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1.
In laboratory experiments, the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa was exposed to settling particles. The effects of reef sediment, petroleum drill cuttings and a mix of both, on the development of anoxia at the coral surface were studied using O2, pH and H2S microsensors and by assessing coral polyp mortality. Due to the branching morphology of L. pertusa and the release of coral mucus, accumulation rates of settling material on coral branches were low. Microsensors detected H2S production in only a few samples, and sulfate reduction rates of natural reef sediment slurries were low (<0.3 nmol S cm−3 d−1). While the exposure to sediment clearly reduced the coral’s accessibility to oxygen, L. pertusa tolerated both partial low-oxygen and anoxic conditions without any visible detrimental short-term effect, such as tissue damage or death. However, complete burial of coral branches for >24 h in reef sediment resulted in suffocation.  相似文献   

2.
Sea urchins are common herbivores and bioeroders of coral ecosystems, but rarely have they been reported as corallivores. We determined the spatial pattern of hard coral damage due to corallivory and bioerosion by the sea urchin Diadema setosum Leske in Hong Kong waters. Coral damage was common at the northeastern sites, with 23.7 – 90.3% colonies being either collapsed or severely damaged with >25% tissue loss. Many genera of corals were impacted by the sea urchin but the damage was most obvious for the structure forming genus Platygyra. The percentage of severely damaged and collapsed coral had significant positive correlation with the abundance of D. setosum, which ranged from 0.01 to 5.2 individuals per coral head or 0.1 – 21.1 individuals m−2 across the study sites. Remedial management actions such as sea urchin removal are urgently needed to save these fringing coral communities.  相似文献   

3.
Sinking of aggregated phytoplankton cells is a crucial mechanism for transporting carbon to the seafloor and benthic ecosystem, with such aggregates often scavenging particulate material from the water column as they sink. In the vicinity of drilling rigs used by the oil and gas industry, the concentration of particulate matter in the water column may at times be enriched as a result of the discharge of ‘drill cuttings’ - drilling waste material. This investigation exposed laboratory produced phytoplankton aggregates to drill cuttings of various composition (those containing no hydrocarbons from reservoir rocks and those with a <1% hydrocarbon content) and assessed the change in aggregate size, settling rate and resuspension behavior of these using resuspension chambers and settling cylinders. Results indicate that both settling velocity and seabed stress required to resuspend the aggregates are greater in aggregates exposed to drill cuttings, with these increases most significant in aggregates exposed to hydrocarbon containing drill cuttings.  相似文献   

4.
Chen T  Yu K 《Marine pollution bulletin》2011,62(10):2114-2121
The P/Ca ratio in coral skeletons is considered to be a direct proxy for the nutrient P in seawater. We examined the reliability of this proxy by analyzing P/Ca in a Porites coral collected from a eutrophic area in the northern South China Sea. P concentrations were significantly higher compared to previously reported values from pristine and open seas, corresponding to the elevated nutrients from the study site. We compared coral P/Ca against recent in-situ records of seawater P concentrations. Our results show that P/Ca was primarily a function of TP sw rather than PO4sw, and that the signal of skeletal P included not only phosphate, but also organic phosphorus. Besides the form of skeletal P, sub-sampling and analytical procedures and the distinctive nutrient regime were the most reasonable explanations for our results. We suggest that total P in coral skeletons may be an efficient proxy for seawater P variations and associated phytoplankton dynamics in eutrophic environments.  相似文献   

5.
A field experiment was conducted to investigate how water-based drill cuttings and sediment type influence colonization of soft bottom communities. Bottom frames with trays containing defaunated sediments were placed at the seabed for 6 months to study colonization of macrofauna. Two different sediments (coarse and fine) were used, and 6 or 24 mm layer of water-based drill cuttings were added on top of these sediments. Some of the sediments were controls with no additions. In the end of the experiment, the oxygen availability in sediment porewater and macrofaunal abundance were reduced in treatments with 24 mm drill cuttings compared to controls. Tube-building annelids were particularly sensitive to drill cuttings. However, these responses were only minor, and notably, the drill cuttings initiated a weaker faunal response than sediment type and site of the bottom frame. Sediments capped with water-based drill cuttings thus showed a rapid colonization of macrofaunal communities.  相似文献   

