Environmental determinants of motile cryptofauna on an eastern Pacific coral reef

Enochs, Ian C.; Toth, Lauren T.; Brandtneris, Viktor W.; Afflerbach, Jamie C.; Manzello, Derek P.

doi:10.3354/meps09259

Cited by 67 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Therefore, managers targeting both ecosystem function and species diversity need to preserve degraded rubble environments in addition to pristine stands of live coral, as these different habitats provide unique and valuable ecosystem services. The high diversity of communities associated with rubble coupled with the elevated abundances of individuals associated with frameworks of intermediate degradation support the concept that artificial reef structures may be powerful tools for remediation of reef habitat loss, provided that they are of sufficient structural complexity [18].…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 77%

“…In reality, the dynamics of reef ecological function, biodiversity, and the physical integrity of framework structures vary across differing spatiotemporal scales, making them difficult to discern as a function of live coral. For instance, recent field experiments have shown that the presence of live coral has no effect on the abundances, biomass, or diversity of the motile cryptic fauna inhabiting the frameworks immediately below [18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Responses of Cryptofaunal Species Richness and Trophic Potential to Coral Reef Habitat Degradation

Enochs

Manzello

2012

Diversity

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Abstract:Coral reefs are declining worldwide as a result of many anthropogenic disturbances. This trend is alarming because coral reefs are hotspots of marine biodiversity and considered the 'rainforests of the sea. As in the rainforest, much of the diversity on a coral reef is cryptic, remaining hidden among the cracks and crevices of structural taxa. Although the cryptofauna make up the majority of a reef's metazoan biodiversity, we know little about their basic ecology or how these communities respond to reef degradation. Emerging research shows that the species richness of the motile cryptofauna is higher among dead (framework) vs. live coral substrates and, surprisingly, increases within successively more eroded reef framework structures, ultimately reaching a maximum in dead coral rubble. Consequently, the paradigm that abundant live coral is the apex of reef diversity needs to be clarified. This provides guarded optimism amidst alarming reports of declines in live coral cover and the impending doom of coral reefs, as motile cryptic biodiversity should persist independent of live coral cover. Granted, the maintenance of this high species richness is contingent on the presence of reef rubble, which will eventually be lost due to physical, chemical, and biological erosion if not replenished by live coral calcification and mortality. The trophic potential of a reef, as inferred from the abundance of cryptic organisms, is highest on live coral. Among dead framework substrates, however, the density of cryptofauna reaches a peak at intermediate levels of degradation. In summary, the response of the motile cryptofauna, and thus a large fraction of the reef's biodiversity, OPEN ACCESSDiversity 2012, 4 95 to reef degradation is more complex and nuanced than currently thought; such that species richness may be less sensitive than overall trophic function.

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Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 77%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Responses of Cryptofaunal Species Richness and Trophic Potential to Coral Reef Habitat Degradation

Enochs

Manzello

2012

Diversity

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“…However, we found no correlation between the presence or abundance of obligate coral-dwellers on dead corals and the local abundance of live branching corals between or within the atolls. Similarly Enochs et al (2011) found that live coral cover had no significant affect on the motile cryptofauna occupying dead corals, but rather dead coral porosity (gaps in rubble structure) and water flow had a greater affect, with low-porosity, slow-flow environments supporting a higher abundance and biomass of motile cryptofauna. Idjadi and Edmunds (2006) also observed no significant correlation with live coral cover or diversity and cryptofauna diversity, but there was a significant positive correlation between reef structural complexity and cryptofauna diversity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

High prevalence of obligate coral-dwelling decapods on dead corals in the Chagos Archipelago, central Indian Ocean

