Biodiversity,ecological structure,and change in the sponge community of different geomorphological zones of the barrier fore reef at Carrie Bow Cay,Belize

Changes in the relative abundance of benthic groups on the barrier fore reef at Carrie Bow Cay, Belize, point to a significant reduction of corals and an expansion of the sponge community in 1995–2009. Fifty‐one species are now present in the four geomorphological zones of this reef: the low‐relief spur‐and‐groove zone, the inner reef slope, the outer ridge, and the fore‐reef slope (to a depth of 30 m). Five species are new additions to the sponge fauna reported for Belize, and six species account for 42.6% of the total assemblage: Niphates erecta (9.60%), Aiolochroia crassa (8.8%), Niphates digitalis (6.9%), Callyspongia plicifera (6.63%), Aplysina archeri (5.37%) and Xestospongia muta (5.37%). Species richness, average density, diversity and evenness indexes are statistically similar in these four zones but some species appear to be more dominant in certain areas. In the same 30 years, coral cover has decreased by more than 90%, while the octocoral cover has greatly increased (by as much as 10‐fold in the low‐relief spur‐and‐groove zone). Thus the Carrie Bow fore reef appears to be undergoing a transition from coral dominance in the late 1970s to algae dominance today, with other benthic groups such as sponges and octocorals showing signs of gradual recovery.     

The influence of reef type and seasonality on population structure of coral‐reef fishes within Malindi Marine Park,Kenya

Effective conservation requires knowledge of the effects of habitat on distribution and abundance of organisms. Although the structure of coral reef fish assemblages is strongly correlated with attributes of reef structure, data relating reef types to fish assemblages are scarce. In this study we describe the influence of gross habitat characteristics and seasonality on coral reef fish assemblages of fringing and patch reefs in Kenya. Results showed that total fish abundance was not significantly different between the reefs; however, the fringing reef had higher species diversity during both the northeast (42 spp.) and southeast (36 spp.) monsoon seasons when compared to the patch reef. The more fished species (e.g. Siganus sutor and Lethrinus mahsena) were more abundant on the patch reef in both seasons. Statistical analysis indicated common species between the reefs were more abundant on the fringing reef. Seasons affected abundance of the more vagile species (S. sutor), whereas the reef‐attached sky emperor, L. mahsena was affected more by reef type than by seasons. No significant interaction effects of habitat and seasons were found, indicating independence of habitat and environmental variability in affecting fish assemblages on the reefs. Smaller sized fish dominated the fringing reef more than the patch reef, whereas the skewness index (Sk) indicated a normal‐sized frequency distribution on the patch reef. Trophic structure of the fishes varied more within than between reefs, whereas fish assemblage structure was affected more by seasons on the fringing reef. These results suggest that conservation measures such as marine protected area (MPA) design and setting should consider effects of reef morphology and environmental variability on coral‐reef fish assemblage structure.     

南海珊瑚岛礁遥感分类体系和解译标志

南海珊瑚岛礁远离大陆且面积较小,高分辨率遥感技术已成为大范围进行珊瑚岛礁监测的重要手段,而建立适用的遥感分类体系和解译标志是进行珊瑚岛礁遥感监测的基础。本文综合考虑珊瑚岛礁的形成机制、珊瑚礁形态和高分辨率遥感影像上珊瑚岛礁图斑的可解译程度等因素,制定应用于珊瑚岛礁高分遥感监测的分类体系,将珊瑚岛礁分为珊瑚岛、沙洲、干出珊瑚礁、珊瑚暗礁、珊瑚暗沙和珊瑚暗滩6个一级类型;并在现场调查数据的辅助下,从遥感影像上的色、形、位等特征方面建立珊瑚岛礁不同类型的遥感解译标志,结果可服务于南海珊瑚岛礁的动态监测,进而为珊瑚岛礁的保护、可持续利用和安全管理提供数据支撑。     

Spatial discordance in fish,coral, and sponge assemblages across a Caribbean atoll reef gradient

