Scleractinian coral communities of Hormuz Island in the Persian Gulf

The abundance and health of scleractinian coral communities of Hormuz Island were investigated. For this purpose, we employed 20 m line intercept transects—12 in the intertidal zone and 15 subtidally to evaluate coral cover and community composition. The estimated dead coral coverage was 6.21%±0.81%, while live coral coverage was 16.93%±1.81%, considered as very poor. Totally, 12 genera were recorded, of which Porites with 11.9%±1.4% live cover was the dominant, while Goniopora had the least cover (0.07%±0.08%). Based on Mann-Whitney U-test, live coral coverage, dead coral coverage, algal coverage, cover of other benthic organisms and abiotic components showed significant univariate differences between zones (p<0.05). The Spearman correlation test between the abundance of biotic and abiotic components indicated significant negative correlation of live coral and sand with zoantharian and significant positive correlation of algae and other benthic organisms with rubble. The reef health indices used for the corals indicated that, in general, the environmental conditions were not suitable, which could be attributed to both natural and anthropogenic factors, the most important of which was zoantharian’ overgrowth on the scleractinian corals in this region.     

Wave height forecasting in Dayyer, the Persian Gulf

Forecasting of wave parameters is necessary for many marine and coastal operations. Different forecasting methodologies have been developed using the wind and wave characteristics. In this paper, artificial neural network (ANN) as a robust data learning method is used to forecast the wave height for the next 3, 6, 12 and 24 h in the Persian Gulf. To determine the effective parameters, different models with various combinations of input parameters were considered. Parameters such as wind speed, direction and wave height of the previous 3 h, were found to be the best inputs. Furthermore, using the difference between wave and wind directions showed better performance. The results also indicated that if only the wind parameters are used as model inputs the accuracy of the forecasting increases as the time horizon increases up to 6 h. This can be due to the lower influence of previous wave heights on larger lead time forecasting and the existing lag between the wind and wave growth. It was also found that in short lead times, the forecasted wave heights primarily depend on the previous wave heights, while in larger lead times there is a greater dependence on previous wind speeds.     

永兴岛及七连屿造礁石珊瑚近10年变化分析

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。     

An Observational and Numerical Modeling of Thermocline Development in the Persian Gulf

An observational and numerical (Princeton Ocean Model) study of the summer thermocline development in the Persian Gulf (PG) shows that as the northwesterly cold winter wind weakens and become warmer, the fresher inflow from Oman Sea penetrates much further into the PG. This is also associated with stronger solar radiation leading to the near surface thermocline development over the whole of the PG. For more realistic monthly averaged wind, the thermocline develops as is indicated by observations. This is particularly marked in the deeper central part in which it grows in depth about 0.2(m) per day. The formation of thermocline decreases the dissolved oxygen in water column due to induced stratification. Over the PG the temperature difference between surface and subsurface increases exponentially from March until May when it levels off, with similar smaller variations for salinity differences than observed.     

A study of crude oil‐degrading bacteria from mangrove forests in the Persian Gulf

Mangroves are coastal ecosystems, found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. They are found in the transitional zones between land, sea, and rivers. Petroleum hydrocarbons are the most common environmental pollutants, and oil spills pose a great hazard to mangroves forests. This research was focused on the isolation and characterization of crude oil‐degrading bacteria from mangrove ecosystems at the Persian Gulf. Sixty‐one crude oil‐degrading bacteria were isolated from mangrove samples (plant, sediment, and seawater) that enriched in ONR7a medium with crude oil as only carbon source. Some screening tests such as growth at high concentration of crude oil, bioemulsifier production, and surface hydrophobicity were done to select the most efficient strains for crude oil degradation. Molecular identification of strains was carried out by amplification of the 16S rRNA gene by PCR. The results of this study were indicated that the quantity of crude oil‐degrading bacteria was higher in the root of mangrove plants compare to other mangrove samples (sediment and seawater). Also, identification results confirmed that these isolated strains belong to Vibrio sp. strain NW4, Idiomarina sp. strain BW32, Kangiella sp. strain DP40, Marinobacter sp. strain DW44, Halomonas sp. strain BS53, and Vibrio sp. strain DS35. The application of bioremediation strategies with these bacteria can reduce crude oil pollution in this important marine environment.     