et al. 2015

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Small and cryptic organisms that live within the interstices of reef habitats contribute greatly to coral reef biodiversity, but are poorly studied. Many species of cryptofauna have seemingly obligate associations with live coral and are therefore considered to be very vulnerable to coral mortality. Here we report the unanticipated prevalence of obligate coral-dwelling decapod crustaceans on dead colonies of branching corals in the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory) in the central Indian Ocean. A total of 205 obligate coral-dwelling decapods, including Trapezia crabs, were recorded from 43 (out of 54) dead coral colonies of Acropora and Pocillopora collected across five different atolls. Trapezia individuals found on dead corals were mainly juveniles, and the few adults were almost exclusively male. Among the shrimps (Pontoniinae), however, it was predominantly adult females found on dead corals. Obligate coral-dwelling species that typically occur only on live Pocillopora hosts (e.g., Trapezia spp.) were recorded on dead Acropora. These findings suggests that these obligate coral-dwelling decapods are not simply persisting on coral hosts that have died, but may be explicitly recruiting to or moving to dead coral hosts at certain stages in their life cycle. Variation in the abundance of live coral among sites had no affect on the presence or abundance of obligate coral-dwelling decapods on dead corals. This study shows that habitat associations of obligate coral-dwelling organisms, and their reliance on different habitat types, are complex and further work is required to establish their vulnerability to widespread habitat degradation on coral reefs.

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“…apogonids, grammistids, blenniids, muraenids; Glynn 2006) attain maximum abundances in highly degraded reef frameworks and coral rubble habitats (Enochs & Manzello 2012b). These potential prey are more accessible to excavating macropredators, such as turtles, reef sharks, balistids, labrids, tetraodontids and carangids (Glynn 2008) in degraded and unstable substrates of lower porosity compared with intact reef frameworks (Enochs et al 2011). The speciesrich motile cryptofauna may also persist long after coral mortality (Enochs 2012), providing a constant food source during coral reef recovery.…”

Section: Patterns In Community Diversitymentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Community-wide fish species richness would be expected to increase at some intermediate level of disturbance when diverse resources are available for different trophic guilds. In light of the demonstrated high abundances and persistence of motile cryptofaunal communities in degraded pocilloporid frameworks and rubble (Enochs et al 2011, Enochs 2012, Enochs & Manzello 2012a, we also assessed temporal variations in the densities of mixed diet feeders and benthic invertivore fish guilds.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eastern Pacific reef fish responses to coral recovery following El Niño disturbances

Glynn

Enochs

Afflerbach

et al. 2014

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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This study examined fluctuations in an eastern Pacific reef fish assemblage as it varied with coral recovery over 30 yr. Concurrent fish and coral monitoring were conducted at Uva Island reef, which lies within the boundaries of Coiba National Park, Panama, in an area that has received virtually no fishing pressure or watershed development over the past 80 yr. Coral and fish monitoring spanned the 1982−1983 and 1997−1998 El Niño disturbances -anomalous warming events that selectively killed reef-building corals. While no fish mortalities were observed during the 1982−1983 El Niño event, live coral cover was reduced to nearly 0% at the study reef. From 1984 to 1990, live coral (Pocillopora spp.) cover was extremely low (< 5%), but demonstrated steady recovery to ~35% by 2010. By quantifying disturbance-related, long-term changes in coral reef resources and relating these to fish trophic group responses, several functional relationships emerged. A total of 63 fish taxa were observed, and reef fish density (all taxa combined) remained relatively stable. Multivariate analysis of species abundances revealed a strong overlap between seasons and a clustering of community composition in the years following bleaching. Fish species richness increased significantly as live coral cover rose from near 0 to 15−20% and then demonstrated a decreasing trend to 35% cover. Benthic invertivores showed a significant parabolic increase in density peaking at ~20% live coral cover. A pattern of decline was apparent for the mixed diet feeders guild as coral cover increased, whereas an asymptotic relationship with coral cover emerged for the facultative corallivore guild. No clear patterns in herbivore, piscivore and planktivore abundance were apparent with increasing coral cover. The varying responses of invertivore, corallivore and mixed diet feeders guilds demonstrated strong associations with coral cover, probably reflecting changes in the availability of their respective trophic resources during reef recovery. Thus, variations in coral cover probably influence fish communities through trophic pathways involving invertebrate food sources. KEY WORDS: Reef fish community responses · El Niño disturbancesResale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher Editorial responsibility: Ivan Nagelkerken,

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Environmental determinants of motile cryptofauna on an eastern Pacific coral reef

Cited by 67 publications

References 47 publications

Responses of Cryptofaunal Species Richness and Trophic Potential to Coral Reef Habitat Degradation

Responses of Cryptofaunal Species Richness and Trophic Potential to Coral Reef Habitat Degradation

High prevalence of obligate coral-dwelling decapods on dead corals in the Chagos Archipelago, central Indian Ocean

Eastern Pacific reef fish responses to coral recovery following El Niño disturbances

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