Certain biodiversity patterns on coral reefs are generally consistent but we still lack fundamental insight into how assemblages vary across spatially heterogeneous reef systems. We compared fish, coral, and sponge assemblages across a symmetrical physiographical gradient (windward forereef, lagoon patch reef, leeward forereef) of the Glover's Reef atoll, Belize. Species richness of fishes and corals was highest in the deep habitat (15 m) on the windward forereef. Sponges were diverse and abundant on both deep windward and leeward forereefs but not on the exposed shallow (5 m) windward forereef. Fish and benthic assemblages were relatively distinct in each reef zone, with the lagoon patch reef communities consisting of a combination of leeward and windward species. Nevertheless, there were no clear patterns in community similarity matrices of fish and benthic assemblages, suggesting that overall coral and sponge assemblages had weak or no direct association with patterns in fish assemblages. A closer examination of fish trophic groups indicated that planktivores and predators were predictably associated with depth, whereas herbivores were associated with shallow protected reefs. None was specifically associated with spatial location along the atoll gradient. These patterns of diversity distribution are important for identifying spatial conservation priorities. A Marine Protected Area (MPA) at Glover's Reef encompasses substantial windward forereef and patch reef habitats. A much lesser extent of protection is afforded the leeward forereef that supports faunal assemblages that are unique and productive, if not as diverse as the windward forereef. Isolated coral atolls can serve as ideal systems to study spatial heterogeneity and biodiversity patterns, but more experimental studies are needed to reveal the mechanistic processes underlying these patterns.     

1985–2019年南海诸岛珊瑚礁区热压力时空变化研究分析

全球气候变暖引起的热压力增大是南海诸岛珊瑚礁面临的最主要威胁,基于热压力对珊瑚礁白化的评估有利于对其保护和管理。周热度（Degree Heating Week , DHW）可以衡量热压力的强度和持续时间,代表过去连续12周珊瑚礁区海表温度（SST）正异常的累积。本文基于美国国家海洋和大气管理珊瑚礁监测计划（National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-Coral Reef Watch, NOAA-CRW）海表温度数据集,逐像元对35个年最大周热度数值进行K-means聚类分析,将南海诸岛珊瑚礁区分为6个区域:南沙–1、南沙–2、南沙–3、东沙、西沙和中沙珊瑚礁区。分析南海诸岛珊瑚礁区1985–2019年热压力时空变化及其与El Ni?o的相关关系。结果表明:（1）南海诸岛珊瑚礁区最大DHW为0～12.9℃?周,纬度上由高到低呈现减小变化规律。（2）线性拟合法分析1985–2019年的年最大DHW,显示南海诸岛珊瑚礁区热压力强度呈现上升趋势,为0.013～0.174℃?周/a,南海诸岛珊瑚礁区最大DHW出现在1998年、2010年、2014年。（3）年最大DHW可能造成93.9%的珊瑚礁发生超过一次白化的风险,19.6%的珊瑚礁发生超过一次死亡的风险。（4）南海诸岛珊瑚礁区的月均DHW和ONI交叉小波分析显示两者存在多时段8～32个月共振周期的时频特征和时滞相关性,证实南海诸岛珊瑚礁热压力随着厄尔尼诺事件发生而显著增大;时滞相关分析表明,ONI与南海诸岛珊瑚礁区热压力呈正相关关系,后者滞后于前者7～9个月的时间。     

Ecological assessment to detect imminent change in coral reefs of Admiral Cockburn Land and Sea National Park,Turks and Caicos Islands

