Coral larval recruitment in north-western Australia predicted by regional and local conditions

Thomson, Damian P.; Babcock, Russell C.; Evans, Richard D.; Feng, Ming; Moustaka, Molly; Orr, Melanie; Slawinski, Dirk; Wilson, Shaun K.; Hoey, Andrew S.

doi:10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105318

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…The time‐varying flow field in the ocean introduces a significant stochastic component to potential connectivity (Mitarai et al 2008; Siegel et al 2008), where connectivity occurs in pulses driven by the filamentation of larvae in regions of high strain and current convergence (Harrison et al 2013). This expectation of highly variable connectivity may explain observations of coral recruitment rates that can vary enormously between years (e.g., Thomson et al 2021; Adjeroud et al 2022; Edmunds 2023) and is theorized to reduce population growth rates and genetic variance (Hedgecock 1994; Watson et al 2012).…”

Section: Figmentioning

confidence: 98%

High‐frequency variability dominates potential connectivity between remote coral reefs

Vogt‐Vincent,

Mitarai,

Johnson

2023

Limnology & Oceanography

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Coral larval dispersal establishes connectivity between reefs, but larval fluxes vary over timescales from daily to multidecadal due to oceanographic variability. Using a 2‐km‐resolution ocean model, we simulate daily spawning events from 1993 to 2019 and assess the potential connectivity between all reefs in the tropical southwest Indian Ocean. Although there is a significant seasonal cycle in potential connectivity, day‐to‐day variability generally dominates. Larval dispersal pathways on any particular day provide limited information about the dispersal pathways a few days later. The magnitude of this high‐frequency variability depends on the local geography and oceanography, with small and isolated reefs generally subject to the most variability. Stochastic oceanographic variability introduces considerable uncertainty to dispersal predictions, imposing fundamental limitations on what simulations can tell us about inter‐reef connectivity. Protracted spawning over only a few days can significantly reduce variability associated with the likelihood of a larva settling. The duration of spawning is therefore a more important parameter in modeling coral connectivity than the exact timing of spawning onset. Finally, we find that a small proportion of spawning events account for the majority of settling larvae, particularly at remote islands, and demonstrate that a time‐mean picture of dispersal may be inappropriate for predicting demographic and genetic connectivity. Given the diversity of coral reef environments in the southwest Indian Ocean, we expect that these results will apply to inter‐reef coral connectivity across the tropics more broadly, as well as other weakly swimming reef taxa with the potential for long‐distance dispersal.

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Section: Figmentioning

confidence: 98%

High‐frequency variability dominates potential connectivity between remote coral reefs

Vogt‐Vincent,

Mitarai,

Johnson

2023

Limnology & Oceanography

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“…The role of flow in mediating coral recruitment has also been highlighted in the Dampier Archipelago, northwest Australia, where recruitment at 15 reefs over 3 years was best explained ( R 2 = 57% for Acroporidae) by coral cover, seawater turbidity (i.e. Kd 490 , the diffuse attenuation coefficient for photosynthetically active radiation, PAR), and a larval dispersal model based on a 1 × 1 km grid (Thomson et al ., 2021).…”

Section: Emergent Properties Of Coral Recruitment Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is much to be gained in understanding the causes of variation in coral recruitment through hypothesis‐driven experiments testing the effects of biological and physical processes in determining the density of recruits (e.g. Doropoulos et al ., 2016, 2017 a , b ; Edmunds, 2021 a ; Thomson et al ., 2021). However, settlement and metamorphosis that culminate in recruitment are the terminal phases in a series of events that begin at least with the initiation of gametogenesis (Edmunds, 2021 a ).…”

Section: Emergent Properties Of Coral Recruitment Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Coral recruitment: patterns and processes determining the dynamics of coral populations

