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1.
Anthropogenic impacts and natural disturbances have been intense recently in the global scale, affecting the composition of coral reef benthic communities from coral to algal dominated reefs. However, this condition does not always occur considering corals are able to recover when the stressors falter. This study aims to investigate the change in coral reef benthic communities and the relationship among benthic categories. The study was carried out in 2014 and 2016 at five sites, three sites in the Lembeh Strait and two sites in Likupang, North Sulawesi Province. Underwater Photo Transect(UPT) was used at depth of around 4–6 m in slope areas. The result indicated that the benthic communities were slightly changing: the percent covers of hard corals, sponges, soft corals, macroalgae and substrate categories were not significantly different between the years but category of others, particularly seasonally growing hydroid, increased significantly, occupying the available substrates and overtopping other benthos surrounding. The study also found that there was a significant relationship between the change in benthic gradient and the number of hard coral colonies: when the composition becomes less complex, the number of colony declines. In contrast, the hard coral diversity remained unchanged, suggesting the coral reefs apparently have an ecological resilience(sustainable species diversity) against the change although ecological complexity declines. In addition, the hard coral cover was significantly correlated with soft coral and sponge covers, which did not change significantly among the years. In general, the coral reefs in North Sulawesi might experience a temporary blip due to the increasing percent cover of others, and be predicted to recover as there was no indication of soft corals and sponges to increase significantly. However, it is necessary to investigate the dynamic of benthic communities in different depth gradients to gain a comprehensive understanding as the communities respond differently to the light intensity. 相似文献
2.
In light of the deteriorating state of coral reefs worldwide, the need to rehabilitate marine environments has greatly increased. Artificial reefs (ARs) have been suggested as a tool for reef conservation and rehabilitation. Although successions of AR communities have been thoroughly studied, current understanding of the interactions between artificial and natural reefs (NRs) is poor and a fundamental question still to be answered is that of whether AR communities can mimic adjacent NR communities. We suggest three alternative hypotheses: Neighboring ARs and NRs will (1) achieve a similar community structure given sufficient time; (2) be similar only if they possess similar structural features; (3) always differ, regardless of age or structural features. We examined these hypotheses by comparing the community structure on a 119-year old shipwreck to a neighboring NR. Fouling organisms, including stony and soft corals, sponges, tunicates, sea anemones and hydrozoans were recorded and measured along belt transects. The ahermatypic stony coral Tubastrea micrantha dominated vertical AR regions while the soft corals Nephthea sp. and Xenia sp. dominated both artificial and natural horizontal surfaces. Our results support the second hypothesis, indicating that even after a century an AR will mimic its adjacent NR communities only if it possesses structural features similar to those of the natural surroundings. However, if the two differ structurally, their communities will remain distinct. 相似文献
3.
Scleractinian corals create three-dimensional reefs that provide sheltered refuges, facilitate sediment accumulation, and enhance colonization of encrusting fauna. While heterogeneous coral habitats can harbor high levels of biodiversity, their effect on the community composition within nearby sediments remains unclear, particularly in the deep sea. Sediment macrofauna from deep-sea coral habitats (Lophelia pertusa) and non-coral, background sediments were examined at three sites in the northern Gulf of Mexico (VK826, VK906, MC751, 350–500 m depth) to determine whether macrofaunal abundance, diversity, and community composition near corals differed from background soft-sediments. Macrofaunal densities ranged from 26 to 125 individuals 32 cm−2 and were significantly greater near coral versus background sediments only at VK826. Of the 86 benthic invertebrate taxa identified, 16 were exclusive to near-coral habitats, while 14 were found only in background sediments. Diversity (Fisher’s α) and evenness were significantly higher within near-coral sediments only at MC751 while taxon richness was similar among all habitats. Community composition was significantly different both between near-coral and background sediments and among the three primary sites. Polychaetes numerically dominated all samples, accounting for up to 70% of the total individuals near coral, whereas peracarid crustaceans were proportionally more abundant in background sediments (18%) than in those near coral (10%). The reef effect differed among sites, with community patterns potentially influenced by the size of reef habitat. Taxon turnover occurred with distance from the reef, suggesting that reef extent may represent an important factor in structuring sediment communities near L. pertusa. Polychaete communities in both habitats differed from other Gulf of Mexico (GOM) soft sediments based on data from previous studies, and we hypothesize that local environmental conditions found near L. pertusa may influence the macrofaunal community structure beyond the edges of the reef. This study represents the first assessment of L. pertusa-associated sediment communities in the GOM and provides baseline data that can help define the role of transition zones, from deep reefs to soft sediments, in shaping macrofaunal community structure and maintaining biodiversity; this information can help guide future conservation and management activities. 相似文献
4.