6.
With large-scale impacts on coral reefs due to global climatic change projected to increase dramatically, and suitability of many areas for reef growth projected to decrease, the question arises whether particular settings might serve as refugia that can maintain higher coral populations than surrounding areas. We examine this hypothesis on a small, local scale in Honduras, western Caribbean. Dense coral thickets containing high numbers of the endangered coral Acropora cervicornis occur on offshore banks while being rare on the fringing reef on nearby Roatán. Geomorphological setting and community dynamics were evaluated and monitored from 1996 to 2005. A model of population dynamics was developed to test assumptions derived from monitoring. Coral cover on the fringing reef declined in 1998 from >30% to <20%, but the banks maintained areas of very dense coral cover (32% cover by A. cervicornis on the banks but <1% on the fringing reef). Bathymetry from satellite images showed the banks to be well-separated from the fringing reef, making asexual connectivity between banks and fringing reef impossible but protecting the banks from direct land-runoff during storms. Exposure to SE tradewinds also causes good flushing. Only four A. cervicornis recruits were recorded on the fringing reef over 6 years. Runoff associated with hurricanes caused greater mortality than did bleaching in 1998 and 2005 on the fringing reef, but not on the banks. Since 1870, our analysis suggests that corals on the banks may have been favored during 17 runoff events associated with tropical depressions and storms and potentially also during five bleaching events, but this is more uncertain. Our model suggests that under this disturbance regime, the banks will indeed maintain higher coral populations than the fringing reef and supports the assumption that offshore banks could serve as refugia with the capacity to subsidize depleted mainland populations.  相似文献   

7.
Well‐sorted detrital limestone is one of the typical lithofacies of the latest interval of the Pleistocene Ryukyu Group, which is exposed in the Ryukyu Archipelago in southwestern Japan. The depositional environments of the limestone are interpreted to be extremely shallow and to include back‐reef lagoons or moats and subaerial sand dunes. However, detailed micropaleontological analyses have not been performed on this limestone. In this study, the interpretation of the depositional environments and paleo‐water depths was improved by quantitative examination of foraminiferal assemblages for the well‐sorted detrital limestone of the Minatogawa Formation in the southern part of Okinawa Island. Thin sections of limestone collected from the Minatogawa (Horikawa) quarry were subjected to sedimentological and foraminiferal analyses. Comparison with modern foraminiferal distribution within the Ryukyu Archipelago indicates that back‐reef and fore‐reef dwelling foraminifers characterize the fossil assemblages from the well‐sorted detrital limestone (bioclastic grainstone). Three ratios of indicator foraminiferal taxa (ratios of back‐reef to fore‐reef taxa, planktonic foraminifers to Amphistegina lobifera and Amphistegina lessonii, and Calcarina gaudichaudii to other Calcarina species), as well as multivariate analyses suggest that the well‐sorted detrital limestone was deposited in fore‐reef setting shallower than 40 m in water depth. A comparable depth range was reconstructed from the coral assemblage in the associated coral limestone, suggesting that the Minatogawa Formation was deposited in a gently inclined ramp setting with patch reefs and/or fringing reefs. Stratigraphic changes in paleo‐water depth, together with evidence of several unconformities associated with paleosol layers suggest that there were repeated transgressions and regressions, with an amplitude up to several tens of meters, when the Minatogawa Formation was deposited.  相似文献   

