Water flow facilitates recovery from bleaching in the coral Stylophora pistillata

Nakamura, Takashi; Yamasaki, Hideo; Woesik, Robert van

doi:10.3354/meps256287

Cited by 120 publications

(96 citation statements)

References 25 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Recent experimental evidence has shown that the prevention of and rapid recovery from bleaching is enhanced by water flow. This suggests that masstransfer-limited processes are clearly involved in coral bleaching (Nakamura & van Woesik 2001, Nakamura et al 2003. In the present study we show that the rates of down-regulation in PS II activity, during acute irradiance stress, are directly affected by water-flow rates.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 50%

“…For experimental manipulation, the coral samples were kept in Perspex miniflumes (length 140 cm, width 10 cm, height 10 cm; water depth was kept constant at 5 to 6 cm, similar to the method described by , Nakamura & van Woesik 2001, Nakamura et al 2003. These miniflumes were supported on concrete blocks within an open aquarium (length 200 cm, width 150 cm, depth 50 cm) supplied with running seawater.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Water-flow rates also influence the degree to which corals can tolerate high temperatures and irradiance (Nakamura & van Woesik 2001, Nakamura et al 2003), yet the mechanisms associated with differential tolerance remain unclear. One possibility is that the external supply of carbon dioxide becomes insufficient to sustain algal photosynthesis under strong irradiance and high temperature (Weis et al 1989), particularly when water-flow rates are low and diffusion is restricted.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Photoinhibition of photosynthesis is reduced by water flow in the reef-building coral Acropora digitifera

Nakamura¹,

Woesik²,

Yamasaki³

2005

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

While photosynthesis of symbiotic algae is essential for reef-building corals, excess irradiance inhibits photosynthesis through photoinhibition, which can lead to coral bleaching under elevated temperature conditions. Here we show that water flow reduces photoinhibition of in hospite endosymbionts in the coral Acropora digitifera. Diurnal monitoring of chlorophyll fluorescence, under 2 different flow regimes (< 3 and 20 cm s -1 flow rates) in an outdoor aquarium, showed reduced photoinhibition, but only under moderate flow conditions (20 cm s -1 ). Experimental (laboratory) measurements, on time scales ranging from minutes to hours, showed that flow-mediated reductions in photoinhibition occurred not by enhancing recovery of the damaged photosystem, but rather through inducing differential photodamage. Moreover, experiments involving sequential light oscillations (500/20 and 1000/20 µmol photons m -2 s -1 ) at 3 flow regimes, < 3, 10, and 20 cm s -1 , on a time scale ranging from hours to days, revealed water-velocity-dependent reductions of dynamic photoinhibition. These results, on time scales ranging from minutes to weeks, confirm that reduced water flow amplifies photodamage of algal photosynthesis under strong irradiance, which in turn affects coral tolerance to strong irradiance and temperature.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 50%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Photoinhibition of photosynthesis is reduced by water flow in the reef-building coral Acropora digitifera

Nakamura¹,

Woesik²,

Yamasaki³

2005

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The hypothesis that increased current speed reduces bleaching has been supported by field observations (Loya et al 2001, Nakamura & van Woesik 2001, Fabricius 2006) and numerous laboratory experiments (Nakamura et al 2003, 2005, Fabricius 2006, Finelli et al 2006, Smith & Birkeland 2007). Here we provide, to our knowledge, the first manipulative field experimental evidence that supports the hypothesis that flow decreases bleaching and related mortality.…”