珊瑚共生虫黄藻密度的季节变化及其与珊瑚白化的关系——以大亚湾石珊瑚为例

定量分析了2006年6月、2007年8月和2008年2月采自南海北部大亚湾海域的共8科、13属、23种170个石珊瑚样品的共生虫黄藻密度,探讨了石珊瑚共生虫黄藻密度的季节变化及其与珊瑚白化的关系.结果显示,所有珊瑚种属的共生虫黄藻密度都显示出明显的季节性波动,总体上夏季低、冬季高(约为夏季的2倍),是海表水温和太阳辐射协同作用的结果.夏季大规模的珊瑚白化(热白化)可能是珊瑚共生虫黄藻密度逐渐降低(排出)到一定阈值的外观表征,而非突发的生态现象;冬季珊瑚白化(冷白化)则可能是极端低温直接致珊瑚死亡,进而快速排出虫黄藻的突发现象;高共生虫黄藻密度对冬季低温乃至极端低温条件下的珊瑚生存起到一定的保护作用.     

海南西岛珊瑚群落变化及其影响因素 *

在2018年的海南三亚西岛珊瑚群落分布和水质环境因子调查中, 共记录到造礁石珊瑚68种, 多孔螅2种。基于珊瑚礁底质类型的非度量多维标度分析, 可将西岛站位划分为区域1(东-南侧)和区域2(西侧)。全岛活珊瑚覆盖率为13.6%, 区域1和区域2分别为4.2%和27.7%, 区域2珊瑚多样性高于区域1。区域1珊瑚礁处在显著退化状态, 而区域2相对健康, 但是优势种类单一。与历史资料对比分析, 东侧站位造礁石珊瑚覆盖率从2011年的近40%降至2018年不足4%, 退化显著, 而西侧站位珊瑚礁无明显退化; 丛生盔形珊瑚(Galaxea fascicularis)逐渐取代分枝状的鹿角珊瑚成为绝对优势种类; 珊瑚礁区浊度、溶解无机氮(dissolved inorganic nitrogen, DIN)和喇叭藻的δ¹⁵N均值分别为2.54NTU、9.63μmol·L^-1和5.09‰, 均处在较高水平。相关性分析表明, 环境因子的空间变化并不能解释珊瑚群落的空间分布。因此, 推测人类活动引起的极端扰动事件可能是导致西岛珊瑚群落空间分布和东侧站位珊瑚近几年显著退化的主要原因, 如三亚河清淤在三亚湾随意倾倒引起的浑浊事件。应加强对三亚湾清淤和西岛人类活动的管控, 减轻颗粒物沉积和营养盐富集的影响, 促进西岛珊瑚礁逐渐恢复。     

2D basin modeling study of the Binak Trough,northwestern Persian Gulf,Iran

The northwestern part of the Persian Gulf is one of the most prominent hydrocarbon exploration and production areas. Oilfields are located in structural highs formed around the Cenomanian depression known as Binak Trough. To evaluate the highly variable source rock maturity, timing of hydrocarbon generation as well as migration pattern and the remaining hydrocarbon potential of the early Cretaceous source rocks, burial and thermal histories were constructed for four production wells and one pseudo well. In addition two cross sections covering the depression and the structural highs around the trough were investigated by 2D basin modeling to provide a better regional overview on basin evolution.The modeling results indicate that whereas the Cretaceous source rocks are immature or early mature at the location of oilfields, they reached sufficient maturity to generate and expel considerable amounts of hydrocarbons in the Binak depression. The main phase of oil generation and expulsion from the Cretaceous source rocks is relatively recent and thus highly favorable for the conservation of hydrocarbon accumulations. Trap charging occurred through the late Miocene to Pliocene after the Zagros folding. 2D models predict that the Albian source rock still has significant hydrocarbon generation potential whereas the lower Neocomian source rock has reached already a high transformation ratio within the deep kitchen area. Oil migration occurs in both lateral and vertical directions. This migration pattern could explain the distribution of identified oil families in the northwestern part of the Persian Gulf.     

不同SST资料在海南岛和北部湾珊瑚白化预警中的适用性比较

近年来,受全球气候变化及极端天气的影响,全球范围频繁出现珊瑚礁白化现象,遥感SST已广泛应用于珊瑚白化的监测和预警中。海南岛近岸及北部湾海域的珊瑚礁近年也倍受白化压力,然而,遥感SST在海南岛近岸及北部湾海域珊瑚白化预警中的适用性尚不清楚。为此,本研究比较了3种常用的遥感SST数据(OISST、GHRSST和CoralTemp)在研究海域的异同及其在夏季珊瑚白化预警中的适用性。结果表明,GHRSST的SST最高、CoralTemp次之、OISST最低,OISST的偏差在2013年以前比较明显,GHRSST和CoralTemp在2003年之后比较接近;与浮标的现场观测值相比,2006—2020年CoralTemp的平均偏差和均方根误差分别为0.03℃和0.92℃,GHRSST为0.08℃和0.96℃,OISST为-0.25℃和1.21℃,CoralTemp在研究区域内更为准确;3种遥感SST计算的DHW与使用现场SST计算的趋势一致,CoralTemp的结果更为接近现场SST。因此,3种遥感SST资料中,CoralTemp相对来说更适用于研究海域。     