Abstract. The amphipod population of the Fusaro coastal lagoon (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) was studied on a spatial-temporal scale. During a one-year period, samples were collected on hard and soft bottoms along a transect from the inland to the seaward side of the lagoon. Thirteen species were identified. The dominant taxa included species typical of lagoon environments, such as Corophium insidiosum and Microdeutopus gryllotalpa , and species typical of marine environments yet also inhabiting sheltered or semi-closed areas, such as Corophium acutum, Ericthonius brasiliensis , and Elasmopus rapax.
An inner-outer gradient was not evident, while a seasonal pattern was recognizable. At the community level, clear differences between the two substrata were not evident because of high algal growth and organogenic detritus on the soft bottoms. The importance of hydrodynamic forces in a euhaline lagoon in selecting amphipod communities - characterized by a typical trophic behaviour and way of life – is discussed. Information on the ecology of the collected species and a list of Mediterranean lagoons where they are present are also provided. 相似文献
An inner-outer gradient was not evident, while a seasonal pattern was recognizable. At the community level, clear differences between the two substrata were not evident because of high algal growth and organogenic detritus on the soft bottoms. The importance of hydrodynamic forces in a euhaline lagoon in selecting amphipod communities - characterized by a typical trophic behaviour and way of life – is discussed. Information on the ecology of the collected species and a list of Mediterranean lagoons where they are present are also provided. 相似文献
5.
Tuna-farming is expanding worldwide, necessitating the monitoring/managing of its effects on the natural environment. In Japan, tuna-farming is conducted on coral reefs that have been damaged by mass-bleaching events and crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) outbreaks. This study focused on the coral community on an artificial substrate of tuna-farm to reveal the possible effects of tuna-farming on the natural environment. Corals flourished on ropes suspended in the farm in the Amami Islands, southern Japan. These were moored 3 m below the sea-surface in 50-m-deep water. The coral community on the rope was analyzed and compared with those on natural substrata on two adjacent COTS-damaged reefs and with that in a protected reef. Corals were monitored throughout a year. Sixty coral species grew on the ropes, that corresponds to 27.3% of the 220 species known from Amami. The coral community was unique, dominated by massive faviid corals. On the ropes, the water temperature rarely exceeded 30.0 °C and no corals on the rope were severely bleached or covered by sedimentation during the observations. The tuna-farm infrastructure provided corals with a suitable habitat, and species-rich coral communities were established. These coral communities are an important node connecting tuna-farms and the natural environment. 相似文献
6.
The benthic fauna on reefs around the Glorieuses Islands, a small and protected Indian Ocean archipelago northwest of Madagascar, was surveyed in November 2015, focusing particularly on the orders Alcyonacea (soft corals and gorgonians) and Scleractinia (stony corals). The species richness of both groups was rather low for a protected, relatively pristine environment in the region. Though certain soft ‘fugitive’ alcyonacean species were noticeably abundant, other soft corals were rare. Sediment-tolerant faviid corals were abundant among the scleractinians. The sediment around the reefs was fine-grained and white, and appeared to be derived from abundant green macroalgae Halimeda and coralline seaweeds. The abundance of these, in turn, might have been attributable to nutrient enrichment from guano deposited on one of the islands by migratory seabirds, causing the aforementioned anomalies in coral biodiversity and abundance. 相似文献
7.