Coral reefs of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCIs) (Caribbean Sea) constitute some of the few pristine coral reef systems in the world and play a crucial role in the islands’ economy because they support rich fisheries catches and tourism development. Ambitious development plans involving increase in fishing and tourism pressures are about to bring changes in coastal zone resources of the TCIs associated with increased sediments and nutrients and reduced predation by herbivorous fish on coral reefs. Understanding change is critical when attempting to protect the resources that these coral reefs support and to adopt proper management strategies. Yet, an environmental assessment program to detect imminent human‐induced changes on the surrounding reefs of the TCIs is lacking. Thus, (i) we obtained baseline data on benthic composition and coral community structure at seven reef sites of representative reefs of the TCIs within the Admiral Cockburn Land and Sea National Park (ACLSNP) of South Caicos Island and (ii) performed a priori statistical power analysis to calculate replication requirements for safely and confidently detecting small (δ = 0.1), medium (δ = 0.3), and large (δ = 0.5) effect sizes for a number of relevant to anticipated changes, univariate, benthic indices and for power β = 0.95. The platforms of the margin reefs studied (9–12 m depth) appeared rather variable regarding benthic composition but quite homogeneous regarding hard coral community structure. Mean percent cover of algal functional groups was 0.1 ± 0.3 (mean ± sd) percent for coralline algae and Halimeda, 0.1 ± 0.6 (mean ± sd) percent for macroalgae, 21.7 ± 33 (mean ± sd) percent for turf algae and 4.8 ± 4.0 (mean ± sd) percent for hard coral cover. The dominant benthic component, however, was carbonate substrate (mean ± sd = 30.4 ± 34.3), thus indicating an accreting reef framework. Mean hard coral density, colony size and recruit density were 5.5 ± 1.8 (mean ± sd) corals per 20‐m line transect, 13.0 ± 2.3 (mean ± sd) cm maximum colony diameter, and 1.3 ± 1.4 (mean ± sd) recruits per square foot, respectively. Due to high natural variance, hard coral colony size and density were practically the most sensitive indices in detecting even small size changes on benthos. Also, the geometric mean of log‐transformed colony size‐frequency distributions of the most abundant hard coral taxa, i.e. Montastrea annularis, Agaricia spp., Siderastrea spp. and Porites asteroides were practically sensitive for the same purpose. We hope that the study will optimize the spatial component of a necessary environmental impact assessment program on coral reefs of the TCIs once the natural spatial variability of the system has been assessed and sensitive, benthic, univariate indices have been identified for representative reference coral reef sites of the TCIs.     

基于底质类型变化监测的2005—2018年西沙永乐群岛珊瑚礁白化分析

在海洋环境变化和人类活动的双重影响下,我国珊瑚礁白化现象日趋严重,珊瑚礁健康状况、珊瑚种群数量和丰富度呈逐年下降的趋势。本文基于2005-2007年QuickBird卫星影像、2011-2012年QuickBird/WorldView-2卫星影像和2016-2018年GF-1/2卫星影像等3期高分辨率遥感数据,以西沙永乐群岛羚羊礁、中建岛等14个岛礁为研究区（以下统称永乐群岛）,利用支持向量机（support vector machine,SVM）分类方法结合人机交互信息提取方法完成了3期永乐群岛的珊瑚礁底质类型分类,并通过珊瑚礁底质类型变化分析了永乐群岛珊瑚礁白化特征。主要结论包括：（1）提出了一种珊瑚礁白化程度分级的方法,将永乐群岛白化状况分为轻度、中度、重度和严重白化4个等级,通过分析发现在监测时段内14个岛礁中有13个发生了不同程度的白化,其中10个发生了重度白化（白化率20%以上）,1个严重白化（羚羊礁,白化率为33.36%）;（2）根据监测数据统计,上述珊瑚岛礁的白化主要是由珊瑚丛生区白化引起的,2005-2018年永乐群岛珊瑚丛生区白化面积占总的发生白化区域面积的70.55%;（3）14个岛礁中只有甘泉岛的活珊瑚覆盖在逐渐增加,活珊瑚覆盖面积由2006年5月10日的87.13 hm²增加到2018年3月7日的107.80 hm²。     

Reefs at the edge: coral community structure around Rapa,southernmost French Polynesia

