Coral spawning and spawn-slick observation in the Philippines

Jamodiong, Emmeline A.; Maboloc, Elizaldy A.; Leriorato, Janice C.; Tañedo, Mikhael Clotilde S.; Diaz, Leomir A.; Tabalanza, Tracy D.; Cabaitan, Patrick C.; Villanueva, Ronald D.

doi:10.1007/s12526-017-0680-9

Cited by 24 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 34 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The major reasons for such oversights could be (i) the lack of historical baseline data against which current day findings can be compared and evaluated; (ii) the rarity of long-term or appropriate temporal resolution studies of coral phenology; and (iii) the widely accepted paradigm regarding coral reproductive phenology (i.e., discrete, brief, and fixed spawning periodicities with high within-population synchrony) that results in neglect of the possibility that it might change over time. Thus, although a recent study from the Philippines found unusual reproductive patterns (similar to those described here), in the absence of any historical data those authors concluded that the patterns might be a local characteristic of the studied species (41). Researchers in the Caribbean noted a marked multiannual inconsistency of Acropora spp.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

Breakdown in spawning synchrony: A silent threat to coral persistence

Shlesinger

Loya

2019

Science

103

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The impacts of human and natural disturbances on coral reefs are typically quantified through visible damage (e.g., reduced coral coverage as a result of bleaching events), but changes in environmental conditions may also cause damage in less visible ways. Despite the current paradigm, which suggests consistent, highly synchronized spawning events, corals that reproduce by broadcast spawning are particularly vulnerable because their reproductive phenology is governed by environmental cues. Here, we quantify coral spawning intensity during four annual reproductive seasons, alongside laboratory analyses at the polyp, colony, and population levels, and we demonstrate that, compared with historical data, several species from the Red Sea have lost their reproductive synchrony. Ultimately, such a synchrony breakdown reduces the probability of successful fertilization, leading to a dearth of new recruits, which may drive aging populations to extinction.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

Breakdown in spawning synchrony: A silent threat to coral persistence

Shlesinger

Loya

2019

Science

103

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This work was part of a larger study on the effect of ALAN on coral gametogenesis and spawning. Hence, collection and experimentation were based on the known timing of gamete development and spawning for acroporids in the Bolinao-Anda Reef Complex in Pangasinan, Northwestern Philippines, as described by previous studies [ 36 , 37 ]. Forty-five colonies of A. digitifera (>30 cm in diameter) were collected from the nonlit Caniogan Reef (16°17.633′ N, 120°00.873′ E) in Anda, Pangasinan, at 4 to 5-m depths and transported to the outdoor hatchery of the Bolinao Marine Laboratory of University of the Philippines.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Prokaryotic Microbiome of Acropora digitifera is Stable under Short-Term Artificial Light Pollution

et al. 2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Corals harbor a great diversity of symbiotic microorganisms that play pivotal roles in host nutrition, reproduction, and development. Changes in the ocean environment, such as increasing exposure to artificial light at night (ALAN), may alter these relationships and result in a decline in coral health. In this study, we examined the microbiome associated with gravid specimens of the reef-building coral Acropora digitifera. We also assessed the temporal effects of ALAN on the coral-associated microbial community using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene V4 hypervariable region. The A. digitifera microbial community was dominated by phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. Exposure to ALAN had no large-scale effect on the coral microbiome, although taxa affiliated with Rhodobacteraceae, Caulobacteraceae, Burkholderiaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Ruminococcaceae were significantly enriched in corals subjected to ALAN. We further noted an increase in the relative abundance of the family Endozoicomonadaceae (Endozoicomonas) as the spawning period approached, regardless of light treatment. These findings highlight the stability of the A. digitifera microbial community under short-term artificial light pollution and provide initial insights into the response of the collective holobiont to ALAN.

show abstract

“…Therefore weather conditions (mainly wind) between the two seasons could have influenced the formation or duration of slicks and the abundance of particles and zooplankton organisms in the slicks. For example, Jamodiong et al (2018) reported that 1 year there were few slicks due to extended wind turbulence and the following year the surface water conditions were calmer, which allowed the formation of slicks that were wide and extended up to at least 4 km.…”

Section: Factors Influencing Differences In Plastic and Zooplankton Abundance Between Yearsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sea-Surface Slicks and Their Effect on the Concentration of Plastics and Zooplankton in the Coastal Waters of Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The abundance and distribution of plastic debris at the sea surface shows considerable variability over different spatial scales. Some of the oceanographic processes at small (<1 km) and submeso (1–10 km) scales manifest themselves as slicks at the sea surface, which might have the potential to concentrate organisms and particles (such as positively buoyant plastics), putting species that feed in these areas at risk of ingesting plastics. Slicks can be filaments, lines, meanders, or patches, which are lighter in color and smoother in surface roughness compared to the surrounding area. Here we tested the hypothesis that passive particles (including plastics) and organisms are aggregated in the surface waters within these slicks. According to their main features (orientation to coast and/or wind), the studied slicks were most likely generated by oceanographic processes such as topographically controlled fronts, other types of fronts and internal waves. Neuston samples were collected from the sea surface inside and outside of slicks (n = 11 sites with slicks) in the coastal waters of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) during two campaigns in austral summer (January 2018) and autumn (April 2019). In general, passive particles, including plastics, exuviae, eggs and foraminiferans, were found more frequently inside than outside the slicks. In some cases, motile zooplankton organisms such as chaetognaths, vertically migrating crustaceans and early developmental stages (EDS) of fish were also more common within the slicks. In addition, a positive relationship was found between plastics and planktonic organisms such as foraminiferans, snails and jellyfish (e.g., Velella velella), although a strong correlation was also found with fish EDS and chaetognaths. These results suggest that surface slicks are areas of aggregation for both passive particles and active organisms, thus playing an important ecological role in food retention and particle concentration where the risk of plastic ingestion by fish and seabirds is enhanced.

show abstract

Coral spawning and spawn-slick observation in the Philippines

Cited by 24 publications

References 34 publications

Breakdown in spawning synchrony: A silent threat to coral persistence

Breakdown in spawning synchrony: A silent threat to coral persistence

The Prokaryotic Microbiome of Acropora digitifera is Stable under Short-Term Artificial Light Pollution

Sea-Surface Slicks and Their Effect on the Concentration of Plastics and Zooplankton in the Coastal Waters of Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About