Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems: Introduction and Overview

Pyle, Richard L.; Copus, Joshua M.

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-92735-0_1

Cited by 90 publications

(106 citation statements)

References 155 publications

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“…While it has been demonstrated that mesophotic scleractinian corals (∼30-150 m) thrive under limited light and constitute a major component of coral reefs (Eyal et al, 2019;Pyle and Copus, 2019), the ecological and biological processes driving their distribution and population structure have remained insufficiently studied worldwide, including in the otherwise highly investigated mesophotic reefs of the Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba (GoE/A) (Turner et al, 2017). Although SFD is one of the most appropriate methods for studying coral demographics, its use to date has been limited to the shallow reefs and performed mostly at a single depth (Bauman et al, 2013;Anderson and Pratchett, 2014;Adjeroud et al, 2015;Shlesinger and Loya, 2019), or focused on only one genus or growth form along a wide depth gradient (Vermeij and Bak, 2003;Goodbody-Gringley et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coral Morphology Portrays the Spatial Distribution and Population Size-Structure Along a 5–100 m Depth Gradient

et al. 2020

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Population size structure provides information on demographic characteristics, such as growth and decline, enabling post-hoc assessment of spatial differences in susceptibility to disturbance. Nevertheless, very few studies have quantified size data of scleractinian corals along a shallow-mesophotic gradient, partly because of previously inaccessible depths. Here, we report the coral size-frequency distributions at the morphology level (six growth forms) and at the species level for ten representative locally abundant species along a broad depth gradient (5-100 m) in the Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba (GoE/A). A total of 18,865 colonies belonging to 14 families and 45 genera were recorded and measured over four reef sites. Colonies were found to be 11.2% more abundant at mesophotic (40-100 m; 55.6%) depths compared with shallow (5-30 m; 44.4%). The coral taxa exhibited heterogeneity in their size-structure, with marked differences among depths, morphological growth forms, and species. Branching and corymbose corals were more prevalent in shallow waters, while encrusting and laminar forms comprised the majority of mesophotic corals. Nevertheless, massive morphology was the most abundant growth form across all sites and depths (39%), followed by laminar (26%) and encrusting (20%). Corymbose corals (primarily Acroporidae) revealed constrained size at all depths; with the lack of small-size groups indicating populations at risk of decline. Depth-generalist species belonging to massive and laminar morphologies generally exhibited a larger colony size at the mesophotic depths, but were typified by a higher number of small colonies. Furthermore, we refute the widely and longaccepted assertion that Stylophora pistillata is the most abundant coral in the northern GoE/A, and assert that Leptoseris glabra is the one. Here, we provide a baseline for future monitoring of coral population structures, insights to recent ecological dynamics, retrospective assessment of coral community recovery following disturbances and grounds for conservation assessments and management actions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coral Morphology Portrays the Spatial Distribution and Population Size-Structure Along a 5–100 m Depth Gradient

et al. 2020

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“…Despite their close proximity to well-studied shallow reefs, and their inferred importance (Rocha et al 2018), MCEs have remained poorly studied due to the technical limitations of diving (Pyle 2019). Basic data on the taxonomic composition, depth ranges, habitat preferences, abundance and distribution of MCE taxa are scarce.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Light environment drives the shallow to mesophotic coral community transition

