Current status of coral takeover by an encrusting excavating sponge in a Caribbean reef

On Caribbean reefs, the excavating sponge Cliona tenuis opportunistically colonized dead skeletons of the elkhorn coral Acropora palmata after its massive die‐off in the 1980s. Further C. tenuis population increase occurred by colonization of other coral species, causing coral tissue death through undermining of live tissue and lateral growth. To follow up on a previous (2001) characterization of the abundance and size structure of C. tenuis at Islas del Rosario (Colombia), these factors were again estimated in 2014, along with its substratum utilization. The fate of sponge individuals colonizing massive coral colonies marked in 2001–2004 was also followed. By 2014 C. tenuis was still disproportionally occupying dead A. palmata branches, but its abundance and density, and the cover of other benthic elements, had not significantly changed over the 13‐year period, suggesting that a stasis has been reached. Cliona tenuis was thus initially favored in the 1980s, but substratum monopolization did not occur. From 2001 to 2014, small individuals increased in number and very large ones decreased, suggesting not only that new recruitment is occurring, but also that larger sponges are shrinking or fragmenting. Marked sponges continued killing corals over the first few years, but over longer times they retreated or died, allowing corals to resume upward growth. However, it could not be ascertained whether the sponge retreat was age‐related or the result of some environmental effect. The apparent preference for recently dead clean coral by larvae of C. tenuis and its current dynamics of recruitment, growth, fragmentation and mortality have stabilized its space occupation at Islas del Rosario.     

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.     

A new coral reef province in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia: Colonisation, growth and submergence during the early Holocene

Multibeam sonar mapping, drill cores and underwater video data have confirmed the existence of a previously unknown coral reef province in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia. Seven reefs, comprised of coral limestone that support living corals have been mapped so far and as many as 50 other reefs may exist in the region. U/Th ages show that reef growth commenced shortly after limestone pedestals were submerged by rising sea level around 10.5 kyr BP, making them the oldest Holocene reefs known in Australia. Reef growth persisted for ~ 2.0 kyr but it had ceased at most locations by ~ 7.0 kyr BP. Measurements of reef growth rates (0.95 to 4 m kyr^− 1), indicate that the reefs were unable to keep pace with contemporaneous rapid sea level rise (> 10 m kyr^− 1), which is consistent with a “give up” reef growth history. Core samples from reef platforms demonstrate that Pleistocene limestone is exposed at depths of 27 and 30 m below present mean sea level. These depths represent regionally significant phases of reef growth during a prolonged sea level still stand. We conclude that the reefs are therefore mostly relict features, whose major phase of growth and development relates to an earlier, pre-Holocene sea level still stand.     

长棘海星暴发对珊瑚礁区沉积物营养盐动力学的影响研究

长棘海星暴发对珊瑚礁生态系统产生了严重危害,而水体营养盐的补充可能是导致长棘海星暴发的一个关键因素。砂质沉积物对调控珊瑚礁区的营养盐浓度和结构起着关键作用,因此本研究通过流动式反应器对长棘海星和砂质沉积物进行模拟实验,分析长棘海星排泄活动及其死亡后有机体降解对水体营养盐的影响,并探究砂质沉积物的响应。实验结果表明：（1）长棘海星排泄的溶解无机氮（DIN）和溶解无机磷（DIP）通量分别为（83.55±4.74）μmol/(ind.·h)和（2.53±0.03）μmol/(ind.·h),这些营养盐可能给长棘海星的持续暴发提供营养条件;（2）砂质沉积物对长棘海星排泄导致的营养盐浓度升高具有缓冲作用,约70.7%的DIN和91.4%的DIP被截留在沉积物中,但沉积物界面营养盐交换导致的氮磷比升高可能不利于珊瑚生长;（3）长棘海星死后的有机体降解可促使沉积物–水界面释放营养盐,结合海星暴发密度估算,其释放的营养盐可导致上覆水中DIN和DIP浓度分别升高0.32 μmol/L和0.01 μmol/L,这可能会促使大型藻的快速生长而妨碍珊瑚的自我修复。     

Evidence of a common understanding of proximate and distal drivers of reef health

