Uneven abundance of the invasive sun coral over habitat patches of different orientation: An outcome of larval or later benthic processes?

Mizrahi, Damián; Navarrete, Sergio A.; Flores, Augusto A. V.

doi:10.1016/j.jembe.2013.11.013

Cited by 33 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…Larvae that settle in sheltered positions with good light availability have a greater likelihood of survival than larvae settled in exposed or heavily shaded positions 33 . Larval preference for settlement positions with these ecological characteristics is evident from previous studies where high proportions of recruits were found on the vertical edges or cryptic undersides of flat settlement substrata [34][35][36] . However, where available space in these preferred positions is limited, ecological trade-offs between aggregated and solitary settlement may influence larval substratum selection.…”

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confidence: 69%

Density of coral larvae can influence settlement, post-settlement colony abundance and coral cover in larval restoration

Cameron

Harrison

2020

Sci Rep

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Successful recruitment of new individuals is essential for recovery of degraded coral reefs. Enhancing supply of coral larvae increases initial settlement, however post-settlement survival can be influenced by density-dependent processes. We investigated the influence of larval density on settlement, colony abundance and growth to 24 months for Acropora tenuis in the northwestern Philippines, to determine whether larval supply can be optimised to maximise successful recruitment. Thirty different densities of coral larvae were enclosed for five days around settlement tiles and highest total settlement occurred on tiles with highest larval densities. After 12 months, however, colony abundance and coral cover was lower on high density tiles (supplied with ~2,500-5,000 larvae) than tiles supplied with ~1,000-2,000 larvae. Coral cover at 24 months remained highest on tiles supplied with ~1,000-2,500 larvae. Larval density influenced larval substratum selection, with proportionally fewer larvae settling in typically preferred locations as density increased. We conclude that larval density can influence post-settlement colony abundance and coral cover to 12 months, with coral cover trends persisting to 24 months. We show that optimising larval densities can maximise coral recruitment and growth, however oversupply of larvae at very high densities can have negative outcomes for larval restoration.

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confidence: 69%

Density of coral larvae can influence settlement, post-settlement colony abundance and coral cover in larval restoration

Cameron

Harrison

2020

Sci Rep

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“…It is also well established that coral larvae generally settle in much higher abundances on the cryptic undersides of flat settlement tiles (e.g., Babcock and Mundy , Raimondi and Morse , Mizrahi et al. ). However, this does not consistently result in higher recruitment rates in this microhabitat nor does it reflect juvenile community structure in situ .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…), creating an important and unresolved disparity between patterns of recruit distributions among microhabitats on settlement tiles and the reef (Mizrahi et al. ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterizing the ecological trade‐offs throughout the early ontogeny of coral recruitment

Doropoulos

Roff

Bozec

et al. 2016

Ecological Monographs

175

183

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Drivers of recruitment in sessile marine organisms are often poorly understood, due to the rapidly changing requirements experienced during early ontogeny. The complex suite of physical, biological, and ecological interactions beginning at larval settlement involves a series of trade‐offs that influence recruitment success. For example, while cryptic settlement within complex microhabitats is a commonly observed phenomenon in sessile marine organisms, it is unclear whether trade‐offs between competition in cryptic refuges and predation on exposed surfaces leads to higher recruitment.To explore the trade‐offs during the early ontogeny of scleractinian corals, we combined field observations with laboratory and field experiments to develop a mechanistic understanding of coral recruitment success. Multiple experiments conducted over 15 months in Palau (Micronesia) allowed a mechanistic approach to study the individual factors involved in recruitment: settlement behavior, growth, competition, and predation, as functions of microhabitat and ontogeny. We finally developed and tested a predictive recruitment model with the broader aim of testing whether our empirical insights explained patterns of coral recruitment and quantifying the relative importance of each trade‐off.Coral settlement was higher in crevices than exposed microhabitats, but post‐settlement bottlenecks differed markedly in the presence (uncaged) and absence (caged) of predators. Incidental predation by herbivores on exposed surfaces at early post‐settlement (<3 mm) stages and targeted predation by corallivores at late post‐settlement (3–10 mm) stages exceeded competition in crevices as major drivers of mortality. In contrast, when fish were excluded, competition with macroalgae and heterotrophic invertebrates intensified mortality, particularly in crevices. As a result, post‐settlement trade‐offs were reversed, and recruitment was more than twofold higher on exposed surfaces than crevices. Once post‐settlement bottlenecks were overcome, survival was higher on exposed surfaces regardless of fish exclusion. However, maximum recruitment occurred in crevices of uncaged treatments, being ninefold higher than caged treatments. Overall, we characterize recruitment success throughout the earliest life‐history stages of corals and uncover some intriguing trade‐offs between growth, competition and predation, highlighting how these change and even reverse during ontogeny and under alternate disturbance regimes.

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“…Uneven abundance of the invasive sun coral over habitat patches of different orientation: an outcome of larval or later benthic processes? (Mizrahi et al., )…”

Section: Latin America: a Living Laboratory For Evo‐devo Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo‐Devo) Research in Latin America

et al. 2016

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Famous for its blind cavefish and Darwin's finches, Latin America is home to some of the richest biodiversity hotspots of our planet. The Latin American fauna and flora inspired and captivated naturalists from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including such notable pioneers such as Fritz Müller, Florentino Ameghino, and Léon Croizat who made a significant contribution to the study of embryology and evolutionary thinking. But, what are the historical and present contributions of the Latin American scientific community to Evo-Devo? Here, we provide the first comprehensive overview of the Evo-Devo laboratories based in Latin America and describe current lines of research based on endemic species, focusing on body plans and patterning, systematics, physiology, computational modeling approaches, ecology, and domestication. Literature searches reveal that Evo-Devo in Latin America is still in its early days; while showing encouraging indicators of productivity, it has not stabilized yet, because it relies on few and sparsely distributed laboratories. Coping with the rapid changes in national scientific policies and contributing to solve social and health issues specific to each region are among the main challenges faced by Latin American researchers. The 2015 inaugural meeting of the Pan-American Society for Evolutionary Developmental Biology played a pivotal role in bringing together Latin American researchers eager to initiate and consolidate regional and worldwide collaborative networks. Such networks will undoubtedly advance research on the extremely high genetic and phenotypic biodiversity of Latin America, bound to be an almost infinite source of amazement and fascinating findings for the Evo-Devo community.

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Uneven abundance of the invasive sun coral over habitat patches of different orientation: An outcome of larval or later benthic processes?

Cited by 33 publications

References 77 publications

Density of coral larvae can influence settlement, post-settlement colony abundance and coral cover in larval restoration

Density of coral larvae can influence settlement, post-settlement colony abundance and coral cover in larval restoration

Characterizing the ecological trade‐offs throughout the early ontogeny of coral recruitment

Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo‐Devo) Research in Latin America

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