Section: Ecological Significancementioning

confidence: 79%

Reef structure regulates small-scale spatial variation in coral bleaching

Lenihan¹,

Adjeroud²,

Kotchen³

et al. 2008

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Coral bleaching is often characterized by high spatial variation across reef systems. Using a field survey and manipulative experiment, we tested whether the physical structure of coral reefs modifies environmental conditions that, in turn, influence spatial variation in bleaching in 3 scleractinian corals, Pocillopora verrucosa, Acropora elseyi, and Porites rus. Corals inhabit mainly the hard-bottom seafloor, or dead or partially dead coral heads ('bommies'). Bommies (0.10 to 3.0 m tall) position corals at different water depths and expose them to differences in light, temperature, hydrodynamics, and sedimentation, factors that can influence patterns of bleaching. We conducted our study in association with a 14 d warming event that caused bleaching in lagoons of Moorea, French Polynesia. Bleaching in naturally occurring colonies of Pocillopora spp. and Acopora spp. was greater on the seafloor (0 m tall) than on short (0.35 to 0.40 m tall) and tall bommies (1.0 to 1.2 m tall). Bleaching in P. verrucosa and A. elseyi transplanted to reef structures in the experiment generally decreased with increasing reef height (seafloor > short bommies > tall bommies). P. rus did not bleach under any conditions observed. Regression analyses revealed that reef structure controlled current speed and sedimentation at the microhabitat scale (from centimeters to meters), and that these factors regulated bleaching and mortality in P. verrucosa and A. elseyi. Our results imply that the physical structure of shallow water reef habitat influences the performance of coral colonies by modifying environmental stress, and that accounting for this structure is important in managing coral reef systems.KEY WORDS: Bleaching · Coral · Environmental stress · Hydrodynamics · Habitat structure · Light · Sedimentation · Temperature Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherMar Ecol Prog Ser 370: [127][128][129][130][131][132][133][134][135][136][137][138][139][140][141] 2008 conditions, thereby reducing environmental stress and regulating coral performance.Decline in coral populations and associated degradation of reef communities are being reported worldwide with increasing frequency (Hughes et al. 2003). Natural catastrophes, including storms, predator outbreaks, and disease, kill corals and damage reefs (Connell et al. 1997, Hughes et al. 2003, as do many anthropogenic disturbances (Hughes 1994, Jackson et al. 2001, Fox & Caldwell 2006. Coral bleaching is both a natural and human-induced phenomenon that causes complex spatial heterogeneity in coral mortality and resulting changes in coral community composition (Lang et al. 1988, Glynn 1996, Brown et al. 2002, Coles & Brown 2003. Corals bleach when they lose symbiotic dinoflagellate algae (zooxanthellae), or when symbionts lose photosynthetic pigment. Without energy from symbiont photosynthesis, primary production is reduced and coral mortality increases (Glynn 1993). Corals bleach in response to many environmental stressors (Brown 1997), but a com...

show abstract

“…These abiotic factors could include water flow (e.g., Comeau et al, 2014), temperature (e.g., Reynaud et al, 2003), or CO 2 (e.g., Schneider and Erez, 2006). For example, water flow usually is correlated positively with both P (Nakamura et al, 2003;Finelli et al, 2006) and G (Dennison and Barnes, 1988;Comeau et al, 2014) at the organism level for tropical marine calcifiers due to the enhanced flux of metabolites between the organisms and the surrounding seawater (Mass et al, 2010). However, the relationship between water flow and the ratio of P to G is unknown (i.e., if P and G change at the same rate in response to water flow).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organisms Composing an Experimental Coral Reef Community from Mo'orea, French Polynesia, Exhibit Taxon-Specific Net Production: Net Calcification Ratios

Lantz¹,

Carpenter²,

Comeau³

et al. 2017

Front. Mar. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Current research on coral reefs seeks to link the responses to anthropogenic stressors (such as global warming and ocean acidification [OA]) among differing functional levels of biological organization. While experimental studies have identified ex situ taxon-specific responses to OA and global warming, isolating and connecting these effects in situ at the community-level has proved difficult. The difficulties arise from the large number of naturally varying parameters affecting corals reefs, such as light intensity and seawater residence time that affect net community production and calcification. To control variation in seawater residence time and allow light intensity to vary naturally, experimental outer reef (17-m depth) benthic communities composed of calcified algae, corals, and reef pavement were constructed in large outdoor flumes in Mo'orea, French Polynesia. Net community production (P), net community calcification (G), the ratio of P/G (P/G ratio ), and slope of P regressed on G (P/G slope ) were calculated for the communities, and concurrently for the constituent members under the same temperature, light, and flow conditions. P and G, for both the communities and constituent members, were correlated positively with light intensity, whereas P/G ratio and P/G slope were unaffected by light intensity. P/G ratios and P/G slopes exhibited values that were specific to each community member. These results suggest that the P/G ratio and P/G slope may be unaffected by natural variability in light intensity and could serve as useful metrics to relate responses at the taxon and community level, which is an important step in assessing the effects of environmental changes on coral reefs.

show abstract

Water flow facilitates recovery from bleaching in the coral Stylophora pistillata

Cited by 120 publications

References 25 publications

Photoinhibition of photosynthesis is reduced by water flow in the reef-building coral Acropora digitifera

Photoinhibition of photosynthesis is reduced by water flow in the reef-building coral Acropora digitifera

Reef structure regulates small-scale spatial variation in coral bleaching

Organisms Composing an Experimental Coral Reef Community from Mo'orea, French Polynesia, Exhibit Taxon-Specific Net Production: Net Calcification Ratios

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About