Marine management has typically prioritised natural science methodological traditions as an evidence base for decision-making; yet better integration of social science methods are increasingly shown to provide a more comprehensive picture to base management decisions. Specifically, perceptions-based assessments are gaining support, as they can provide efficient and holistic evaluation regarding management issues. This study focuses on coral reefs because they are particularly threatened ecosystems, due to their ecological complexity, socio-economic importance, and the range of environmental drivers that impact them. Research has largely concentrated on assessing proximate threats to coral reefs. Less attention has been given to distal drivers, such as socio-economic and governance factors. A common understanding of threats related to coral reef degradation is critical for integrated management that takes account of peoples’ concerns. This study compares perceptions of drivers of reef health among stakeholders (n = 110) across different sectors and governance levels, in four Caribbean countries. Interview data identified 37 proximate and 136 distal drivers, categorised into 27 themes. Five sub-groups of themes connecting proximate and distal drivers were identified. Perceptions of two of these narratives, relating to ‘fishing and socioeconomic issues’ and ‘reef management and coastal development’, differed among respondents from different countries and sectors respectively. However, the findings highlight a shared perception of many themes, with 18 of the 27 (67%) mentioned by > 25% of respondents. This paper highlights the application of perceptions data for marine management, demonstrating how knowledge of proximate and distal drivers can be applied to identify important issues at different context-specific scales.     

Rehabilitation of damaged reefs: Outcome of the use of recently broken coral fragments and healed coral fragments of pocilloporid corals on rocky boulders

The use of two types of coral transplants on rock boulders was evaluated as a low‐cost alternative for rehabilitation of live coral coverage in localities whose reef structure has been reduced considerably. Transplant success between recently broken coral fragments (BCF) and healed coral fragments (HCF) was compared assuming that initial fragmentation accelerates the attachment of corals by regeneration stimulation. Two sets of both types of transplants were started during the dry and rainy seasons to contrast the effect of environmental stability on transplant survival, vertical growth and horizontal growth over 12 months. The technique provided adequate conditions for coral development, as transplants responded satisfactorily. BCF showed higher success than HCF in attaching to the substrate (up to 98 ± 4% versus 86.4 ± 18.9% after 9 months) during both seasons and also showed a greater increase in height (209.63 ± 43.65% versus 124 ± 15.83%) and diameter (107.26 ± 25.75% versus 99.98 ± 19.74%) during the rainy season. Boat anchorage caused mortality in transplants started during the dry season (less than 10% for BCF versus 37.2% for HCF) while the impact of Hurricane Polo in October 2014 caused higher mortality in transplants started during the rainy season (up to 55%). We conclude that (i) coral transplantation on rock boulders is a good choice to restore damaged coral communities, (ii) BCF seems to be the best source of transplants for pocilloporid corals, and (iii) although high light availability during the rainy season enhances transplant growth, the stable, low energy conditions in the dry season facilitate initial transplant attachment and high survival.     

西沙群岛珊瑚礁海域浮游动物群落结构初步分析

为了解西沙群岛珊瑚礁海域浮游动物的群落特征, 于2015年5月末至7月初在西沙群岛8个岛礁(七连屿、永兴岛和东岛3个岛屿以及浪花礁、盘石屿、玉琢礁、华光礁和北礁5个环礁)进行了浮游动物采样, 分析了浮游动物的多样性、丰度和群落结构特征, 并比较了5个环礁潟湖内和向海礁坡区浮游动物群落组成的差异。调查海域共鉴定浮游动物180种(包括浮游幼虫13个类群), 其中桡足类最多, 达83种, 其次是水母类(38种)、浮游软体类(14种)、毛颚类(11种)和浮游被囊类(7种); 浮游动物平均丰度为256.4±117.8个·m^-3, 桡足类占总丰度的51.08%, 其次是浮游幼虫(16.30%)、浮游被囊类(13.22%)和毛颚类(7.70%)。浮游动物种数、多样性和均匀度指数、丰度在岛屿和环礁之间以及环礁的潟湖区和向海礁坡区均存在差异; 浮游动物多样性和丰度在东岛、玉琢礁和华光礁较高, 而在七连屿和北礁较低; 5个环礁向海礁坡区的浮游动物多样性和丰度皆高于潟湖区的。多元统计分析结果表明调查岛礁的浮游动物可划分两个聚群(相似水平85%); 岛屿近岸及环礁的潟湖群落(Ⅰ)和岛屿远岸及环礁的向海礁坡群落(Ⅱ); 两个聚群浮游动物组成差异较显著(r=0.832, p<0.001); 前者的种数、多样性指数、总丰度和主要浮游动物类群如桡足类、毛颚类和浮游幼虫的丰度显著低于后者。环礁潟湖区和向海礁坡区的空间异质性和生态环境差异可能是导致浮游动物群落结构呈现不同特征的主要因素。     