Patterns of Coral Distribution and Benthic Space Partitioning on the Fringing Reefs of Southern Taiwan 总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2
Abstract. The distribution pattern of corals and benthic space partitioning patterns on the fringing reefs of southern Taiwan were studied by the line-transect method. The bathymetric distribution of corals in the study area was basically homogeneous except on the protected reef slopes and the exposed reef fronts and terraces. Corals on protected reef slopes are mainly foliaceous, including Montipora foliosa, Merulina ampliata, Mycedium elephantotus , and Pachyseris speciosa , but the dominant species on a reef slope vary from site to site. The formation of the foliaceous coral community is possibly related to a complex of environmental factors, chance, and biological interactions. The reef fronts and submarine terraces of exposed areas are dominated by alcyonacean corals. The most abundant species are Sarcophyton trocheliophorum, S. crassocaule , and Lobophytum sarcophytoides ; their distributions are relatively homogeneous. The formation of alcyonacean-dominated assemblages can be related to the special adaptive strategies of these corals. In regard to space partitioning patterns, the major space occupiers on those reefs exposed to storm disturbances are alcyonacean soft corals, scleractinian corals, and algae; on reefs protected from storms, scleractinian corals and algae dominate. Two conspicuous features of the study area are the high proportion of space occupied by algae and the abundant unoccupied space. The dense algal cover is possibly caused by sewage pollution and overfishing of the reef area. The unoccupied space is most likely related to the high frequency of typhoon disturbances. 相似文献
8.
When the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas, Thunberg) was introduced into France for aquaculture in the mid-sixties, it was initially confined to the sites where it was farmed. Subsequent global warming most likely facilitated the establishment of wild populations throughout the French coastline. This phenomenon of spread has become so great that oyster reefs have recently appeared in sheltered estuaries, on both soft and hard substrate. The present study examined two such sites in the Bay of Brest, Brittany. It is the first to investigate the impacts of this new substrate on the biocoenosis of uncolonised intertidal habitats in France. Increased species richness and abundance of intertidal macrofauna were observed in the presence of oyster reefs on both, mud (4 and 20 fold respectively) and rock (5 fold for both). The dominance of suspension feeders in mud changed to carnivores in reefs and their underlying sediment. Calculation of biotic coefficients (BC) of the soft-bottom fauna revealed only a slight organic enrichment, and the organic and silt composition in the sediment beneath oyster reefs were not significantly different from that on bare sites. On rock, the dominance of grazers remained unchanged between bare rock and oyster reef, while reef on rock was also characterised by deposit and detritic feeders. C. gigas is suspected to cause a homogenisation of coastal habitats with an impoverishment of overall quality but we detected only 11 common species between reefs on mud (60 species) and those on rock (55 species). 相似文献
9.
Defense by association: Sponge‐eating fishes alter the small‐scale distribution of Caribbean reef sponges 
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下载免费PDF全文 Recent studies have demonstrated that sponge‐eating fishes alter the community of sponges on coral reefs across the Caribbean. Sponge species that lack chemical defenses but grow or reproduce faster than defended species are more abundant on reefs where sponge‐eating fishes have been removed by overfishing. Does predator‐removal have an effect on the distribution of sponges at smaller spatial scales? We conducted transect surveys of sponge species that are palatable to sponge predators in proximity to refuge organisms that are chemically or physically defended (fire coral, gorgonians, hard corals) on the heavily overfished reefs of Bocas del Toro, Panama, and a reef in the Florida Keys where sponge‐eating fishes are abundant. In Panama, palatable sponge species were not distributed in close association with refuge organisms, while in the Florida Keys, palatable sponge species were strongly associated with refuge organisms. The presence of fish predators alters the meter‐scale pattern of sponge distribution, and defense by association enhances biodiversity by allowing palatable sponges to persist on reefs where sponge‐eating fishes are abundant. 相似文献
10.
