Overview of the mesophotic coral ecosystems around Sesoko Island, Okinawa, Japan

Sinniger, Frédéric; Albelda, Ritzelle L.; Prasetia, Rian; Rouzé, Héloïse; Sitorus, Erlangga D.; Harii, Saki

doi:10.3755/galaxea.g2021_s11n

Cited by 7 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…and Oxypora sp. individuals were also observed at shallow and mesophotic depths, as reported in several studies worldwide (Fassbender & Stefanoudis, 2021;Pérez-Rosales et al, 2021;Sinniger et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

“…shallow to upper-mesophotic communities from 15 to 40 m; midmesophotic communities from 60 to 90 m; and distinct deeper communities of 110-120 m and 150-160 m. A strong benthic community break was observed at approximately 60 m, separating shallow and upper-mesophotic communities from mid-and lower-mesophotic communities (>60 m, Figure 2), with a clear change in benthic taxa (Figures 3 and 5). This trend has previously been observed across other geographical regions (reviewed in Lesser et al, 2019), including the Caribbean Sea (Kahng et al, 2019), the Pacific Ocean (Bridge et al, 2012;Sinniger et al, 2022) and the Western Indian Ocean (Stefanoudis et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

“…In terms of mesophotic zooxanthellate scleractinian corals, Sheppard (1977) reported Craterastrea levis as the dominant species be- Sesoko Island (Sinniger et al, 2022), and Palau (Colin et al, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Light and temperature drive the distribution of mesophotic benthic communities in the Central Indian Ocean

Diaz,

Howell,

Robinson

et al. 2023

Diversity and Distributions

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AimResearch on mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) has increased exponentially in recent decades, and the significance of this ecosystem has been recognised both in terms of biodiversity and distribution. However, this research has mostly focussed on corals and is globally sporadic, with the Indian Ocean remaining largely unexplored and overall MCEs under protected. Hence, baseline data on MCE benthic communities is lacking, but nonetheless essential for developing adequate management strategies. Here, we assess the variation in diversity and community structure of MCEs along the depth gradient and among sites in the Indian Ocean and the environmental parameters that are potentially driving these differences.LocationEgmont Atoll, Chagos Archipelago, central Indian Ocean.Time PeriodPresent.Major Taxa StudiedMarine benthic invertebrates, plants.MethodsUsing a remotely operated vehicle, we collected video transects between 15 and 160 m. We analysed the diversity and composition of benthic communities and used DistLM analysis to determine the environmental drivers of the community structure over the depth gradient and between sites.ResultsWe observed distinct benthic communities along the depth gradient, with a strong community break observed at ~60 m. We also identified a clear zonation of the benthic taxa with depth. This zonation was primarily driven by downward irradiance and temperature, with additional environmental processes playing a minor role in structuring the benthic communities.Main ConclusionsWe show that MCEs in the Chagos Archipelago are distinct communities, and their distribution is driven primarily by irradiance and temperature. Our results highlight the variability in benthic community structure of MCEs, both along the depth gradient and at local geographical scales for the study region. This study showcases the uniqueness of MCEs and will aid in predicting their distribution, potential refugia for shallow reefs, and in developing evidence‐based protection for MCEs, to maintain overall marine biodiversity.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 69%

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Light and temperature drive the distribution of mesophotic benthic communities in the Central Indian Ocean

Diaz,

Howell,

Robinson

et al. 2023

Diversity and Distributions

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“…Seriatopora hystrix Dana 1846 , is a widespread scleractinian coral in the Indo-Pacific region. This coral is an ideal species model since it is abundant at an MCE in Okinawa 22 , 23 while it disappeared locally in a nearby shallow reef following bleaching events in 1998 24 and 2001 with no recovery in the shallow reef observed until 2010 25 and later 26 . Here we examined the effect of light on mesophotic coral larval behavior and settlement in a laboratory experiment as well as on the survival, growth, and physiological acclimation of juveniles in a field experiment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Limited acclimation of early life stages of the coral Seriatopora hystrix from mesophotic depth to shallow reefs

Prasetia

Sinniger

Nakamura

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

Self Cite

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Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs, reefs between 30 and 150 m depth) have been hypothesized to contribute to shallow reef recovery through the recruitment of larvae. However, few studies have directly examined this. Here we used mesophotic colonies of Seriatopora hystrix, a depth generalist coral, to investigate the effect of light intensity on larval behavior and settlement through ex situ experiments. We also investigated juvenile survival, growth, and physiological acclimation in situ. Bleached larvae and a significant reduction in settlement rates were found when the mesophotic larvae were exposed to light conditions corresponding to shallow depths (5 and 10 m) ex situ. The in situ experiments showed that mesophotic juveniles survived well at 20 and 40 m, with juveniles in shaded areas surviving longer than three months at 3–5 m during a year of mass bleaching in 2016. Juvenile transplants at 20 m showed a sign of physiological acclimation, which was reflected by a significant decline in maximum quantum yield. These results suggest that light is a significant factor for successful recolonization of depth-generalist corals to shallow reefs. Further, recolonization of shallow reefs may only occur in shaded habitats or potentially through multigenerational recruitments with intermediate depths acting as stepping stones.

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“…The shallow-water site is on Sesoko Island's southeast shore, where a flat reef dominated by tabular Acropora corals is located (Singh et al, 2022). Two other deeper sites are close to a large mesophotic ecosystem located on a flat plateau north of Sesoko Island (Sinniger et al, 2022).…”

Section: Monitoring Coral Reef Soundscapes In Okinawa Japanmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Soundscapes to Assess Changes in Coral Reef Social-Ecological Systems

Lin¹,

Sinniger²,

Harii³

et al. 2023

Oceanog

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Coral reefs are among the world’s most diversified marine ecosystems. While their rich biodiversity is essential to many social and economic activities, they face unprecedented cumulative impacts from climate change and anthropogenic development. Aligning governance structures with ecological processes has become key to sustaining ecosystem services. Nevertheless, a major obstacle to informing decision-making is the lack of empirical data on interacting ecological and social processes. Therefore, novel methods for facilitating the assessment of coral reef social-ecological systems are necessary.

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Overview of the mesophotic coral ecosystems around Sesoko Island, Okinawa, Japan

Cited by 7 publications

References 19 publications

Light and temperature drive the distribution of mesophotic benthic communities in the Central Indian Ocean

Light and temperature drive the distribution of mesophotic benthic communities in the Central Indian Ocean

Limited acclimation of early life stages of the coral Seriatopora hystrix from mesophotic depth to shallow reefs

Using Soundscapes to Assess Changes in Coral Reef Social-Ecological Systems

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