Coastal nutrification in Brazil: A review of the role of nutrient excess on coral reef demise

Costa, Ozeas S.; Nimmo, Malcolm; Attrill, Martin J.

doi:10.1016/j.jsames.2007.10.002

Cited by 77 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 119 publications

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“…Huang et al (2011), in a study has concluded growth of zoanthid colonies is favoured by nutrient enrichment and increased organic matter concentration. Similar results have been reported by Costa et al (2008) (2008) which reported dominance of zoanthid colonies under hypertrophic, faecal-polluted conditions. The reason for low zoanthid growth despite hypertrophic nutrient conditions could be due to the competition given by extensive growth of macroalgae at both these sites, similar to the studies of Emanuelle et al (2015), where a negative correlation has been obtained between macroalgae and zoanthids.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Distribution pattern and community structure of zoanthids (Zoantharia) along the coast of Saurashtra, Gujarat, India

et al. 2015

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Coral reef environments support a great diversity of benthic organisms, of which zoanthids form an integral part. Studies have been carried out regarding the degradation of coral reefs and changes in community structure under the present dynamics of climatic change. Zoanthids are dominant among the observed fauna in these degrading reef ecosystems. Zoanthids are observed at mid and lower intertidal zones beyond 20 m from highest high tide level. In the present study, distribution patterns of zoanthid species along three coastal villages of Saurashtra coast, Gujarat were studied. Line intercept transect method was performed to assess the zoanthid coverage. A total of seven species of zoanthids were recorded during the survey. Palythoa mutuki formed the abundant species in the area with 45.99% coverage, followed by Zoanthus sansibaricus with 33.67% and Zoanthus cf. sansibaricus with 12.26% coverage. Abiotic parameters (sea surface temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH) and nutrient data (ammonia, phosphate, total suspended solids and nitrate) were also recorded during sampling to determine their influence on zoanthid colonies. Higher levels of DO were found to favour the growth of Palythoa mutuki and Isaurus tuberculatus, whereas increased SST was tolerated by Palythoa tuberculosa only. Ammonia and phosphate were negatively impacting the growth of Palythoa mutuki and Zoanthus spp. The study provides new information on quantitative zoanthid distribution and the dynamic changes exhibited by zoanthids in relation to various environmental parameters. Zoanthids could be looked upon as an adaptive species which may support reef resurgence in degraded reefs under stress from climate change effects.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Distribution pattern and community structure of zoanthids (Zoantharia) along the coast of Saurashtra, Gujarat, India

et al. 2015

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“…N = 10, mean ± SE Over the last few years, there has been an intense debate about the varying effects of nutrification on corals (Szmant 2002;Loya and Kramarsky-Winter 2003;Rinkevich et al 2003). While most authors agree that coastal nutrification and sedimentation are deleterious at the ecosystem level (reviewed in Fabricius 2005) by shifting the ecological balance between corals and space-competing macroalgae Costa et al 2008) in the absence of herbivores (McCook 1999;Jompa and McCook 2002), some suggest increased nutrient levels may, paradoxically, have positive effects on the metabolic performance of some corals . Here, near-shore individuals of the common S. subseriata were found to outperform mid-shelf specimens in terms of nutritional status, P g and G, and withstand adverse conditions of increased suspended sediment loads with no signs of respiratory and photophysiological stress.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Eutrophication is one of the major threats to coral reefs (Jackson et al 2001) affecting coral health and community composition (McCook 1999;Nyström et al 2000;Fabricius 2005) and the ecological balance between corals and space-competing macroalgae (McCook 1999;Costa et al 2008). The ability of coastal corals to adapt to changing nutrient and sediment loads can be highly variable between species (Fabricius 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutritional status and metabolism of the coral Stylophora subseriata along a eutrophication gradient in Spermonde Archipelago (Indonesia)