海南铜鼓岭国家级自然保护区海域珊瑚的分布及其健康状况评价 总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1
沿铜鼓岭国家级自然保护区海岸南北两侧沿岸布设8个站位,采用断面监测法调查了珊瑚的种类多样性、覆盖率、死亡率和补充量等指标,并利用健康指数（CI）评估了铜鼓岭珊瑚礁生态系统的健康状况和遭受环境压力的程度.本次调查共发现铜鼓岭造礁石珊瑚11科23属40种,软珊瑚8种,造礁石珊瑚和软珊瑚覆盖率分别为13.8%和19.4%,该海域珊瑚礁生态系统保存较为完好和健康.铜鼓岭珊瑚的覆盖率呈现明显的空间分布特征,北侧珊瑚覆盖率为0.1%～9.8%之间,远低于南侧的水平（8.1%～66.1%）.从珊瑚补充量来看,铜鼓岭北侧珊瑚的恢复能力基本为零,而铜鼓岭以南的区域可以有0.4个/m^2珊瑚新个体.通过比较2006年以来珊瑚种类、覆盖率、死亡率、补充量、健康指数等方面的调查数据,认为铜鼓岭保护区的珊瑚礁生态系统得到有效保护,珊瑚礁生态系统处于健康状态. 相似文献
11.
Abstract. Africa's southernmost coral reefs are situated in Natal Province, South Africa. The Natal coast is exposed to open Ocean swells and episodic storm swell conditions. Benthic communities on these reefs differentiated into three community types: shallow reefs (8–18 m) were dominated by alcyonacean corals and low-growing, massive Scleractinia; intermediate reefs (18–25 m) were dominated chiefly by branching and tabular Scleractinia of the genus Acropora (A. austera, A. clathrata); deep reefs were not dominated by corals but by sponges. Breakage and recovery experiments indicated that the difference in Acropora dominance between shallow and intermediate sites was caused by breakage in high swell conditions. Survival of experimentally produced A. austera fragments was significantly higher in intermediate than in shallow sites, where higher surge made re-attachment and regeneration unlikely. Also, colony morphology was adapted to differential surge conditions: colonies on the shallow reefs were smaller with shorter branches, while on intermediate reefs they were much bigger with long, widely spreading branches. Episodic breakage and low fragment survival due to high water-motion thus excluded branching corals from shallow reef sites. 相似文献
12.
Shallow reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems, and their substrate is densely occupied by sessile organisms that frequently contact physically and interact mutually. Nevertheless, the relative importance of species abundance in shaping physical contacts in these ecosystems remains largely unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate physical contact interactions, by using tools derived from the complex network theory, between hard corals and other benthic organisms in four areas along the Brazilian coast comprising coral reefs and rocky shores with different physical and biotic structures. It was also investigated whether interactions with corals occurred as expected by the abundance of the benthic organisms in each area, and whether corals belonging to families known as more aggressive interacted less with other organisms. In all areas, the abundance of both corals and contacting organisms directly influenced the abundance of interactions between benthic organisms, regardless of the physical or biological characteristics of the habitat and of the interacting organisms. In addition, coral species interacted more with the most abundant benthic group, the epilithic algal matrix, in all areas. Nevertheless, some evidence was found about biological mechanisms helping to explain the structure of the studied interactions, although to a lesser extent. The obtained networks presented high nestedness and connectance, but low modularity. These patterns indicate the low specificity of the studied interactions and reinforce the role of abundance as an important driver of contacts between sessile organisms in shallow hard bottom ecosystems. 相似文献
13.
细菌性疾病对珊瑚的健康影响造成了很大影响，而致病菌与珊瑚疾病之间的对应性还不明朗。色素异常现象是野外澄黄滨珊瑚一种常见的不健康状态。我们采用Illumina 16s rRNA基因高通量测序技术比较分析了健康和色素异常澄黄滨珊瑚共生细菌的群落组成差异。色素异常澄黄滨珊瑚共生细菌的多样性明显高于健康澄黄滨珊瑚，同时两种珊瑚的共生细菌群落组成也有很大差异。一些特定的细菌类群在澄黄滨珊瑚共生细菌中的比例很高，推测这些细菌种类可能是导致澄黄滨珊瑚色素异常的“罪魁祸首”。 相似文献
14.
