Terrigenous sediment impact on coral recruitment and growth affects the use of coral habitat by recruit parrotfishes (F. Scaridae)

DeMartini, Edward E.; Jokiel, Paul L.; Beets, Jim; Stender, Yuko O.; Storlazzi, Curt D.; Minton, Dwayne; Conklin, Eric

doi:10.1007/s11852-013-0247-2

Cited by 48 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…The proliferation of macro‐algae, in conjunction with increased sediment in the system, is likely to inhibit coral and fish recruitment and consequently impede reef recovery (DeMartini et al. ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of reduced water quality on coral reefs in and out of no‐take marine reserves

Wenger

Williamson

Silva

et al. 2015

Conservation Biology

106

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Near-shore marine environments are increasingly subjected to reduced water quality, and their ability to withstand it is critical to their persistence. The potential role marine reserves may play in mitigating the effects of reduced water quality has received little attention. We investigated the spatial and temporal variability in live coral and macro-algal cover and water quality during moderate and major flooding events of the Fitzroy River within the Keppel Bay region of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park from 2007 to 2013. We used 7 years of remote sensing data on water quality and data from long-term monitoring of coral reefs to quantify exposure of coral reefs to flood plumes. We used a distance linear model to partition the contribution of abiotic and biotic factors, including zoning, as drivers of the observed changes in coral and macro-algae cover. Moderate flood plumes from 2007 to 2009 did not affect coral cover on reefs in the Keppel Islands, suggesting the reef has intrinsic resistance against short-term exposure to reduced water quality. However, from 2009 to 2013, live coral cover declined by ∼ 50% following several weeks of exposure to turbid, low salinity water from major flood plume events in 2011 and subsequent moderate events in 2012 and 2013. Although the flooding events in 2012 and 2013 were smaller than the flooding events between 2007 to 2009, the ability of the reefs to withstand these moderate floods was lost, as evidenced by a ∼ 20% decline in coral cover between 2011 to 2013. Although zoning (no-take reserve or fished) was identified a significant driver of coral cover, we recorded consistently lower coral cover on reserve reefs than on fished reefs throughout the study period and significantly lower cover in 2011. Our findings suggest that even reefs with an inherent resistance to reduced water quality are not able to withstand repeated disturbance events. The limitations of reserves in mitigating the effects of reduced water quality on near-shore coral reefs underscores the importance of integrated management approaches that combine effective land-based management with networks of no-take reserves.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of reduced water quality on coral reefs in and out of no‐take marine reserves

Wenger

Williamson

Silva

et al. 2015

Conservation Biology

106

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“…In particular, Pinca et al [20] found that, after partialling out the effects of fishing, parrotfish density and biomass was positively related to barrier reef systems with lagoons and negatively related to atolls and low complexity fringing reef systems, whereas fringing reefs supported greater mean body sizes. Specific habitats prevalent in wave-protected environments like lagoons provide major nursery habitat for many parrotfishes, including C. spilurus [41,42], and therefore may boost abundance potential for adults. Interspecific density-dependent processes, such as competition and predation, have considerable effects on population demography and probably influence the social mating systems distinctively at each island type [18].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drivers of protogynous sex change differ across spatial scales

Taylor

2014

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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The influence of social demography on sex change schedules in protogynous reef fishes is well established, yet effects across spatial scales (in particular, the magnitude of natural variation relative to size-selective fishing effects) are poorly understood. Here, I examine variation in timing of sex change for exploited parrotfishes across a range of environmental, anthropogenic and geographical factors. Results were highly dependent on spatial scale. Fishing pressure was the most influential factor determining length at sex change at the withinisland scale where a wide range of anthropogenic pressure existed. Sex transition occurred at smaller sizes where fishing pressure was high. Among islands, however, differences were overwhelmingly predicted by reefal-scale structural features, a pattern evident for all species examined. For the most abundant species, Chlorurus spilurus, length at sex change increased at higher overall densities and greater female-to-male sex ratios at all islands except where targeted by fishermen; here the trend was reversed. This implies differing selective pressures on adult individuals can significantly alter sex change dynamics, highlighting the importance of social structure, demography and the selective forces structuring populations. Considerable life-history responses to exploitation were observed, but results suggest potential fishing effects on demography may be obscured by natural variation at biogeographic scales.

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“…As humans persist in exploiting the economic, ecological and aesthetic benefits from coral reefs, this fragile ecosystem continues to decline globally (Bellwood et al, 2004;Wilson et al, 2006;DeMartini et al, 2013), as natural recovery is outpaced by the effects of global climate change (Hoegh-Guldberg et al, 2007;De'ath et al, 2009;Burke et al, 2011;Chen et al, 2015). Responding to the decline of reef ecosystems, various coral reef rehabilitation techniques have been developed (Jaap, 2000;Raymundo et al, 2007; transplantation protocols employed at various locations, worldwide, have resulted in varying degrees of success (measured as increased coral coverage and fish assemblages) as well as different degrees of damage incurred by donor colonies and of stress inflicted on the transplant materials Ward, 2008, 2012;Lirman et al, 2010;Forrester et al, 2011Forrester et al, , 2013Gomez et al, 2011Gomez et al, , 2014Young et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing an abridged nursery phase for slow growing corals used in coral restoration

Cruz

Rinkevich

Gomez

et al. 2015

Ecological Engineering

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Terrigenous sediment impact on coral recruitment and growth affects the use of coral habitat by recruit parrotfishes (F. Scaridae)

Cited by 48 publications

References 25 publications

Effects of reduced water quality on coral reefs in and out of no‐take marine reserves

Effects of reduced water quality on coral reefs in and out of no‐take marine reserves

Drivers of protogynous sex change differ across spatial scales

Assessing an abridged nursery phase for slow growing corals used in coral restoration

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