Caribbean (GC), each region displaying a gradient in fish biomass. The highest overall function rates occur at the highest fish biomass sites in the PO (Kingman Reef) and IO (Chagos Archipelago), where bioerosion dominates framework modification and sediment generation (up to 7 kg m À2 year À1 ). At the lowest biomass PO and IO sites, framework modification and sediment generation are driven mainly by breakage and occur at lower rates (~2 kg m À2 year À1 ). Sediment reworking rates are high across all PO and IO sites (~1-5 kg m À2 year À1 ) and higher than other function rates at low biomass sites. Geo-ecological function rates are generally low across the GC sites, despite total fish biomass being comparable to, or even exceeding, some PO and IO sites, with sediment reworking (up to ~1 kg m À2 year À1 ) being the dominant function.These site-level differences partly reflect total fish biomass, but fish assemblage size structure and species identity are critical, with a few fish families (and species) underpinning the highest function rates and regulating the "health" of the fish-driven carbonate cycling regime. Reefs with high fish-driven framework modification, sediment production and reworking rates define one end of this spectrum, while at lower biomass sites little new sediment is produced and sediment reworking dominates. While additional species-level rate data are urgently needed to better constrain function rates, these transitions align with ideas about the progressive shutdown of carbonate production regimes on ecologically perturbed reefs, with important

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Geo‐ecological functions provided by coral reef fishes vary among regions and impact reef carbonate cycling regimes

et al. 2022

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“…(Tebbett et al 2023). Sediment suspension, transport and deposition can vary substantially spatially and in time, due to changes in ow regimes, weather patterns, sediment sources and seabed morphology (Schlaefer et al 2021, Schlaefer et al 2022). In the past, ecological studies have often overlooked links between sediment reservoirs and related hydrodynamics while exploring sedimentation patterns.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphologically driven sedimentation patterns on a coral reef

Sartori,

Boles,

Monismith

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Coral reef sediment research focused on quantifying production sources, suspended sediment, and trapping or accumulation rates, overlooking the role of hydrodynamics and reef morphology in determining these. We used an interdisciplinary approach, focusing on the links between physical features and processes and hypothesized how they affect reef recovery. Typhoon Bopha hit Ngederrak Reef (Palau) in 2012, significantly reducing coral cover. The reef is characterized by spur and grooves (SAGs) and bordered by two tidal channels, but SAGs are not present in its northernmost part, near one of these channels. The reef has recovered in the SAG area, but its recovery was slower in the north. Flow measurements and sediment samples taken in SAG and non-SAG areas were used to calculate the threshold for sediment movement due to mean flows and wave orbital velocities. Sediment on SAGs was mainly suspended by waves, but the direction of net transport was determined by the mean flow. The threshold for sediment movement due to mean flow was reached 80–100% of the time on spurs, in grooves it was reached 60% and 33% of the times during flooding and ebbing tides respectively. This tidal asymmetry suggests that sediment was removed from spurs and transported seaward in grooves to be stored at depth. The steeper slope in grooves (8%) relative to the non-SAG area (4%), favors rubble accumulation and stabilization. This information can help predict localized sediment impacts as well as describing the role of the widely distributed SAG morphology in promoting coral reef recovery.

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“…This coral-algal symbiosis fuels reef productivity and accretion (Roth 2014), but is sensitive to changing environmental conditions that can impact the symbiosis such as light, nutrients, temperature, pH, and sediment (Hoegh-Guldberg et al 2007; Davy, Allemand, and Weis 2012). For example, under exposure to sedimentation, or the downward fall of sediment from the water column toward the benthos (Schlaefer, Tebbett, and Bellwood 2021), corals display reduced photosynthetic efficiency (Weber, Lott, and Fabricius 2006; Rushmore, Ross, and Fogarty 2021), increased respiration rates (Riegl and Branch 1995; Browne et al 2014), decreased calcification (Bak 1978), and rapid consumption of energy reserves (Sheridan et al 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterizing transcriptomic responses to sediment stress across location and morphology in reef-building corals

Ashey¹,

McKelvie²,

Freeman³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Anthropogenic activities increase sediment suspended in the water column and deposition on reefs can be largely dependent on colony morphology. Massive and plating corals have a high capacity to trap sediments, and active removal mechanisms can be energetically costly. Branching corals trap less sediment, but are more susceptible to light limitation caused by suspended sediment. Despite deleterious effects of sediments on corals, few studies have examined the molecular response of corals with different morphological characteristics to sediment stress. To address this knowledge gap, this study assessed the transcriptomic responses of branching and massive corals in Florida and Hawaiʻi to varying levels of sediment exposure. Gene expression analysis revealed a molecular responsiveness to sediments across species and sites. Differentially Gene Expression (DEG) followed by Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis identified that branching corals had the largest transcriptomic response to sediments, in developmental processes and metabolism, while significantly enriched GO terms were highly variable between massive corals, despite similar morphologies. Comparison of DEGs within orthogroups revealed that while all corals had DEGs in response to sediment, there was not a concerted gene set response by morphology or location. These findings illuminate the species specificity and genetic basis underlying coral susceptibility to sediments.

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The study of sediments on coral reefs: A hydrodynamic perspective

Cited by 14 publications

References 122 publications

Geo‐ecological functions provided by coral reef fishes vary among regions and impact reef carbonate cycling regimes

Geo‐ecological functions provided by coral reef fishes vary among regions and impact reef carbonate cycling regimes

Morphologically driven sedimentation patterns on a coral reef

Characterizing transcriptomic responses to sediment stress across location and morphology in reef-building corals

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