8.
Human fecal contamination of coral reefs is a major cause of concern. Conventional methods used to monitor microbial water quality cannot be used to discriminate between different fecal pollution sources. Fecal coliforms, enterococci, and human-specific Bacteroides (HF183, HF134), general Bacteroides-Prevotella (GB32), and Clostridium coccoides group (CP) 16S rDNA PCR assays were used to test for the presence of non-point source fecal contamination across the southwestern Puerto Rico shelf. Inshore waters were highly turbid, consistently receiving fecal pollution from variable sources, and showing the highest frequency of positive molecular marker signals. Signals were also detected at offshore waters in compliance with existing microbiological quality regulations. Phylogenetic analysis showed that most isolates were of human fecal origin. The geographic extent of non-point source fecal pollution was large and impacted extensive coral reef systems. This could have deleterious long-term impacts on public health, local fisheries and in tourism potential if not adequately addressed.  相似文献   

9.
This study compared marine debris ingestion of the coastal dolphins Pontoporia blainvillei and Sotalia guianensis in a sympatric area in Atlantic Ocean. Among the 89 stomach contents samples of P. blainvillei, 14 (15.7%) contained marine debris. For S. guianensis, 77 stomach contents samples were analyzed and only one of which (1.30%) contained marine debris. The debris recovered was plastic material: nylon yarns and flexible plastics. Differences in feeding habits between the coastal dolphins were found to drive their differences regarding marine debris ingestion. The feeding activity of P. blainvillei is mainly near the sea bottom, which increases its chances of ingesting debris deposited on the seabed. In contrast, S. guianensis has a near-surface feeding habit. In the study area, the seabed is the main zone of accumulation of debris, and species with some degree of association with the sea bottom may be local bioindicators of marine debris pollution.  相似文献   

10.
Coral-reef terraces on tectonically elevated coasts provide important data on variations of sea level. In this paper a systematic approach is presented for the construction of synthetic reef terraces. Idealized reef terraces are generated assuming a constant rate of tectonic uplift ν and a harmonic variation of sea level with amplitudehwo and period τ. It is further assumed that coral terraces grow only during periods of relative sea-level rise. The behavior is governed by the parameter u = τυ/2π hwo. If u > 1 no reef terraces form. If 0.217 < u < 1 a discontinuous series of terraces form on the uplifting basement. If 0 < u < 0.217 the basement is covered with coral and a series of coral terraces forms on this coral. Uplifted coral-reef terraces on the Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea, compare reasonably well with terraces generated by our model with τ = 20,000 years andhwo = 21.4 m. We also compare the observed terraces with model terraces using the paleo sea level inferred from18O/16O data. The observed terraces are qualitatively similar to those predicted using the oxygen isotope data, however, the model terraces require larger relative sea-level variations with a near 20,000 year period than those inferred directly from the18O/16O data.  相似文献   

11.
Invasive coral species of the genus Tubastraea have been increasingly recorded in Southwestern Atlantic waters since the 1980s. Their invasion and infestation are mainly related to port and oil exploration activities. For the first time the presence of Tubastraea tagusensis colonies is reported in Espírito Santo State, colonizing a port shore area, and incrusting oil/gas platform structures situated in the southern Abrolhos Bank, which is part of the most important coral reef system of the South Atlantic Ocean. Tubastraea colonies exhibit fast growth and high recruitment rates, and colonized 40% of the analyzed structures in just four years. The projection of port and oil/gas industry growth for the Espírito Santo State (more than 300%) highlights an alert to the dispersal of this alien species to natural areas.  相似文献   

12.
Many studies have assessed in unison specific biological attributes and certain environmental impacts but few studies have analyzed multiple biological variables and pressures from multiple sites at the same time. Our study’s goal was to quantify the major potential human pressures in the shallow subtidal rocky reefs along a tropical Atlantic coast; propose a relative environmental pressure index and investigate the relationships between environmental pressures, the benthic community and coral population attributes. The analysis of human pressures suggests that one-third of sites were under high or very high proportional stress. Sites with high human pressure had lower live cover, higher percent of recent mortality and density of Siderastrea stellata. These relations were species specific. The coral species S.stellata seemed to be the best indicator of present environmental stress. These findings demonstrate the need to include multiple species and stressors in monitoring programs designed to contribute to coastal management initiatives.  相似文献   