et al. 2011

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Coral responses to degrading water quality are highly variable between species and depend on their trophic plasticity, acclimatization potential, and stress resistance. To assess the nutritional status and metabolism of the common scleractinian coral, Stylophora subseriata, in situ experiments were carried along a eutrophication gradient in Spermonde Archipelago, Indonesia. Coral fragments were incubated in light and dark chambers to measure photosynthesis, respiration, and calcification in a number of shallow reefs along the gradient. Chlorophyll a (chl a), protein content, maximum quantum yield (F v / F m ), and effective quantum yield (U PS II) were measured on the zooxanthellae, in addition to host tissue protein content and biomass. Photosynthetic rates were 2.5-fold higher near-shore than mid-shelf due to higher areal zooxanthellae and chl a concentrations and a higher photochemical efficiency (U PS II). A 2-and 3-fold increase in areal host tissue protein and biomass was found, indicating a higher nutritional supply in coastal waters. Dark respiration, however, showed no corresponding changes. There was a weak correlation between calcification and photosynthesis (Pearson r = 0.386) and a lack of metabolic stress, as indicated by constant respiration and F v /F m and the ''clean'' and healthy appearance of the colonies in spite of high turbidity in near-shore waters. The latter suggests that part of the energetic gains through increased auto-and heterotrophy were spent on metabolic expenditures, e.g., mucus production. While coastal pollution is always deleterious to the reef ecosystem as a whole, our results show that the effect on corals may not always be negative. Thus, S. subseriata may be one of the few examples of corals actually profiting from land-based sources of pollution.

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“…Organic pollution in moderate quantities may benefit sponges by providing nutrients for heterotrophic bacteria which are a food source for sponges which feed by filtration, targeting mainly ultraplankton (Rüt-zler 2004). A positive relationship of sponge biomass with organic pollution and high sediment load has been accepted by several authors (Chalker et al 1985, Rogers 1990, Wilkinson & Cheshire 1990, Ward-Paige et al 2005, Costa et al 2008. Concerning nutrient and sediment increases, sponges and corals can be considered as opposites, with coral biomass decreasing in reefs stressed by pollution and siltation (Aerst & van Soest 1997, Nughes & Roberts 2003a.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

High spatial variability of coral, sponges and gorgonian assemblages in a well preserved reef

González‐Díaz¹,

González-Sansón²,

Fernández³

et al. 2009

RBT

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Abstract:The main goal of this research was to obtain baseline field data of the composition of sponges, corals, and gorgonian assemblages that can be used as a reference for future analyses of anthropogenic impact. We tested the hypothesis that relatively homogeneous and well preserved reef units can present notable natural variability in the composition of their communities which are unassociated with changes in land proximity or a human impact gradient. Research was carried out in July 2006 at Los Colorados reef, located in the northwestern region of Pinar del Río Province, Cuba at 12 sampling stations. The biotopes selected were crest, terrace edge and spur and grove. Ecological indicators were diversity of corals, species composition, density of corals, hydrocorals, gorgonians and sponges, and density of selected coral species. A total of 2659 colonies of scleractineans corals representing 36 species were counted. The most abundant species in the crest biotope were Millepora alcicornis, Acropora palmata and Porites astreoides; in the terrace edge and spur and grove, the most abundant species were Siderastrea siderea, Stephanocoenia intersepta, Porites astreoides, Agaricia agaricites and Montastraea cavernosa. We found differences among sites for several indicators (e.g. density of corals, sponges and gorgonians and for selected species), but they could not be associated to any gradient of land influence or human impact. Therefore, sites inside a relatively homogeneous reef unit can present notable natural differences in the composition of their communities. Rev. Biol. Trop. 58 (2): 621-634. Epub 2010 June 02.

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Coastal nutrification in Brazil: A review of the role of nutrient excess on coral reef demise

Cited by 77 publications

References 119 publications

Distribution pattern and community structure of zoanthids (Zoantharia) along the coast of Saurashtra, Gujarat, India

Distribution pattern and community structure of zoanthids (Zoantharia) along the coast of Saurashtra, Gujarat, India

Nutritional status and metabolism of the coral Stylophora subseriata along a eutrophication gradient in Spermonde Archipelago (Indonesia)

High spatial variability of coral, sponges and gorgonian assemblages in a well preserved reef

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