《African Journal of Marine Science》2013,35(4):513-516
The corals Acropora austera and Platygyra daedalea have been the subject of extensive reproductive and population genetic studies in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (iSimangaliso), on the KwaZulu-Natal coast, eastern South Africa. Despite this, estimates of size at first maturity in these two species are lacking. This information could be used to provide a baseline to differentiate juveniles from adult sizes of corals, an important factor for assessing the condition of scleractinian communities in reefs. Here, we present the methods followed to provide such estimates for these two hard corals. Using generalised linear models and assuming knife-edge maturity (50% probability), it was estimated that A. austera from iSimangaliso matures at c. 15 cm mean colony diameter (MCD) (95% CI: 9.25–20.75 cm MCD) and P. daedalea matures at c. 7 cm MCD (95% CI: 4.55–8.39 cm MCD). These estimates were comparable to those for tropical species which is remarkable considering the high-latitude nature of the sampled reefs. It is expected that the findings from this study will assist in the assessment of reproduction, recruitment, survival and genetic variation in clonal organisms such as corals, and will provide a baseline to assess the effects of climate change on coral communities in the region. 相似文献
15.
Green-lipped mussels (Perna canaliculus) formed extensive reefs on soft sediments in sheltered embayments around northern New Zealand until overfishing and/or increased sediment input caused their virtual disappearance by 1980. To determine the role of mussel reefs as habitat for other animals, we located remnant soft-sediment reefs in five locations and compared the density, biomass, productivity and composition of mobile macroinvertebrate communities, and the density of small fishes associated with mussels, with fauna in the surrounding soft sediments. The mussel reefs had a distinct assemblage of macroinvertebrates, which had 3.5 times the density, 3.4 times the biomass and 3.5 times the productivity of surrounding areas. The density of small fishes was 13.7 times higher than in surrounding areas. These results show that soft-sediment mussel reefs support an abundant and productive fauna, highlighting the probable large loss of productivity associated with the historical decline in mussel habitat and the consequent desirability of restoration efforts. 相似文献
16.
Benthic communities colonizing two different typologies of artificial structures, Tecnoreef® pyramids (PY), and plinth modules (PL), differing for material and shape, were investigated for three years after their deployment on a soft bottom offshore Pedaso (Western Adriatic Sea). The aims were to describe the colonization patterns of benthic assemblages on the two artificial modules, to highlight possible differences between them and to detect the effectiveness of the artificial reef on the ecosystem functioning.The composition of the benthic communities settled on the two types of artificial substrates was different especially just after the reef deployment. Abundance and species richness were higher on PL in the first two years, while an explosion of individuals characterized PY in the third year. This suggested a delay of about one year in the colonization processes on PY likely due to the material and shape. The community settled of the artificial structures was dominated by hard-substrate species which are commonly absent in the natural environment. The occurrence of these organisms enriched the local soft-bottom communities and contributed to habitat diversification. This, together with the importance of these species in the diet of a few reef-dwelling fish, confirms the trophic role and the ecological importance of artificial reefs in areas characterized by soft seabed. 相似文献
17.
永兴岛及七连屿造礁石珊瑚近10年变化分析 总被引：2，自引：1，他引：2
根据2007-2016年珊瑚礁监测数据，永兴岛及七连屿共调查到造礁石珊瑚11科113种，常见种有鹿角杯形珊瑚Pocillopora damicornis、疣状杯形珊瑚Pocillopora Verrucosa、粗野鹿角珊瑚Acropora humilis、澄黄滨珊瑚Porites lutea、丛生盔形珊瑚Galaxea fascicularis、梳状菊花珊瑚Goniastrea pectinata及锯齿刺星珊瑚Cyphastrea serailia等。研究区域内造礁石珊瑚种类近10年（2007-2016年）来下降明显，其中永兴岛从39种下降到18种，下降率为53.85%；北岛从23种下降到17种，下降率为26.09%；赵述岛从46种下降到12种，下降率为73.91%；西沙洲从51种下降到15种，下降率为70.59%。群体形态群落中皮壳状种类数最为稳定，分枝类下降了59.26%；叶片状下降了75.00%；圆盘状下降了87.50%；团块状下降了57.14%。通过对研究区域造礁石珊瑚种类组成及群落形态等方面的变化分析可见，人为活动、长棘海星、珊瑚病害、台风及全球升温等因素逐渐影响到西沙海域的珊瑚礁生态系统。 相似文献
18.
