Sediment associated with algal turfs inhibits the settlement of two endangered coral species

Speare, Kelly E.; Durán, Alain; Miller, Margaret W.; Burkepile, Deron E.

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.04.066

Cited by 54 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…This was possibly a consequence of reductions in reproductive output due to significant loss of coral abundance and also in the fecundity of surviving colonies (Hughes et al 2019). An additional factor may be the loss of appropriate settlement substrate associated with phase shifts (Speare et al 2019). The viability of gametes and the development of larvae observed in our study, together with reports of M. hispida larvae being tolerant to higher temperatures (~ 32 °C; Mies et al 2018a), suggest that the recruitment process for Mussismilia spp.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 64%

Southwestern Atlantic reef-building corals Mussismilia spp. are able to spawn while fully bleached

et al. 2021

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Bleaching events are becoming more frequent and intense worldwide. Southwestern Atlantic corals are considered stresstolerant species that suffer less during bleaching episodes. Therefore, we investigated if the reef-building corals Mussismilia hispida and M. harttii are capable of spawning while fully bleached. We compared spermatozoa concentration and motility, egg diameter and embryo viability between seemingly healthy and bleached colonies for both species. Findings show that both species spawned viable gametes. Concentration and motility of newly-released spermatozoa were similar between healthy and bleached colonies for both species. Unlike M. hispida, a 10% reduction in size was found in egg diameter for M. harttii. Embryo viability for bleached M. hispida colonies did not decrease; for bleached M. harttii there was a reduction from 14.7 to 6.3%, but fertilization and larval development still took place. These findings describe the unprecedented episode of corals spawning viable gametes when entirely bleached, supporting the suggestion of greater resilience for Southwestern Atlantic corals.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 64%

Southwestern Atlantic reef-building corals Mussismilia spp. are able to spawn while fully bleached

et al. 2021

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“…We show that loss of complexity may also result in a reconfiguration of algal turfs. Since turfs are a dominant reef substratum that underpins fundamental reef processes such as benthic primary productivity (Bellwood et al, ; Hatcher, ; Klumpp & McKinnon, ), coral settlement (Arnold, Steneck, & Mumby, ; Birrell et al, ; Speare et al, ) and herbivory (Choat, Clements, & Robbins, ; Kelly et al, ), changing complexity could have far‐reaching consequences for reefs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The state of algal turfs is, in‐turn, intimately linked to the sediments they contain (Clausing et al, ; Goatley et al, ; Tebbett et al, ). By mediating key processes such as herbivory (Goatley et al, ; Tebbett, Goatley, & Bellwood, ), coral settlement (Birrell, McCook, & Willis, ; Ricardo, Jones, Nordborg, & Negri, ; Speare, Duran, Miller, & Burkepile, ) and benthic productivity (Tebbett et al, ) sediments can mediate many critical processes of reef systems. This recent recognition of the ecological importance of turf‐bound sediments appears timely, given that more than 50% of reefs are forecast to be at risk of increased terrestrial sediment inputs (Burke, Reytar, Spalding, & Perry, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A 3D perspective on sediment accumulation in algal turfs: Implications of coral reef flattening

2019

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Globally, coral reefs are being transformed by a suite of stressors, the foremost being climate change. Increasingly, it is expected that these reconfigured reef systems will emerge with lower‐complexity and will be dominated by algal turfs. Understanding this new operating space is vital if we are to maintain the services, such as fishable biomass production, that reefs provide. However, the functionality of these systems appears to depend on the nature of the algal turfs themselves, which is in‐turn, intimately linked to the sediments they contain. As reefs are losing complexity, we need to understand if, and to what extent, algal turf condition and complex reef structure are connected. To address this issue we took advantage of recent developments in 3D structure‐from‐motion technology to examine how complexity metrics (elevation and surface angle) related to the nature of algal turfs on a heavily climate‐impacted coral reef. This represents a novel application of this technology in the context of coral reef ecosystems. We found that as both elevation and surface angle decreased, the nutritional value of the epilithic algal matrix also decreased while sediment accumulation increased. Furthermore, we showed that elevated surfaces were characterized by far shorter algal turfs, and are potentially herbivory hotspots, offering fertile grounds for further exploration of herbivory dynamics at sub‐metre spatial scales. Synthesis. This study yields new insights into the operating‐space of future reefs, and suggests that as reefs flatten, sediment accumulation is likely to increase even if sediment inputs remain unchanged, altering algal turfs fundamentally. Maintaining key services provided by climate‐transformed, low‐complexity algal turf‐dominated reefs of the future, will depend on managing the complex interactions between herbivory, sediments, algal turfs and reef structural complexity.

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“…Coral bleaching and other manifestations of ocean warming, including increased disease severity, are primary causes of coral loss in the Caribbean (20–27). On local scales, increased sedimentation from coastal development affects coral reefs by increasing turbidity and smothering corals (28,29). Secondary drivers include factors that have increased the cover of fleshy macroalgae (seaweeds), including the death of scleractinian corals and the consequent opening of space and other resources (30), nutrient loading, and the loss of herbivores, particularly the sea urchin Diadema antillarum due to a regional disease outbreak (31), and herbivorous fishes due to fishing (32–37).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Coral bleaching and other manifestations of ocean warming, including increased disease severity, are primary causes of coral loss in the Caribbean (20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27). On local scales, increased sedimentation from coastal development affects coral reefs by increasing turbidity and smothering corals (28,29). Secondary drivers include factors that have increased the cover of fleshy macroalgae (seaweeds), including the death of .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Twenty years of change in benthic communities across the Belizean Barrier Reef

Alves

Aronson

Bood³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Disease, ocean warming, and pollution have caused catastrophic declines in the cover of living coral on reefs across the Caribbean. Subsequently, reef-building corals have been replaced by invertebrates and macroalgae, leading to changes in ecological functioning. We describe changes in benthic community composition and cover at 15 sites across the Belizean Barrier Reef (BBR) following numerous major disturbances—bleaching, storms, and disease outbreaks—over the 20-year period 1997–2016. We tested the role of potential drivers of change on coral reefs, including local human impacts and ocean temperature. From 1997 to 2016, mean coral cover significantly declined from 26.3% to 10.7%, while macroalgal cover significantly increased from 12.9% to 39.7%. We documented a significant decline over time of the reef-building corals Orbicella spp. and described a major shift in benthic composition between early sampling years (1997–2005) and later years (2009¬–2016). The covers of hard-coral taxa, including Acropora spp., M. cavernosa, Orbicella spp., and Porites spp., were negatively related to marine heatwave frequency. Only gorgonian cover was related, negatively, to our metric of the magnitude of local impacts (the Human Influence Index). Changes in benthic composition and cover were not associated with local protection or fishing. This result is concordant with studies throughout the Caribbean that have documented living coral decline and shifts in reef-community composition following disturbances, regardless of local fisheries restrictions. Our results suggest that benthic communities along the BBR have experienced disturbances that are beyond the capacity of the current management structure to mitigate. We recommend that managers devote greater resources and capacity to enforce and expand existing marine protected areas and that government, industry, and the public act to reduce global carbon emissions.

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Sediment associated with algal turfs inhibits the settlement of two endangered coral species

Cited by 54 publications

References 31 publications

Southwestern Atlantic reef-building corals Mussismilia spp. are able to spawn while fully bleached

Southwestern Atlantic reef-building corals Mussismilia spp. are able to spawn while fully bleached

A 3D perspective on sediment accumulation in algal turfs: Implications of coral reef flattening

Twenty years of change in benthic communities across the Belizean Barrier Reef

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