Quantifying the impact of watershed urbanization on a coral reef: Maunalua Bay,Hawaii

Human activities in the watersheds surrounding Maunalua Bay, Oahu, Hawaii, have lead to the degradation of coastal coral reefs affecting populations of marine organisms of ecological, economic and cultural value. Urbanization, stream channelization, breaching of a peninsula, seawalls, and dredging on the east side of the bay have resulted in increased volumes and residence time of polluted runoff waters, eutrophication, trapping of terrigenous sediments, and the formation of a permanent nepheloid layer. The ecosystem collapse on the east side of the bay and the prevailing westward longshore current have resulted in the collapse of the coral and coralline algae population on the west side of the bay. In turn this has lead to a decrease in carbonate sediment production through bio-erosion as well as a disintegration of the dead coral and coralline algae, leading to sediment starvation and increased wave breaking on the coast and thus increased coastal erosion. The field data and resulting coral reef ecohydrology model presented in this paper demonstrate and quantify the importance of biophysical processes leading to coral reef degradation as the result of urbanization. Coral restoration in Maunalua Bay will require an integrated ecosystem approach.     

Recruitment of Demosponges (Porifera,Demospongiae) in Rocky and Coral Reef Habitats of Santa Marta,Colombian Caribbean*

Abstract. Recruitment of demosponges (Porifera, Demospongiae) was monitored bimonthly for one year (March 1987 – March 1988) on acrylic plates, and compared to cover of adults, in six rocky and coral reef habitats at Santa Marta, Colombian Caribbean, an area subjected to seasonal, upwelling-outwelling regimes. According to suggestive but not significant trends, recruitment rates are more positively influenced by the total sponge cover near groups of plates than by cover at a larger (habitat) scale; recruit mortality is lower where recruitment is higher. These findings are in agreement with a model of higher settlement (probably due to short-distance dispersal) and lower postsettlement mortality within a few meters of adult sponges. Recruitment varied seasonally, being relatively high from May to November-December during the rainy, outwelling season, when seawater temperature was warmer, water turbidity higher, and benthic algal density lower; it was very low from January to April during the dry, upwelling season.     

Spatio-temporal variability of benthic macroalgae in a coral reef system highly influenced by fluvial discharge: Veracruz,Gulf of Mexico

The Veracruz Reef System, in the southern Gulf of Mexico, is a suitable area for the study of the temporal and spatial variability of macroalgae abundance, at reef settings influenced by the fluvial discharge of the Jamapa River, and by human activities in the city and port of Veracruz. With this purpose, the bottom cover of each morpho-functional group of benthic macroalgae (frondoses, turf, and crustose corallines), and hermatypic corals, was determined at ten selected coral reefs, on a seasonal basis (rainy and dry seasons), for the 2009–2015 period. The average cover of benthic macroalgae was high (53.1%), with turf as the dominant morpho-functional group (31.9%), as in several reef ecosystems in the tropical Atlantic, followed by crustose corallines (15.2%), and frondoses (6.1%). Although turf macroalgae is dominant, due to their high temporal and spatial variability, the Veracruz Reef System could not be considered to be in a stable state, but just in an intermediate unstable equilibrium state, which is highly influenced by a high sediment load. As expected, nearshore reefs presented higher macroalgae covers, and unexpectedly, the outer-shelf reefs presented the highest cover of frondoses. Despite fluvial discharge influence, no differences in cover were found between the rainy and dry seasons. There was a negative and significantly correlation between the cover of frondoses and turf, which suggests that the driver/s of the abundance of these macroalgae, act in opposite ways for each group. Three clusters of reefs, defined by community structure and conservation degree, were determined: nearshore or degraded, offshore or moderately conserved, and conserved; and the entire Veracruz Reef System is considered to be in a moderately state of conservation.     