Edmunds

2023

Biological Reviews

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Coral recruitment describes the addition of new individuals to populations, and it is one of the most fundamental demographic processes contributing to population size. As many coral reefs around the world have experienced large declines in coral cover and abundance, there has been great interest in understanding the factors causing coral recruitment to vary and the conditions under which it can support community resilience. While progress in these areas is being facilitated by technological and scientific advances, one of the best tools to quantify recruitment remains the humble settlement tile, variants of which have been in use for over a century. Here I review the biology and ecology of coral recruits and the recruitment process, largely as resolved through the use of settlement tiles, by: (i) defining how the terms ‘recruit’ and ‘recruitment’ have been used, and explaining why loose terminology has impeded scientific advancement; (ii) describing how coral recruitment is measured and why settlement tiles have value for this purpose; (iii) summarizing previous efforts to review quantitative analyses of coral recruitment; (iv) describing advances from hypothesis‐driven studies in determining how refuges, seawater flow, and grazers can modulate coral recruitment; (v) reviewing the biology of small corals (i.e. recruits) to understand better how they respond to environmental conditions; and (vi) updating a quantitative compilation of coral recruitment studies extending from 1974 to present, thus revealing long‐term global declines in density of recruits, juxtaposed with apparent resilience to coral bleaching. Finally, I review future directions in the study of coral recruitment, and highlight the need to expand studies to deliver taxonomic resolution, and explain why time series of settlement tile deployments are likely to remain pivotal in quantifying coral recruitment.

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“…Coral recruitment is also controlled by biotic factors such as predation, allelopathy, and competition with algae through space pre‐emption, overgrowth, and chemical cues (Dixson et al., 2014; Kuffner et al., 2006). Recruitment patterns vary among coral taxa (Gouezo et al., 2020; Kayal et al., 2015; Richmond et al., 2018; Ritson‐Williams et al., 2009; Thomson et al., 2021) in relation to contrasting life history traits such as reproductive strategies, larval preferences, and selective mortality (Baird et al., 2003; Doropoulos et al., 2020; Harper et al., 2023; Mundy & Babcock, 1998; Shlesinger & Loya, 2021). Temporal variability also characterizes coral recruitment patterns; a marked seasonal variability in recruitment rates and composition is often related to the single annual reproductive cycle for most broadcast spawning species (Baird et al., 2009; Harrison & Wallace, 1990; Richmond et al., 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coral recruitment in the Toliara region of southwest Madagascar: Spatio‐temporal variability and implications for reef conservation

Botosoamananto,

Todinanahary,

Gasimandova

et al. 2024

Marine Ecology

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Investigating coral recruitment is critical to better understand replenishment and resilience capacities of coral reef ecosystems and to improve their conservation. Here, we examined the spatio‐temporal patterns of coral recruitment and the influence of confamilial adult coral cover in the region of Toliara, southwest Madagascar. Terracotta tiles were immersed from October to late January over a 3‐year period (2018–2021) at 10 stations located on major reef habitats. Overall recruitment rates were relatively high compared to those of other reefs in the Southwestern Indian Ocean, ranging from 219.20 recruits.m−2 in 2018–2019 to 156.30 recruits.m−2 in 2020–2021. Recruit assemblages were dominated by Acroporidae (45.5%) and Pocilloporidae (45.0%), whereas Poritidae (1.9%) and “other” recruits (3.6%) were rarely recorded. Recruitment patterns varied among stations and habitats, with higher rates in patch reef (187.06 recruits.m−2) and outer slope stations (156.99 recruits.m−2) compared to inner slope stations (108.04 recruits.m−2). With the exception of “other” recruits, recruitment rates decreased between 2018 and 2019 and 2019 and 2020, followed by an increase in 2020–2021 that reached or even exceeded initial values at some stations. The abundance of Pocilloporidae recruits was positively correlated with the cover of confamilial adult corals, highlighting potential stock–recruitment or recruitment–limitation relationships, or an aggregative settlement of young stages near the established adult colonies, whereas no such relationships were recorded for other coral family categories. This study identified sites on the outer slope and patch reefs to consider prioritizing for protection as recruitment hotspots, as well as degraded inner slope sites that could benefit from restoration, with the important caveat that any measures should be accompanied by alternative income‐generating activities through local involvement that suits the Malagasy context, such as locally marine managed areas.

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Coral larval recruitment in north-western Australia predicted by regional and local conditions

Cited by 11 publications

References 78 publications

High‐frequency variability dominates potential connectivity between remote coral reefs

High‐frequency variability dominates potential connectivity between remote coral reefs

Coral recruitment: patterns and processes determining the dynamics of coral populations

Coral recruitment in the Toliara region of southwest Madagascar: Spatio‐temporal variability and implications for reef conservation

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