Rapa (27°36′ S, 144°20′ W) is a small (~40 km²) volcanic island isolated in the Southern Austral Archipelago, where direct anthropogenic stressors are extremely limited. Here, we present the results of the first quantitative survey of coral community structure across habitats and depths around the island. Despite its geographical isolation in the depauperate South Central Pacific, its small size and unfavourable environmental conditions (competition with macroalgae, low sea surface temperatures, reduced reef accretion), the diversity of scleractinian corals at Rapa is particularly high (112 species from 32 genera, including 37 species of Acropora) in comparison to other French Polynesian islands and subtropical Pacific locations. Our results indicate that the abundance (>100 colonies per 10 m² recorded at nine of the 17 sampling stations) and cover (>40% at four stations) of corals are relatively high for a marginal reef location. Strong spatial heterogeneity was found, with high variation in diversity, abundance, cover and community composition among stations. Variation in community composition was related to habitat types, with distinct assemblages among fringing reefs within bays, reef formations at bay entrances, and those on the submerged platform surrounding the island. On the platform, a depth gradient was detected, with generic richness, abundance and cover generally greater at deeper stations (18–20 m depth) compared with medium‐depth (10–12 m) and shallow (1–3 m) stations. A gradient was also recorded along bays, with increasing coral diversity and abundance from the bay heads to the bay entrances. The coral community at Rapa was characterized by the presence of several taxa not found in other French Polynesian archipelagos and the rarity of others that are common and abundant in the Society and the Tuamotu islands. Another distinctive feature of reef communities at Rapa is the high cover and dominance of macroalgae, particularly in the shallower parts of the surrounding platform, which probably explains the lower densities of coral colonies recorded there. These characteristics of the diversity and biogeographical composition of coral assemblages at Rapa provide considerable ecological grounds for its conservation.     

An analysis of sponge diversity and distribution at three taxonomic levels in the Thousand Islands/Jakarta Bay reef complex, West-Java, Indonesia

Very few coral reefs are located close enough to large cities to study the influence of large urban populations on reef assemblages. An exception is the Thousand Islands reef complex to the north of Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, and one of the largest conurbations in the world. Here we present data from a detailed survey where sponge assemblages were assessed at 30 patch reefs associated with islands in three coastal zones along an in-to-offshore gradient. Sponge assemblages are described at three taxonomic levels of detail (species, genus and family level). We recorded a total of 118 sponge species, 64 genera and 36 families, Aaptos suberitoides (Brønsted, 1934), Clathria (Thalysias) reinwardti (Vosmaer, 1880), Petrosia (Petrosia) nigricans (Lindgren, 1897) and Xestospongia testudinaria (Lamarck, 1813) were the most common species overall. There was a pronounced difference in composition among zones with the most distinct difference between the inshore zone and the other two zones. The inshore environment was characterised by very high turbidity and low live coral cover; the dominant substrate consisted of algal turf and sand. Environmental conditions improved and sponge diversity increased further offshore, although most areas appeared to have been affected by some form of disturbance. Ordinations were also largely congruent, at species, generic and family levels of taxonomic resolution. This indicates that variation in composition at higher taxonomic levels is a good indicator of variation at lower taxonomic levels, at least when there is a pronounced environmental gradient.     

Observer presence may alter the behaviour of reef fishes associated with coral colonies

Although underwater visual census (UVC) is the most frequently used technique for quantifying reef fish assemblages, remote video analysis has been gaining attention as a potential alternative. In the South Atlantic Ocean, Millepora spp. (class Hydrozoa) are the only branching coral species; however, little is known about the ecological role that they play for reef fish communities. We compared these two observation methods (remote video and UVC) to estimate reef fish abundance and species richness associated with colonies of the fire‐coral Millepora alcicornis at Tamandaré Reefs, Northeast Brazil. Additionally, the two different techniques were used to compare species behaviour in association with fire‐corals in order to examine the biases associated with each technique and provide useful information for behavioural ecologists studying fish–coral associations. There were no differences in reef fish abundance or species richness sampled by remote video or UVC. However, a significant difference in the behaviour of associated fish was recorded between the two methods. In the presence of a diver carrying out a UVC, fish were observed spending more time sheltered amongst the coral branches compared with passively swimming on coral colonies with the remote video technique. Specifically, on the remote video recordings agonistic interactions between fish and passive swimming accounted for 33.3% and 22.2% of the census time, respectively. By comparison, when observed by a diver fish spent 34.8% of their time sheltering amongst the coral branches. We demonstrate that both techniques are similarly effective for recording fish abundance and species richness associated with fire‐corals. However, differences were observed in the ability of each method to detect the behaviour of coral‐associated fishes. Our findings show that behavioural ecologists studying complex fish–coral associations need to ensure that their aims are clearly defined and that they choose the most appropriate technique for their study in order to minimize methodological biases.     

