The Habitat Persistence Hypothesis: a new perspective on the distribution of coral-reef organisms

Copus, Joshua M.; Pyle, Richard L.; Bowen, Brian W.; Kosaki, Randall K.; Webster, Jody M.

doi:10.21425/f5fbg57427

Cited by 7 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 133 publications

(162 reference statements)

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“…The presence of A. glomerata in its current diversity of habitats suggests the possibility of being a persistent species with a long diversification period in Hawai'i, using certain parts of its range during periods of climactic variability. Specifically, the species exhibits strong population structure and further mesophotic sampling should be undertaken to assess whether population expansion has also occurred in this more stable habitat (Copus et al 2022). Haplotypes containing samples collected from mesophotic depths in Hawai'i are almost always shared with identical shallow water samples, an indication the mesophotic may act as a refugia for the species (Bongaerts et al 2010;Hinderstein et al 2010;Bongaerts & Smith 2019;Pyle & Copus 2019).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Amansia glomerata exhibits shared haplotypes across the mesophotic-shallow threshold and exceptional diversity in the archipelago, following several of the hypotheses suggested by Copus et al . (2022) as the habitat persistence hypothesis. The presence of A. glomerata in its current diversity of habitats suggests the possibility of being a persistent species with a long diversification period in Hawai‘i, using certain parts of its range during periods of climactic variability.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The presence of A. glomerata in its current diversity of habitats suggests the possibility of being a persistent species with a long diversification period in Hawai‘i, using certain parts of its range during periods of climactic variability. Specifically, the species exhibits strong population structure and further mesophotic sampling should be undertaken to assess whether population expansion has also occurred in this more stable habitat (Copus et al . 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Phylogeography of Amansia glomerata C.Agardh (Ceramiales, Rhodomelaceae) in Hawai‘i: A Single Species with High Divergence

Fumo

Sherwood

2023

Cryptogamie, Algologie

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Algal biogeography in Hawai'i has not been studied in detail for many species. The islands are home to swift-current deep-water channels separating suitable habitats. The ability of these channels to act as barriers to dispersal has been studied in several animal lineages and is assessed here using the widespread red alga Amansia glomerata C.Agardh. A variety of analytical techniques based on 129 mitochondrial COI barcoding sequences collected across c. 2500 km were used to assess the genetic diversity of A. glomerata in Hawai'i. Haplotype network analyses demonstrated that the species is split into four main lineages which overlap in large parts of their range, yet there is insufficient support to recognize the lineages as separate species. Measures of haplotype diversity, nucleotide diversity, and neutrality tests suggest that at least three of these lineages have undergone recent population expansion. Biogeographic barriers were found to largely match those of marine animal groups in the archipelago. No evidence was found for distinct haplotypes or lineages between shallow and mesophotic reefs. A number of potential collection locations are suggested for the 1822 lectotype of the species, which was included in the molecular analyses. Potential scenarios leading to observed diversity patterns in the archipelago are presented. Amansia glomerata exhibits a high degree of haplotypic variation in Hawai'i, suggesting it may exhibit vast molecular divergences across its broader range, which extends from Hawai'i to southeastern Africa.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Phylogeography of Amansia glomerata C.Agardh (Ceramiales, Rhodomelaceae) in Hawai‘i: A Single Species with High Divergence

Fumo

Sherwood

2023

Cryptogamie, Algologie

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“…The DRRH has strong implications for conservation, under the premise that MCEs can host remnant communities during sea level changes in the long term (e.g. Copus, Pyle, et al, 2022), and protect populations from disturbance in the short term. Our findings invoke a more nuanced view of MCEs as refuges.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to the issue of depth‐based biotic zonation, another outstanding question concerns the degree to which MCEs may act as refugia for shallow‐water taxa (Bongaerts et al, 2010). Due to their depth and remoteness, MCEs may be more stable and less prone to disturbance (both natural and anthropogenic) than shallow reefs on both ecological and evolutionary timescales (Bongaerts et al, 2010; Copus, Pyle, et al, 2022), and thus able to reseed extirpated shallow taxa. Key assumptions of the deep reef refugia hypothesis (DRRH) are that (i) the species composition of MCEs is similar to shallow reefs; (ii) there is exchange of individuals or propagules between deep and shallow reefs; and (iii) deep reefs are more resilient or less impacted than their shallow counterparts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plumbing the depths with environmental DNA (eDNA): Metabarcoding reveals biodiversity zonation at 45–60 m on mesophotic coral reefs

