Habitat-forming cold-water corals show affinity for seamounts in the New Zealand region

Tracey, Dianne M.; Rowden, Ashley A.; Mackay, Kevin; Compton, Tanya J.

doi:10.3354/meps09164

Cited by 87 publications

(99 citation statements)

References 84 publications

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“…through natural fragmentation, colony extension or the production of asexual larvae. However, given S. variabilis has been reported to reproduce asexually44, forms extensive mono-specific stands on seamounts4756 and that each of our sleds likely covered tens to hundreds of metres of ground, we expect that asexual reproduction is an important life history strategy in this species. In contrast, sexual reproduction is the main source of recruitment in D. dianthus , further emphasising the variation of life histories even in closely related deep sea corals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

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A comparison of genetic connectivity in two deep sea corals to examine whether seamounts are isolated islands or stepping stones for dispersal

Miller

Gunasekera

2017

Sci Rep

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Ecological processes in the deep sea are poorly understood due to the logistical constraints of sampling thousands of metres below the ocean’s surface and remote from most land masses. Under such circumstances, genetic data provides unparalleled insight into biological and ecological relationships. We use microsatellite DNA to compare the population structure, reproductive mode and dispersal capacity in two deep sea corals from seamounts in the Southern Ocean. The solitary coral Desmophyllum dianthus has widespread dispersal consistent with its global distribution and resilience to disturbance. In contrast, for the matrix-forming colonial coral Solenosmilia variabilis asexual reproduction is important and the dispersal of sexually produced larvae is negligible, resulting in isolated populations. Interestingly, despite the recognised impacts of fishing on seamount communities, genetic diversity on fished and unfished seamounts was similar for both species, suggesting that evolutionary resilience remains despite reductions in biomass. Our results provide empirical evidence that a group of seamounts can function either as isolated islands or stepping stones for dispersal for different taxa. Furthermore different strategies will be required to protect the two sympatric corals and consequently the recently declared marine reserves in this region may function as a network for D. dianthus, but not for S. variabilis.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Solenosmilia variabilis is common in the southern hemisphere, forming extensive reef-like structures particularly around southern Australia and New Zealand4756. It has been reported from the North Pacific and North Atlantic but is rare in these locations (www.gbif.org).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison of genetic connectivity in two deep sea corals to examine whether seamounts are isolated islands or stepping stones for dispersal

Miller

Gunasekera

2017

Sci Rep

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“…Deep‐sea stony corals (Order Scleractinia) may form complex three‐dimensional structures that are classified as VMEs because they provide habitats and refuges for many other species (e.g., Bongiorni et al., ). Amongst these habitat‐forming corals, the three most common species in the New Zealand region are Goniocorella dumosa, Madrepora oculata and Solenosmilia variabilis , and these three corals are commonly found on seamount features (Tracey, Rowden, Mackay, & Compton, ). Seamounts (including knolls and hills) are the focus of several deep‐sea fisheries in New Zealand waters, and both G. dumosa and S. variabilis have been recorded in large quantities as bycatch from seamount fisheries (Anderson & Clark, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population genetic structure and connectivity of deep‐sea stony corals (Order Scleractinia) in the New Zealand region: Implications for the conservation and management of vulnerable marine ecosystems

Zeng

Rowden

Clark

et al. 2017

Evolutionary Applications

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Deep‐sea stony corals, which can be fragile, long‐lived, late to mature and habitat‐forming, are defined as vulnerable marine ecosystem indicator taxa. Under United Nations resolutions, these corals require protection from human disturbance such as fishing. To better understand the vulnerability of stony corals (Goniocorella dumosa, Madrepora oculata, Solenosmilia variabilis) to disturbance within the New Zealand region and to guide marine protected area design, genetic structure and connectivity were determined using microsatellite loci and DNA sequencing. Analyses compared population genetic differentiation between two biogeographic provinces, amongst three subregions (north–central–south) and amongst geomorphic features. Extensive population genetic differentiation was revealed by microsatellite variation, whilst DNA sequencing revealed very little differentiation. For G. dumosa, genetic differentiation existed amongst regions and geomorphic features, but not between provinces. For M. oculata, only a north–central–south regional structure was observed. For S. variabilis, genetic differentiation was observed between provinces, amongst regions and amongst geomorphic features. Populations on the Kermadec Ridge were genetically different from Chatham Rise populations for all three species. A significant isolation‐by‐depth pattern was observed for both marker types in G. dumosa and also in ITS of M. oculata. An isolation‐by‐distance pattern was revealed for microsatellite variation in S. variabilis. Medium to high levels of self‐recruitment were detected in all geomorphic populations, and rates and routes of genetic connectivity were species‐specific. These patterns of population genetic structure and connectivity at a range of spatial scales indicate that flexible spatial management approaches are required for the conservation of deep‐sea corals around New Zealand.