Explaining island‐wide geographical patterns of Caribbean fish diversity: A multi‐scale seascape ecology approach

Geographical patterning of fish diversity across coral reef seascapes is driven by many interacting environmental variables operating at multiple spatial scales. Identifying suites of variables that explain spatial patterns of fish diversity is central to ecology and informs prioritization in marine conservation, particularly where protection of the highest biodiversity coral reefs is a primary goal. However, the relative importance of conventional within‐patch variables versus the spatial patterning of the surrounding seascape is still unclear in the ecology of fishes on coral reefs. A multi‐scale seascape approach derived from landscape ecology was applied to quantify and examine the explanatory roles of a wide range of variables at different spatial scales including: (i) within‐patch structural attributes from field data (5 × 1 m² sample unit area); (ii) geometry of the seascape from sea‐floor maps (10–50 m radius seascape units); and wave exposure from a hydrodynamic model (240 m resolution) for 251 coral reef survey sites in the US Virgin Islands. Non‐parametric statistical learning techniques using single classification and regression trees (CART) and ensembles of boosted regression trees (TreeNet) were used to: (i) model interactions; and (ii) identify the most influential environmental predictors from multiple data types (diver surveys, terrain models, habitat maps) across multiple spatial scales (1–196,350 m²). Classifying the continuous response variables into a binary category and instead predicting the presence and absence of fish species richness hotspots (top 10% richness) increased the predictive performance of the models. The best CART model predicted fish richness hotspots with 80% accuracy. The statistical interaction between abundance of living scleractinian corals measured by SCUBA divers within 1 m² quadrats and the topographical complexity of the surrounding sea‐floor terrain (150 m radius seascape unit) measured from a high‐resolution terrain model best explained geographical patterns in fish richness hotspots. The comparatively poor performance of models predicting continuous variability in fish diversity across the seascape could be a result of a decoupling of the diversity‐environment relationship owing to structural degradation leading to a widespread homogenization of coral reef structure.     

Environmental factors shaping boring sponge assemblages at Mexican Pacific coral reefs

Recent studies suggest a future increase in sponge bioerosion as an outcome of coral reef decline around the world. However, the factors that shape boring sponge assemblages in coral reefs are not currently well understood. This work presents the results of a 17‐month assessment of the presence and species richness of boring sponges in fragments collected from living corals, dead coral reef matrix and coral rubble from Punta de Mita and Isabel Island, two coral reefs from the central coast of the Mexican Pacific Ocean. Both localities have a high cover of dead corals generated by past El Niño Southern Oscillation events, but Punta de Mita was also highly exposed to anthropogenic impacts. Additionally, environmental factors (water transparency, water movement, temperature, sediment deposition, SST, and chlorophyll concentration) were assessed to test the hypothesis that environmental conditions which are potentially harmful for corals can enhance sponge bioerosion. Isabel Island and Punta de Mita showed a similar species richness (13 and 11 species, respectively) but boring sponge presence in both live and dead corals was higher at Isabel Island (57.6%) than at Punta de Mita (35.7%). The same result was obtained when each type of substrate was analysed separately: dead coral reef matrix (81.3% versus 55.5%), coral rubble (47.7% versus 20.0%) and living corals (43.7% versus 31.7%). A principal components analysis showed a higher environmental heterogeneity at Punta de Mita, as well as important environmental differences between Punta de Mita and Isabel Island, due to sediment deposition (2.0 versus 0.2 kg·m^?2·d^?1) and water movement (24.5% versus 20.5% plaster dissolution day^?1), that were also negatively correlated with boring sponge presence (r = ?0.7). By analysing the boring sponge assemblage, we found that environmental settings, together with habitat availability (i.e., dead coral substrate) differentiated assemblage structure at both localities. Major structural differences were largely due to species such as Cliona vermifera, Cliona tropicalis and Aka cryptica. In conclusion, factors such as habitat availability favored the presence of boring sponges but some environmental factors such as abrasion resulting from moving sediment acted restrictively, and exerted a major role in structuring boring sponge assemblages in the Mexican Pacific.     