虫黄藻、细菌和造礁石珊瑚有着密切的共生关系, 但虫黄藻藻际细菌群落尚未得到广泛研究。本研究对5个属的6株虫黄藻进行了离体培养, 其中2株为悬浮型虫黄藻(E型), 4株为贴壁型虫黄藻(A—D型)。通过采集藻株培养物3种粒径的样本开展细菌群落分析, 分别为0.2~3μm(自由生活)、>3μm(附着于藻体或颗粒物)与Settling(沉底贴壁藻体上)。结果发现, 2种生活方式的藻株藻际细菌群落具有显著差别, 贴壁型藻株细菌群落的物种丰富度显著高于悬浮型藻株。发现7个属的细菌广泛存在于所有的藻株中, 它们代表了A—E型虫黄藻藻际细菌的核心类群。对3种粒径样本的核心细菌群落比较发现, 自由生和颗粒附着生的核心细菌群落十分相似, 但均与沉底贴壁样本差异明显。 相似文献
19.
In consideration of the rapid degradation of coral reef ecosystems, the establishment of models is helpful to comprehend the degradation mechanism of coral reef ecosystems and predict the development process of coral reef communities. According to the characteristics of complex ecosystem of tropical coral reefs in China, the coral reef functional group is the core level variable; combined with the multiple feedback effects of coral reef functional groups and environmental changes, the study presents a coral reef ecosystem dynamics model with hermatypic corals as the core. Based on the simulation of the assumed initial value and the internal feedback of the system, the results show that in the basic simulation(relative health conditions), the coverage area of live corals and coral reefs generally decreased first and then increased, and increased by 4.67% and 6.38% between2010 and 2050, respectively. Based on the calibration model and the current situation of the studied area, the multi-factor disturbance effects of coral reef communities were simulated and explored by setting up three scenarios involving fishing policy, terrestrial deposition, and inorganic nitrogen emissions. Among them, in the single factor disturbance, the fishing policy exerts the most direct impact on the community decline; and the succession phenomenon is obvious; the terrestrial sedimentation has a faster and more integrated effect on the community decline; the effect of inorganic nitrogen emission on the community decline is relatively slow. In the double/multi-factor disturbance, the superimposed disturbance will aggravate the multi-source feedback effect of the coral reef communities development, accelerate the community decay rate, and make its development trajectory more complicated and diverse. This method provides a scientific and feasible method for simulating the damage of long-term coral reef community and exploring the development law and adaptive management of coral reef ecosystems. In the future, it can be further studied in the ecological restoration process and decisionmaking direction of coral reefs. 相似文献
20.
D.A. Smale G.A. Kendrick K.I. Waddington K.P. Van Niel J.J. Meeuwig E.S. Harvey 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2010
At regional scales, the distribution of species and the structure of assemblages vary with latitude within many marine and terrestrial systems. The oligotrophic coastal waters of Western Australia (WA) support highly speciose and endemic assemblages, yet spatial patterns in benthic structure are currently poorly known. We examined benthic assemblage composition along a latitudinal gradient of 28.5–33.5°S and a depth gradient of 14–62 m, on subtidal reefs in warm-temperate WA. We surveyed benthos using a remotely triggered digital stills camera. In total, we sampled macroalgae and sessile invertebrates at 201 sites spread across four locations. Percent cover of coarse taxonomic groups and dominant species was estimated from over 2000 photoquadrat samples. We recorded significant differences in benthic assemblage composition between locations, and along depth gradients within each location. However, the magnitude of change with depth was not consistent between locations, and shifts in assemblage composition along the depth gradients were not as pronounced as expected. The percent cover of all dominant benthic groupings differed between locations, and several key taxa, such as the kelp Scytothalia dorycarpa, brown foliose macroalgae, hard corals and sponges, changed predictably along the latitudinal gradient. Our study adopted a coarse taxonomic, but assemblage-wide, approach to describing macrobenthic assemblages, and clear differences between locations and depths were detected. The surveys have provided baseline data on broad scale ecosystem structure against which to detect future ecological change. 相似文献