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。     

Grazing on coral reefs facilitates growth of the excavating sponge Cliona orientalis (Clionaidae,Hadromerida)

Although bioerosion is among the most destructive forces on coral reefs, indirect effects influencing the bioerosion dynamics are understudied. Here, I assess the hypothesis that coral reef grazers indirectly facilitate proliferation of bioeroding sponges by removing epibiotic fleshy seaweeds from the Great Barrier Reef. This study quantifies the degree of spatial correlation between the distribution of bioeroding sponges and the distribution of grazing pressure, as evidenced by the abundance of seaweed and parrotfish bite marks. While the sponge tissue area was negatively correlated with seaweed coverage, the number of parrotfish bite marks was associated with less algae and more sponge tissue. Several factors derived from grazing on seaweeds may facilitate sponge growth: increases in the availability of light may favor primary production by symbiotic zooxanthellae and thereby increase growth of bioeroding sponges; on the other hand, sponge settlement may be facilitated on grazed substrates. All these factors are likely related, and contribute to an increasing erosion of coral reefs. Similar processes have recently been described in Mediterranean ecosystems, suggesting that the interactions I document here, could be widespread.     

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.     

南沙群岛珊瑚礁海域黑边鳍真鲨的年龄与生长

利用脊椎骨鉴定 2004年5～7月于南沙群岛珊瑚礁海域捕获的黑边鳍真鲨的年龄,进一步推算其Von Bertalanffy生长方程.结果表明：南沙群岛珊瑚礁海域黑边鳍真鲨优势年龄组为雌性5～7a,雄性4～7a;v-b生长方程相关参数为：K=0.127,L∞=188cm,t0＝-1.442a;其重量生长的拐点年龄为8.22a.     

Assessment of the effectiveness of natural coral fragmentation as a dispersal mechanism for coral reef‐boring sponges

Eastern Pacific reefs are mostly made up of interlocking coral branches of Pocillopora, which are easily broken by physical forces associated with heavy swells and winds. In this study we investigated the potential of these coral fragments to enable propagation of boring sponges. For this, we quantified the frequency of occurrence and diversity of boring sponges in fragments of corals recently trapped among the branches of live colonies, and later tested the hypothesis that these sponges colonize new branches of corals. Nearly 80% of the coral colonies investigated had coral fragments among their branches, and 69% of these coral fragments contained boring sponges (11 species), some of these sponges in reproduction (23% of them carried oocytes). To test whether sponges inhabiting coral fragments could colonize new branching corals we transplanted them to healthy branches, and to branches whose living tissue was mechanically eliminated to simulate damage produced by grazing and death after bleaching and other causes of coral tissue mortality. All the transplanted coral fragments cemented to each new colony by means of calcification, and of the three sponge species tested (Cliona vermifera, Cliona tropicalis and Thoosa mismalolli) only C. vermifera was able to colonize both new living branches (26.9%) and cleaned branches (65.5%). The apparent capability of C. vermifera to colonize by direct contact may be another key ability of this species to maintain high frequency of occurrence in Pacific coral reefs. However, although C. tropicalis and T. mismalolli were not able to colonize new coral substrata by direct contact, coral fragments have the potential to contribute to local persistence of these sponges and to their dispersal, both by asexual (fragments) and sexual means (transport of sexual products). The present findings may partly explain the current increase of excavating sponges on deteriorating reefs with a large availability of dead branching corals.     

Ecological assessments of the coral reef communities in the Eastern Caribbean and the effects of herbivory in influencing coral juvenile density and algal cover

Caribbean reefs have been unevenly surveyed, with many areas lacking baseline data. In this study, the current status of Orbicella reefs, a structurally complex forereef habitat, was quantified in an understudied region, the Eastern Caribbean. During 2011 the same observers surveyed benthic assemblages, coral juvenile density, herbivorous fishes, and invertebrates at 30 Orbicella reefs in four Eastern Caribbean areas: Antigua, Barbados, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines (hereafter St Vincent). Not all Orbicella forereefs were functionally the same in the Eastern Caribbean. Benthic communities and herbivorous fishes varied greatly among islands. Hard coral had the highest overall percent cover on most reefs in this study, with an average cover of 22%, and was greater than fleshy macroalgal cover at 83% of the sites. Overall, coral juvenile density was low but was positively associated with higher densities of Diadema antillarum, highlighting the importance of herbivory on the reefs. Nearshore coral reefs in Barbados were in a better state than other areas, exhibiting higher coral cover dominated by spawning corals, higher densities of coral juveniles exhibiting higher coral cover dominated by spawning corals, higher densities of coral juveniles and D. antillarum. Low biomass of herbivorous fishes at a majority of the coral reef sites is of major concern for the functioning of these reefs. Conservation of parrotfishes and other herbivores is necessary given the abundance of algae on most of these reefs and the beneficial effect of their presence on coral juveniles. This is the first comprehensive study that compares the state of Orbicella reefs in the Eastern Caribbean, providing valuable information that will be useful in creating realistic targets for future management and conservation.     