Tamir

Eyal

Kramer

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Light quality is a crucial physical factor driving coral distribution 32 along depth gradients. Currently, a 30 m depth limit, based on SCUBA regulations, 33 separates shallow and deep mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs). This definition, 34 however, fails to explicitly accommodate environmental variation. Here, we posit a 35 novel definition for a regional or reef-to-reef outlook of MCEs based on the light vs. 36 coral community-structure relationship. A combination of physical and ecological 37 methods enabled us to clarify the ambiguity in relation to that issue. To characterize 38 coral community structure with respect to the light environment, we conducted wide-39 scale spatial studies at five sites along shallow and MCEs of the Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba 40 (0-100 m depth). Surveys were conducted by Tech-diving and drop-cameras, in 41 addition to one year of light spectral measurements. We quantify two distinct coral 42 assemblages: shallow (<40 m), and MCEs (40-100 m), exhibiting markedly different 43 relationships with light. The depth ranges and morphology of 47 coral genera, was 44 better explained by light than depth, mainly, due to the Photosynthetically Active 45 Radiation (PAR) and Ultra Violet Radiation (1% at 76 m and 36 m, respectively). 46Branching coral species were found mainly at shallower depths i.e., down to 36 m. 47Among the abundant upper mesophotic specialist-corals, Leptoseris glabra, Euphyllia 48 paradivisa and Alveopora spp., were found strictly between 36-76 m depth. The only 49 lower mesophotic-specialist, Leptoseris fragilis, was found deeper than 80 m. We 50 suggest that shallow coral genera are light-limited below a level of 1.25% surface 51 PAR and that the optimal PAR for mesophotic communities is at 7.5%. This study 52 contributes to moving MCEs ecology from a descriptive-phase into identifying key 53 ecological and physiological processes structuring MCE coral communities. 54Moreover, it may serve as a model enabling the description of a coral zonation world-55 wide on the basis of light quality data. 56 3

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“…Studies of the biodiversity of MCEs have indicated some preliminary trends that will be interesting to explore as more of the algal diversity in these deep-water environments is characterized. For example, fishes have been shown to generally have narrower geographic distributions than their shallow counterparts, high levels of endemism are suggested for all groups of organisms in Hawaiian MCEs, and the degree of shallow-to-deep connectivity has been shown to vary by taxon (Pyle and Copus 2019). Combined with the impressive diversity of peyssonnelioid species that have been described in recent years (e.g., Pueschel and Saunders 2009, Ballantine and Ruíz 2010, 2011, Dixon and Saunders 2013, it is clear that future contributions to mesophotic algal systematics and taxonomy will be important for under-from the hypobasal cuticle (Dixon 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biodiversity of Hawaiian Peyssonneliales (Rhodophyta): <italic>Sonderophycus copusii</italic> sp. nov., a new species from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

Sherwood¹,

Paiano²,

Spalding³

et al. 2020

ALGAE

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Specimens of red algae corresponding to the peyssonnelioid genus Sonderophycus were collected at Kure Atoll, Hawai'i, at a depth range of 88-94 m depth during mesophotic surveys of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Hawaiian Islands, and were analyzed using morphological and molecular approaches. Analyses of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 and chloroplast rbcL DNA sequences demonstrated that the Hawaiian specimens were identical to one another yet distinct from the three other species currently recognized within the genus (S. capensis [Montagne] M. J. Wynne, S. coriaceus [Womersley & Sinkora] M. J. Wynne, and S. fervens Dixon), as well as the likely congener, Peyssonnelia caulifera Okamura, and are proposed here as a new species: Sonderophycus copusii A. R. Sherwood. Sonderophycus copusii is morphologically distinct from other members of the genus by the following combination of characters: the presence of occasional secondary perithallial growth, emergence of rhizoids from the hypobasal cuticle at a strongly acute angle, a lack of horizontally directed filaments in the lower perithallus, and the lack of a stipe. This is the first record of the genus Sonderophycus in the Hawaiian Islands. Sonderophycus copusii was documented as a dominant member of the algal community at Kure Atoll, and thus may play a significant ecological role in the deep-water benthic community of Kure Atoll, along the lines of reports of deep water peyssonnelioid beds in the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Caribbean. This study further highlights the unexplored diversity of the Peyssonneliales in Hawai'i, and emphasizes more generally the degree of as yet undiscovered biodiversity of algae at mesophotic depths.

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Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems: Introduction and Overview

Cited by 90 publications

References 155 publications

Coral Morphology Portrays the Spatial Distribution and Population Size-Structure Along a 5–100 m Depth Gradient

Coral Morphology Portrays the Spatial Distribution and Population Size-Structure Along a 5–100 m Depth Gradient

Light environment drives the shallow to mesophotic coral community transition

Biodiversity of Hawaiian Peyssonneliales (Rhodophyta): <italic>Sonderophycus copusii</italic> sp. nov., a new species from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

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