13.
The response of metal accumulation in coral Tubastraea coccinea to various degrees of metal enrichment was investigated from the Yin-Yang Sea (YYS) receiving abandoned mining effluents, the Kueishan Islet (KI) hydrothermal vent field, and the nearshore area of remoted Green Island (GI). The concentrations of most dissolved metals were highest in seawater at YYS, followed by KI, and then GI, showing the effects of anthropogenic and venting inputs on metal levels. Five metals (Co, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn) yielded significant differences (p < 0.05) among the skeleton samples. We identified similar patterns in the metal–Ca ratios, indicating that the elevated metals in skeletons was a consequence of external inputs. The coral tissues were relatively sensitive in monitoring metal accumulation, showing significant differences among three locations for Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Pb, Ni, and Zn. Specific bioconcentration factors provided strong support for the differential metal accumulation in skeletons and tissues.  相似文献   

14.
The exploration and production of North Sea oil and gas reserves has resulted in the accumulation of large quantities of drill cuttings on the seabed surrounding drill sites. This complex mixture of man-made and natural substances contains higher concentrations of certain metals (Ba, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) and hydrocarbons than are observed in background sediments. With decommissioning of older platforms underway, an evaluation of the environmental interactions and chemical fate of the drill cuttings accumulations is required.This review concentrates on contaminants within drill cutting accumulations in the Northern and Central North Sea (56 degrees N-62 degrees N). Present literature reviewed reveals that hydrocarbons within the cuttings piles remain relatively unchanged with time. A considerable proportion of the associated contaminants are likely to remain within the cuttings pile unless they are disturbed which will then increase exchanges of porewater and solids back to the seabed surface resulting in pathways of exposure for organisms.  相似文献   

15.
The goals of this study were to evaluate the contribution of sewage-derived N to reef flat communities in Guam and to assess the impact of N inputs on coral disease. We used stable isotope analysis of macroalgae and a soft coral, sampled bimonthly, as a proxy for N dynamics, and surveyed Porites spp., a dominant coral taxon on Guam’s reefs, for white syndrome disease severity. Results showed a strong influence of sewage-derived N in nearshore waters, with δ15N values varying as a function of species sampled, site, and sampling date. Increases in sewage-derived N correlated significantly with increases in the severity of disease among Porites spp., with δ15N values accounting for more than 48% of the variation in changes in disease severity. The anticipated military realignment and related population increase in Guam are expected to lead to increased white syndrome infections and other coral diseases.  相似文献   

16.
The halophytic shrub Halimione portulacoides demonstrates a high tolerance to heavy metal contamination and a capacity for accumulating metals within its tissues. On the Iberian Peninsula, this species has colonized habitats with high levels of metal pollution. The aim of this study is to analyze the response of H. portulacoides stem cuttings to this pollution. Growth, photosynthesis and metal uptake were examined in H. portulacoides through an experiment in which stem cuttings were replanted in metal-contaminated soil. This condition decreased growth and lowered both photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance. Reduced photosynthetic performance was largely due to the reduced concentration of photosynthetic pigments. Despite these responses, there was some important evidence suggesting the phytoremediatory potential of Halimione stem cuttings. The results of our study indicate that this salt-marsh shrub may represent a biotool of value in the restoration of polluted areas.  相似文献   