Hoban,

Bunce,

Bowen

2023

Molecular Ecology

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Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) are tropical reefs found at depths of ~30–150 m, below the region most heavily impacted by heat stress and other disturbances. Hence, MCEs may serve as potential refugia for threatened shallow reefs, but they also harbour depth‐endemic fauna distinct from shallow reefs. Previous studies have characterized biodiversity patterns along depth gradients, but focussed primarily on conspicuous taxa (fishes, corals, etc.). Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding offers a more holistic approach to assess biodiversity patterns across the tree of life. Here, we use three metabarcoding assays targeting fishes (16S rRNA), eukaryotes (18S rDNA) and metazoans (COI) to assess biodiversity change from the surface to ~90 m depth across 15‐m intervals at three sites within the Hawaiian Archipelago. We observed significant community differences between most depth zones, with distinct zonation centred at 45–60 m for eukaryotes and metazoans, but not for fishes. This finding may be attributable to the higher mobility of reef fishes, although methodological limitations are likely a contributing factor. The possibility for MCEs to serve as refugia is not excluded for fishes, but invertebrate communities >45 m are distinct, indicating limited connectivity for the majority of reef fauna. This study provides a new approach for surveying biodiversity on MCEs, revealing patterns in a much broader context than the limited‐taxon studies that comprise the bulk of our present knowledge.

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Tropical seamounts as stepping-stones for coral reef fishes: range extensions and new regional distributions from mesophotic ecosystems in the Coral Sea, Australia

Galbraith,

Cresswell,

McClure

et al. 2024

Mar. Biodivers.

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Seamounts and remote oceanic islands serve as valuable natural laboratories in which to study patterns and processes in marine biodiversity. A central hypothesis arising from studies of these systems is the ecological function of seamounts as stepping-stones for dispersal and population connectivity. Evidence of this mechanism exists for a range of taxa, including coral reef fishes, but is still lacking from many tropical seamounts in remote regions. In this study, we used remotely operated vehicles and baited remote underwater video systems to survey fish and benthic communities between 1 and 100 m on seamounts in the Coral Sea Marine Park (CSMP), Australia. We found evidence to support the stepping-stone model of ecological connectivity from new observations of 16 coral reef fishes which have previously not been recorded by quantitative surveys in the region. The widespread distribution of many of these species throughout the full latitudinal extent of the CSMP suggests that there is greater connectivity between mesophotic habitats in the Coral Sea and surrounding biogeographic regions than previously known. We also found a wide variety of mesophotic habitats and recorded significant depth range extensions for 78 fishes in these habitats. This further highlights the potential role of increased habitat area and heterogeneity in a stepping-stone effect throughout the region. Four of the fish occurrence records represent significant range extensions into the Coral Sea from adjacent biogeographic regions, and 13 fishes recorded by this study in the CSMP are not known from the neighbouring Great Barrier Reef, despite its close proximity. Although the Coral Sea remains relatively understudied, these findings suggest that larger-scale models of marine biogeography are relevant to communities in the region, particularly at mesophotic depths. Given the extent and the spatial arrangement of seamounts in the Coral Sea, our findings emphasise that the region is an important link between the centre of marine biodiversity in the Coral Triangle and the Southwest Pacific. Greater mesophotic sampling effort and genetic studies are necessary to understand the nature of connectivity and to establish the role of regional seamount chains, like the Coral Sea reefs, in broader marine biogeographic processes.

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The Habitat Persistence Hypothesis: a new perspective on the distribution of coral-reef organisms

Abstract: Highlights• A novel hypothesis is presented to account for patterns of geographic distribution of marine organisms inhabiting both shallow and deep coralreef habitats.

Cited by 7 publications

References 133 publications

Phylogeography of Amansia glomerata C.Agardh (Ceramiales, Rhodomelaceae) in Hawai‘i: A Single Species with High Divergence

Phylogeography of Amansia glomerata C.Agardh (Ceramiales, Rhodomelaceae) in Hawai‘i: A Single Species with High Divergence

Plumbing the depths with environmental DNA (eDNA): Metabarcoding reveals biodiversity zonation at 45–60 m on mesophotic coral reefs

Tropical seamounts as stepping-stones for coral reef fishes: range extensions and new regional distributions from mesophotic ecosystems in the Coral Sea, Australia

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