The rapid decline of an Endangered temperate soft coral species

Larkin, Meryl F.; Davis, Tom R.; Harasti, David; Cadiou, Gwenaël; Poulos, Davina E.; Smith, Stephen

doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2021.107364

Cited by 13 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…As discussed, the Dendronephthya australis soft coral habitat is currently undergoing a rapid decline across its range in NSW (Larkin et al 2021); hence, it has been recently listed as an Endangered species. This study demonstrated that the soft coral is an important habitat for a range of species that use it as a food source and to provide shelter, and that the loss of this species from an ecosystem would clearly have flow-on effects to the wider marine food web.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This study demonstrated that the soft coral is an important habitat for a range of species that use it as a food source and to provide shelter, and that the loss of this species from an ecosystem would clearly have flow-on effects to the wider marine food web. Because this habitat is still under threat from anthropogenic pressures such as boat anchor and mooring installations (Harasti 2016) as well as from the impacts of sand movement (Larkin et al 2021), it is imperative that remediation and management actions are implemented to ensure that this species does not become locally extinct and deleteriously affect local food webs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The eastern basin is a marine-dominated environment that contains extensive sponge, seagrass and rocky reef habitats (Davis et al 2015). Several mapping studies of marine habitats in the estuary have found that D. australis predominantly occurs along the southern shoreline (Davis et al 2015;Poulos et al 2016;Larkin et al 2021).…”

Section: Study Areasmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It became listed as Endangered under both state (NSW Fisheries Management Act 1999) and national legislation (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) because of the declines in distribution and abundance across its range. A recent study investigating the rate of decline in the Port Stephens estuary, where it was previously considered abundant, found a decline of ,70% over the past decade (Larkin et al 2021). Declines in the soft coral abundance have been attributed to damage from boat anchoring, poorly installed boat moorings, sand inundation (Harasti 2016) and entanglement by fishing line (Smith and Edgar 2014), and this soft coral is susceptible to predation from opisthobranch species, with the level of predation difficult to assess (Davis et al 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

What eats a cauliflower coral? An assessment of predation on the endangered temperate soft coral,

Finlay-Jones

Raoult

Harasti

et al. 2021

Mar. Freshwater Res.

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Temperate soft corals are found in many estuaries around the world and often form large habitats in these environments, yet the functional ecology of soft corals is poorly understood. To understand the functional role of a soft coral in temperate ecosystems, we examined the role of the endangered Dendronepthya australis cauliflower coral as habitat for fishes and invertebrates, and whether associated species used the soft coral as a food source. Using Bayesian stable isotope mixing models of δ13C and δ15N values of soft corals and a suite of potential invertebrate consumers, we found that five of eight soft-coral-associated invertebrates were all likely to be feeding almost exclusively on the soft corals. In situ feeding experiments conducted using baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVS) with soft coral cuttings as ‘bait’ did not identify any larger species as consumers. Fish assemblages studied using remote underwater video systems (RUVS) were diverse in the soft coral habitat and overlapped with assemblages of both sediment and seagrass environments. These results highlighted that these soft corals have a valuable trophic role in estuarine food webs through trophic transfer of nutrients via invertebrate consumers, and that soft coral habitats are used by commercially and recreationally important fishes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

What eats a cauliflower coral? An assessment of predation on the endangered temperate soft coral,

Finlay-Jones

Raoult

Harasti

et al. 2021

Mar. Freshwater Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The distribution and occurrence of D. australis appears somewhat sporadic, with its presence and abundance fluctuating substantially. More recently, it has significantly declined in area (Larkin et al 2021a). Currently, D. australis colonies consistently only occur in abundance at three locations in NSW: Port Stephens and at Brisbane Water (~150 km south of Port Stephens), and newly discovered colonies have been found occurring on the HMAS Adelaide shipwreck located off Terrigal, close to Brisbane Water (Harasti 2021, personal observation).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic differentiation in the threatened soft coral Dendronephthya australis in temperate eastern Australia

et al. 2022

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The endangered soft coral Dendronephthya australis faces substantial population decreases in central eastern Australian waters. Despite uncertainty about the cause of these declines, the population genetics of the species has not been investigated. Genetic analysis suggests that D. australis is a single species within the family Nephtheidae, confirming identifications based on morphological characteristics only. Soft coral colonies were distributed from Seahorse Gardens in Port Stephens to Jervis Bay in temperate Australian waters, a distance of some 400 km. Genetic differentiation was observed along this distribution using SNP genotyping. Relatively high levels of genetic differentiation were observed between Jervis Bay and the other sites, indicating limited gene flow between this location and others. Moreover, the genetic distinctiveness, low diversity and heterozygote excess at this southern location suggested that it was subjected to a recent population decline and genetic bottleneck. Colonies at Seahorse Gardens and Ettalong, approximately 150 km south of Seahorse Gardens, displayed greater genetic diversity, making these sites more likely to host ancestral populations and to have acted as refugia. Recent substantial decreases in population sizes at these locations are particularly concerning, and these locations require immediate conservation attention.

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Substantial advancement in aquaria rearing methods to assist recovery of an Endangered soft coral

Larkin

Davis

Harasti

et al. 2022

Aquatic Conservation

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The temperate soft coral Dendronephthya australis has been listed as Endangered in NSW, Australia, owing to its restricted geographic range, rapidly declining populations, and a number of escalating threats. Research to assess practical methods for aquarium cultivation of D. australis for rehabilitation of wild populations is considered a high priority. Previous attempts at restoration by transplanting D. australis fragments have had limited success, but identified key challenges, which included achieving attachment to substrates and identifying appropriate foods to maximize survival. This study presents the results of experiments promoting the attachment of cuttings (nubbins) removed from donor colonies to moveable substrates (small concrete discs). Using a balanced orthogonal experimental design, three feeding regimes were tested: live artemia, live rotifers and dry powdered zooplankton. Donor colony survival and growth were also monitored over a 6 month period in the field. An overall nubbin survival rate of 100% was achieved under all three feeding regimes. Attachment rates were similar across feeding treatments, although nubbin behavioural responses (percentage of open polyps before feeding) suggested some preference for live rotifers. The cutting removal process had no significant effect on donor colonies in the wild, indicating that this is a sustainable approach for restoration. Overall, this study substantially advances the methodology for maintaining an Endangered azooxanthellate soft coral in aquaria and provides valuable input for management programmes aimed at implementing transplantation into the wild to aid species recovery.

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The rapid decline of an Endangered temperate soft coral species

Cited by 13 publications

References 39 publications

What eats a cauliflower coral? An assessment of predation on the endangered temperate soft coral,

What eats a cauliflower coral? An assessment of predation on the endangered temperate soft coral,

Genetic differentiation in the threatened soft coral Dendronephthya australis in temperate eastern Australia

Substantial advancement in aquaria rearing methods to assist recovery of an Endangered soft coral

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