Late Quaternary evolution of coral reefs on a cool-water carbonate margin: the Abrolhos Carbonate Platforms, southwest Australia

Late Quaternary coral reefs have developed on the southwestern Australian margin, which has otherwise been characterised by cool-water carbonates since the Eocene. The Houtman Abrolhos coral reefs are at the limits of existence, extending, with the assistance of the Leeuwin Current, a poleward-flowing, warm water stream, into a region dominated by more temperate communities. Coring in the Easter Group reefs, supported by high precision dating, by both U/Th TIMS and ¹⁴C methods, has shown vigorous coral growth, with reefs over 26 m thick in the Holocene and over 15 m thick in the Last Interglacial. Each of the three Abrolhos platforms consists of a central platform composed of Last Interglacial reefs, about which windward and leeward Holocene reefs developed asymmetrically. Reef, peritidal and eolian facies comprise the emergent Last Interglacial limestones which are extensively calcretized, with reef facies up to 5 m above MSL. The Last Interglacial high stand lasted for at least 10 ka from 130 to 120 ka, and possibly 15 ka, from 132 to 117 ka. Holocene reef facies are also emergent by 0.5 m, and are overlain by peritidal and storm ridge facies in an upward-shallowing sequence. Windward (10 m thick) and leeward (26 m thick) Holocene reefs in the Easter Group show contrasting lithofacies. The wave-exposed windward reefs consist of a slow-growing association of coralline algal bindstones and coral framestones, whereas fast-growing coral framestones dominate the more protected leeward reefs. The leeward reefs commenced growth 10,000 years ago and grew to the present sea level by 6500 years ago, generating Holocene constructional topography consisting of ‘blue-hole’ terrain in the leeward parts of the platforms.     

南海九章环礁中牛轭礁和西门礁新生沙洲沉积特征与动态

南沙群岛的珊瑚礁以环礁形式存在, 拥有各具特色的地貌形态。九章环礁中的牛轭礁和西门礁是两座发育有新生沙洲的环礁, 代表灰沙岛形成前一个重要的过渡性地貌演化阶段。这两处新生沙洲表层沉积物样品的粒度分析表明: 沉积物主要组分为珊瑚碎屑, 长轴中值粒径在14~45mm之间, 属于砾石级别; 样品分选系数在4.5~31之间, 分选性很差; 球度值为0.52~0.68, 球度差。粒度特征值中, 中值粒径具有随着到水边线距离的增大而升高的趋势, 而分选性和球度与距水边线距离关系不大。整体上中值粒径与分选系数呈正相关关系, 而与球度呈负相关关系。历史文献记载和卫星图像表明, 牛轭礁和西门礁上的新生沙洲都是近年来才形成的, 与风暴过程及冬季风有关。牛轭礁上沙洲向北迁移, 同时其长轴向东南方向延伸; 西门礁上沙洲整体向东南方向迁移, 并形成回弯形沙嘴形态。新生沙洲的出现与珊瑚碎屑物质供给变化或风暴浪作用变化的关系还需进一步探讨。     

Spatial distribution of surgeonfish and parrotfish in the north sector of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System