Defense by association: Sponge‐eating fishes alter the small‐scale distribution of Caribbean reef sponges

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.     

Persistent alternate abundance states in the coral reef sea urchin Diadema savignyi: evidence of alternate attractors

Alternate attractors have been shown to exist in a variety of terrestrial and aquatic systems, e.g. temperate forests, savannas, shallow lakes, wetlands, coral reefs, kelp forests. The shift from one attractor to another, also referred to as a regime shift, is thought to occur when a system passes some critical threshold such that the trajectory of the system changes direction. Alternate attractors in population dynamics can also exist, leading to alternate stable states in the population abundance of a species. This study explored alternate attractors in the population dynamics of the Indo‐Pacific sea urchin Diadema savignyi and the potential underlying mechanisms that promote its bi‐stability. In Moorea, French Polynesia, the local abundance of D. savignyi, a functionally important herbivore in lagoon habitats, occurs in two states: (i) solitary individuals that occupy crevices in low densities and (ii) aggregations of tens to hundreds of individuals. These different states are temporally stable and are not explained by spatial differences in recruitment rates of juveniles. A field experiment revealed that the per capita mortality rate of adult D. savignyi was substantially lower at sites where urchins occurred in aggregations compared with sites at which they were solitary individuals. An additional experiment showed that per capita mortality decreased with increasing aggregation size. Individuals in high‐density aggregations, however, had significantly smaller test diameters than solitary individuals, indicating that individuals in aggregations may be food limited. Collectively, the evidence suggests that the two different local abundance states of D. savignyi result from negative feedback loops where high local density can be maintained by aggregative behavior that greatly reduces per capita risk of predation when the local number of adult sea urchins is sufficiently large; sites with few sea urchins remain at low density because individuals are more susceptible to predation when crevices are occupied but there are not enough individuals to form large aggregations. Thus, there may be alternate attractors in the population dynamics of D. savignyi that can produce either persistently low or high local population densities.     

A study of coral reef resilience and implications of adaptive management and rehabilitation in Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam

The Province of Khanh Hoa, Vietnam, is located in the western South China Sea and boasts a shoreline of 385 km and many islands. Previous studies have indicated the extreme diversity and abundance of coral reefs in its waters as compared with other coastal provinces of Vietnam. A study on the resilience of coral reefs against increased surface water temperature and anthropogenic impact is conducted at 19 reef sites in 2015. At each site, a series of parameters (e.g., coral covers, genus diversity, and coral recruitment, substratum heterogeneity, depth, water exchange level, and sediment deposit and water temperature) are measured quantitatively or semi-quantitatively. The measured data are rated based on the relationship between the parameter values and coral susceptibility; the consideration that reef health reflects the biological capability to adapt to environmental changes and the recruitment potential if bleached; and positive or negative influences of physical factors in the mitigation of thermal stress and protecting corals from bleaching. A cumulative analysis enables researchers to divide the studied reefs into four categories based on varying levels of reef health to support resilience, recovery, and vulnerability in the case of increased water temperature. Relevant management interventions for each category and other supporting activities are suggested to enhance management effectiveness and to plan the rehabilitation of coral reefs for biodiversity conservation and touristic development, taking into account the involvement of related stakeholders.     

重金属铜污染对石珊瑚生长影响的实验研究

分布于热带海洋的珊瑚礁是重要的生态学资源.受全球环境变化和人类活动的影响,珊瑚礁正处于退化之中,其中重金属污染是人类活动影响珊瑚礁的重要方面.国际上不少研究初步探索了珊瑚对一定浓度重金属的响应,我国类似的研究尚不多.本文通过72h的急性毒性测试,研究重金属Cu2+污染对6科7属石珊瑚的影响,以了解重金属污染对石珊瑚所造成的伤害和石珊瑚对Cu2+污染的生态反应.实验结果显示,随着Cu2+浓度的增加,与珊瑚共生的虫黄藻密度呈现先短暂上升而后持续下降的趋势,直致珊瑚白化;Cu2+污染对块状滨珊瑚毒性影响最大,在浓度超过40·7μg·L-1时即致其死亡.Cu2+污染胁迫下所有试验珊瑚的触手伸展活动都出现异常,显示Cu2+污染对珊瑚生存有明显的影响.