17.
Coral trout (Plectropomus spp.) are the main target species for commercial fishers in the eastern Torres Strait Reef Line Fishery (ETS RLF). The four species of coral trout known to occur in Torres Strait: Plectropomus leopardus, Plectropomus maculatus, Plectropomus areolatus and Plectropomus laevis are currently managed as a single species in Torres Strait, as there is no species-specific biological information available for the region which could be used to assess whether species differ in their response to fishing pressure. The aim of our study was to determine whether it is appropriate (biologically) to manage coral trout in the ETS RLF as a single species group or whether different management arrangements are required for some species. We used catch data and biological data from samples collected by commercial fishers to examine the distribution within Torres Strait and estimate a range of biological parameters for P. leopardus, P. maculatus and P. areolatus. Insufficient P. laevis samples were collected to reliably examine this species. Results indicated that the population biology, particularly the reproductive biology, of P. areolatus was substantially different to both P. leopardus and P. maculatus. Although it is difficult to predict the response to fishing, P. areolatus may be more vulnerable to fishing than P. leopardus and P. maculatus, due to the larger size at sex change observed for this species and the very low proportion of males protected by the current minimum size limit. Therefore, while the common management arrangements for P. leopardus and P. maculatus appear to be adequate for these species, separate management arrangements are needed for the sustainable harvest of P. areolatus populations in the ETS. Specifically, we recommend the introduction of a maximum size limit for P. areolatus, in addition to the current minimum size limit, which may allow a proportion of males some protection from fishing.  相似文献   

18.
The discharge of nutrients, phytoplankton and pathogenic bacteria through ballast water may threaten the Cayo Arcas reef system. To assess this threat, the quality of ballast water and presence of coral reef pathogenic bacteria in 30 oil tankers loaded at the PEMEX Cayo Arcas crude oil terminal were determined. The water transported in the ships originated from coastal, oceanic or riverine regions. Statistical associations among quality parameters and bacteria were tested using redundancy analysis (RDA). In contrast with coastal or oceanic water, the riverine water had high concentrations of coliforms, including Vibrio cholerae 01 and, Serratia marcescens and Sphingomona spp., which are frequently associated with “white pox” and “white plague type II” coral diseases. There were also high nutrient concentrations and low water quality index values (WQI and TRIX). The presence of V. cholerae 01 highlights the need for testing ballast water coming from endemic regions into Mexican ports.  相似文献   

19.
Small quantities of drilling cuttings (100 g/250 cm2) were found to affect both the survival and general behaviour of Nephrops norvegicus held in experimental aquaria. In one experiment volatile hydrocarbons released from the cuttings caused a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the beat of the exopodite on the third maxilliped. Flicking rates of the antennule and the time taken to identify and capture food introduced into the tanks were unaffected by exposure to cuttings. When the water flow through the tanks was interrupted for 12 h, 58% of animals died after exposure to the highest concentration of cuttings but those at the lower concentrations survived. After the water flow was restored the remaining survivors showed disorientated behaviour and uncoordinated movements which lasted for about 36 h. In this condition animals will be more vulnerable to predators. This unnatural behaviour may have serious implications for natural populations exposed to cuttings discharge in the close vicinity of offshore drilling platforms.  相似文献   

20.
To be used as proxies of seawater surface temperature(SST), the δ 18Oc values and Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca ratios of scleractinian coral skeletons must be verified by coral culture experiments in the laboratory. This paper describes a coral culture experiment that was conducted at several seawater temperatures T(21–28°C) using a tandem aquarium system and the new method for depositing coral skeletons grown under controlled conditions. The δ 18Oc values and the Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca ratios of the cultured coral were measured. We concluded that the δ 18Oc values and Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca ratios of the cultured coral are clearly correlated with T. The linear regression curve is δ18Oc(‰)=δ0.1427δT(°C)δ0.1495(n=18, r=0.955, p0.0001), and the slope of δ0.1427‰/°C is at the low end of the range of published values(δ0.13–δ0.29‰/°C). The Sr/Ca ratio decreases with increasing T, whereas the Mg/Ca ratio increases with increasing T, indicating a negative correlation between Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca. Their linear regression curves are Sr/Ca(mmol/mol)=δ0.04156δT+10.59(n=15, r=0.789, p0.005) and Mg/Ca(mmol/mol)= 0.04974δT+2.339(n=17, r=0.457, p0.05), respectively, which demonstrate that when Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca are increased by one unit, T increases by 5.19°C and decreases by 15.62°C, respectively. These variations are significantly lower than published values.  相似文献   

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