Surgeonfish and parrotfish play an important role in structuring the benthic communities of coral reefs. However, despite their importance, little is known about their distribution patterns in the north sector of the Mesoamerican Reef System. This study evaluated the distribution of these fish in 34 sites in four habitats (lagoon, front, slopes and terrace) along a depth gradient (c 0.5–20 m). These herbivorous fish were assessed by visual censuses. Species dominance was evaluated for each habitat using SIMPER analysis. Habitat characteristics data were collected to determine the relationship between habitat conditions and spatial variations in herbivorous fish (using abundance and biomass as a proxy) via redundancy analysis. The herbivorous fish assemblage had a low density (fish per 100 m²) and biomass (g·100 m^?2) in comparison with assemblages in similar studies. In contrast, species richness was high compared with other studies in the Caribbean. Spatial variation of the abundance, biomass and size of herbivorous fish was strongly related to coral and seagrass cover, as well as to depth and rugosity. These four variables were critical in controlling the distribution patterns of the herbivorous fish assemblages. No associations were found between fish and macroalgae or any other benthic group. The present study indicates that the species richness of surgeonfish and parrotfish was not regionally affected by the dominance of macroalgae in the habitats studied. Seagrass beds and the coral reef matrix need to be preserved for the herbivorous fish assemblages to remain healthy and capable of controlling excess macroalgae growth.     

珊瑚岛礁孤立波爬坡的平面二维数值模拟研究

为了探究岛屿周围珊瑚礁在抵御海啸灾害中的作用,采用激波捕捉类Boussinesq模型FUNWAVE-TVD,对孤立波在理想化三维岛礁地形上的传播及爬坡开展了现场尺度的平面二维数值模拟,分析了入射波高、礁坪水深、礁坪宽度、礁前斜坡坡度、礁后斜坡坡度、珊瑚礁糙率对岛屿四周孤立波爬高分布的影响。结果表明,珊瑚礁的存在总体上可有效降低岛屿四周孤立波的最大爬坡高度;入射波高、礁坪水深、礁坪宽度、珊瑚礁糙率是影响珊瑚岛礁四周孤立波爬坡分布的主要因素,岛礁四周最大爬坡高度会随入射波高和礁坪水深的增大、礁坪宽度和珊瑚礁糙率的减小而不断增大;当礁坪水深增大到一定程度时,珊瑚礁主要会对岛屿背浪面的爬高失去影响,而当礁坪宽度和珊瑚礁糙率减小至一定程度时,会出现岛礁四周最大爬高高于无珊瑚礁时爬高的现象;礁后斜坡的变缓会使岛礁周围的最大爬高有所减小,而礁前斜坡坡度对珊瑚岛礁周围的最大爬高几乎没有影响。     

典型近岸退化珊瑚礁的成功修复案例——蜈支洲珊瑚覆盖率的恢复

在全球珊瑚礁生态系统面临退化威胁的情况下,珊瑚礁生态修复工作成为人类帮助珊瑚礁恢复健康的重要手段之一,并且在全球各个珊瑚礁区域都得到广泛应用。我国近岸珊瑚礁生态系统退化严重,本实验探讨利用珊瑚移植技术在三亚市蜈支洲岛典型的近岸珊瑚礁环境下恢复造礁石珊瑚的覆盖率,希望推动企业参与海洋生态保护并从中受益。在与当地旅游公司的合作下,2017年6月移植6000株包括风信子鹿角珊瑚(Acropora hyacinthus)、美丽鹿角珊瑚(A.muricata)等8种造礁石珊瑚。经过3 a的生长,移植珊瑚的平均存活率为61.3%,修复区域造礁石珊瑚平均覆盖率从9.3%提升到35.3%,珊瑚覆盖率的提升主要归结于移植珊瑚个体的生长。从恢复效果来看,本次实验有效地恢复了珊瑚礁的珊瑚覆盖率,修复区域内珊瑚礁不仅健康状况有所恢复,同时水下景观得到改善,带动了相关企业参与海洋生态保护的积极性。本次研究结果证明了在我国近岸退化珊瑚礁中利用生态修复技术恢复珊瑚礁生态是可行和有效的。     