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“…The present work mirrors recent studies which have incorporated modelling methods to describe the known and potential distributions of cold-water corals, habitat-forming species from deeper water which have experienced fishing-related damage, with the aim of providing information to support the management of these taxa [33,34,35]. With a view to supporting such management at shelf depths, the distribution of ‘hotspots’ of habitat suitable for these species has been compared (below) with the distribution of closed areas and with available summaries describing broad-scale fishing effort.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Such methods have the advantage of not requiring absence records (see [30]), meaning that presence records held by museums and research institutions can be used to guide conservation efforts where no other information is available [29]. Maxent is one of the best-performing predictive modelling methods for presence-only data, particularly where data are few [30,31,32], and has been used to predict suitable habitat for vulnerable taxa such as cold-water corals [33,34,35], thereby providing information to guide future sampling, allow the evaluation of spatial closures designed to protect such taxa, and guide management aimed to mitigate impacts (fishing, mining, climate change, ocean acidification) upon seafloor assemblages [33]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat-Forming Bryozoans in New Zealand: Their Known and Predicted Distribution in Relation to Broad-Scale Environmental Variables and Fishing Effort

et al. 2013

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Frame-building bryozoans occasionally occur in sufficient densities in New Zealand waters to generate habitat for other macrofauna. The environmental conditions necessary for bryozoans to generate such habitat, and the distributions of these species, are poorly known. Bryozoan-generated habitats are vulnerable to bottom fishing, so knowledge of species’ distributions is essential for management purposes. To better understand these distributions, presence records were collated and mapped, and habitat suitability models were generated (Maxent, 1 km2 grid) for the 11 most common habitat-forming bryozoan species: Arachnopusia unicornis , Cellaria immersa , Cellaria tenuirostris , Celleporariaagglutinans , Celleporinagrandis , Cinctipora elegans , Diaperoecia purpurascens , Galeopsis porcellanicus , Hippomenella vellicata , Hornerafoliacea , and Smittoideamaunganuiensis . The models confirmed known areas of habitat, and indicated other areas as potentially suitable. Water depth, vertical water mixing, tidal currents, and water temperature were useful for describing the distribution of the bryozoan species at broad scales. Areas predicted as suitable for multiple species were identified, and these ‘hotspots’ were compared to fishing effort data. This showed a potential conflict between fishing and the conservation of bryozoan-generated habitat. Fishing impacts are known from some sites, but damage to large areas of habitat-forming bryozoans is likely to have occurred throughout the study area. In the present study, spatial error associated with the use of historic records and the coarse native resolution of the environmental variables limited both the resolution at which the models could be interpreted and our understanding of the ecological requirements of the study species. However, these models show species distribution modelling has potential to further our understanding of habitat-forming bryozoan ecology and distribution. Importantly, comparisons between hotspots of suitable habitat and the distribution of bottom fishing in the study area highlight the need for management measures designed to mitigate the impact of seafloor disturbance on bryozoan-generated habitat in New Zealand waters.

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Habitat-forming cold-water corals show affinity for seamounts in the New Zealand region

Cited by 87 publications

References 84 publications

A comparison of genetic connectivity in two deep sea corals to examine whether seamounts are isolated islands or stepping stones for dispersal

A comparison of genetic connectivity in two deep sea corals to examine whether seamounts are isolated islands or stepping stones for dispersal

Population genetic structure and connectivity of deep‐sea stony corals (Order Scleractinia) in the New Zealand region: Implications for the conservation and management of vulnerable marine ecosystems

Habitat-Forming Bryozoans in New Zealand: Their Known and Predicted Distribution in Relation to Broad-Scale Environmental Variables and Fishing Effort

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