SCUBA divers above the waterline: Using participatory mapping of coral reef conditions to inform reef management

Coral reefs provide important ecological services such as biodiversity, climate regulation, and cultural benefits through recreation and tourism. However, many of the world's reefs are declining, with Caribbean reefs suffering a significant decline in living corals over the past half century. This situation emphasizes the need to assess and monitor reef conditions using a variety of methods. In this study, a new method for assessing reef conditions to inform management using participatory mapping by coral reef “experts” in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) is described. Occupational SCUBA divers were recruited (n=87) to map coral reef conditions, uses, and threats (stressors) using an internet-based mapping website. The data reveal an uneven geographic distribution of reef conditions in the USVI with the most frequently mapped perceived healthy reef characteristics being: large amount of physical reef structure (n=872 markers); endangered or threatened species present (n=721); and large amount of live coral cover (n=615). The greatest perceived threats were: invasive species (n=606); water pollution (n=234); and unsustainable fishing (n=200). Areas of important reef characteristics, perceived threats to reefs, and perceived recovery potential were plotted to identify areas requiring critical management attention. The authors found that perceptions of healthy reef conditions outnumbered perceptions of reef threats for nine of the ten most familiar coral reefs; the most frequent activity type within the coral reefs was tourism diving; and for the most familiar coral reefs, the divers perceived a high recovery potential. Given the novelty of participatory mapping methods to assess coral reefs, the strengths and weaknesses of the method is evaluated. The authors further propose a management typology for categorizing reef areas to inform their future management. In the absence of primary data, or, as a supplement to underwater surveys and remotely-sensed data on reef condition, participatory mapping can provide a cost-effective means for assessing coral reef conditions while identifying place-specific reef locations requiring management attention.     

南沙群岛珊瑚礁动力地貌特征

南沙群岛受季风、台风和波浪的影响，珊瑚礁体呈ＮＥ－ＳＷ向椭圆形态，西南礁坪宽于东北礁坪。位于不同波能带内的珊瑚礁体发育了与之相适应的动力地貌单元。礁前斜坡高波能带地形陡峭，向风坡礁脊一槽沟系发育。外礁坪消耗大量波能，广泛覆盖生物碎屑，珊瑚生长稀疏。内礁坪宽广平坦，珊瑚生长良好。外礁坪堆积许多大礁块，尤以东北礁坪为甚。在湖低波能带，通常东坡缓于百坡，湖盆一般浪静流缓，为生物碎屑堆积区。     

Long-term environmental impact of coral mining at the Wakatobi marine park, Indonesia

Coral mining for use as construction material is a major cause of reef degradation in several coastal nations. We studied the long-term impact of coral mining at the Wakatobi marine park, Indonesia, where a substantial mining event was undertaken two decades ago in order to supply building material for a jetty. The mined area shows significant differences in reef viability compared to a control reef 1000 m away: the percentage of dead coral in the substrate, the percentage of live coral coverage, the species richness and abundance of hard corals are all greatly reduced. For the most part, soft corals and other (non-coral) invertebrates do not show significant differences in richness, abundance or diversity, but their species composition differs greatly: the control site abounds giant clams, whereas these are absent at the mined site; instead, the dominant species there is Strombus, an algae-grazing gastropod associated with stressed reefs. We conclude that the mined reef flat failed to recover from the severe mining event, despite being un-mined for over 20 years. Our results demonstrate that without effective management and enforcement, coral mining may cause a long-term, destructive impact on the coral reef ecosystem. We propose the following management steps: first, law enforcement measures must become more stringent; second, alternative income sources such as aquaculture, ecotourism, or even land-based alternatives need to be actively promoted and financed; third, alternative building materials such as landrock and concrete should become more accessible and affordable; and fourth, education and awareness regarding both the MPA regulations and the environmental impact of coral mining have to be strengthened.