北部湾涠洲岛珊瑚礁底栖贝类的群落特征

珊瑚礁是全球生物多样性最高的海洋生态系统之一,底栖贝类是该生态系统的重要组成类群。为了解北部湾涠洲岛珊瑚礁底栖贝类的群落现状及特征,于2015年秋季(10月)与2018年春季(5月)采用水肺潜水截线样条定量调查法对涠洲岛珊瑚礁区6个断面的底栖贝类进行了调查,并分析了物种组成、丰度、生物多样性指数等群落特征。综合两次调查结果显示涠洲岛珊瑚礁区共有底栖贝类128种,分别属于多板纲1科1属3种,腹足纲25科46属68种,双壳纲22科31属57种。优势种为斑顶拟舌骨牡蛎、粗衣蛤、刺荔枝螺、马蹄螺、杂色牙螺、青蚶、旗江珧、甲虫螺、蕾丝蟹守螺、珠母爱尔螺。2018年春季定量断面采集到的样品为2纲14科43种,各断面的丰度、生物量、多样性指数、物种丰度指数和均匀度指数均值分别为3.39个/m2、86.94 g/m2、3.31、3.50、0.37。通过对两年的调查数据比较,发现2015-2018年涠洲岛珊瑚礁区的贝类生物群落呈现良好演替发育趋势。南海珊瑚礁区贝类群落结构可能受到了人为干扰强度和纬度的双重影响。本研究全面掌握了涠洲岛珊瑚礁底栖贝类的种类、分布区及群落的结构与变化,可为该地区海洋生物资源开...     

A Study of the Performances of Different Turbulence Schemes in Numerical Simulation of Hydrodynamics of a Semi-Closed Sea (Persian Gulf)

Complex process of turbulent mixing in Persian Gulf that is a semi-closed sea makes it a good media to test the performance of different turbulence schemes. In this research, we used the 3D ocean model COHERENS (COupled Hydrodynamical Ecological model for REgioNal Shelf seas) for the Persian Gulf with the open boundary in the Hormuz Strait. Of the turbulence schemes for the vertical diffusion available in the COHERENS, we tested four models to investigate the hydrodynamic characteristics of the Persian Gulf. The results show that all of the schemes presented the sea surface salinity (SSS) distribution rather accurately but the k-l and flow-dependent models results have better agreements with observations. The most noticeable difference between the results of four schemes is the differences found in the simulation of turbulent parameters. The turbulent closure schemes generally provide better results, but the algebraic schemes show turbulent parameters far from reality and they do not show substantial changes with time. Generally, the vertical structures of turbulence in the water basins and parameterization of turbulence in water column is very sensitive to the selection of the type of the turbulence scheme. However, large-scale structures that take place within the inflow and outflow area are approximately quasi-horizontal, and the vertical small-scale turbulence does not affect them as much. As a result, they show less sensitivity to the performance of various turbulence schemes.     

Concurrent imaging of chlorophyll fluorescence,Chlorophyll a content and green fluorescent proteins‐like proteins of symbiotic cnidarians

Research on photosynthetic cnidarians has been mainly focused on the symbiosis established between the cnidarian host and its dinoflagellates endosymbionts from genus Symbiodinium. Despite the potential of imaging techniques for assessing the spatial distribution of key parameters of cnidarian photobiology, such as photochemical activity, chlorophyll a content or green fluorescent proteins (GFPs), to our best knowledge, no study has ever attempted to simultaneous map these three features. In this study, we developed a modified imaging pulse amplitude fluorometer by applying excitation light of different wavelengths and selectively detecting short spectral bands through bandpass filters. The imaging system was used to sequentially excite and quantify chlorophyll variable fluorescence (maximum quantum yield of photosystem II, F_v/F_m), Chl a content (normalized difference vegetation index) and relative content of GFPs. The spatial distribution of these photophysiological parameters was mapped both horizontally, across the surface of the soft corals Sarcophyton cf. glaucum and Sinularia flexibilis and the zoanthid Protopalythoa sp., and vertically, throughout a vertical section of S. cf. glaucum. Results showed bleached areas within each individual coral colony and registered photophysiological changes with S. cf. glaucum tissue depth. Analysis of Protopalythoa sp. polyps’ expansion revealed differential surface patterns of NDVI and GFP concentration, and a negative relation between these latter parameters within each polyp. This novel non‐invasive approach allowed a high‐resolution characterization of the spatial relationship between these key parameters through the analysis of image information on a pixel‐by‐pixel basis, which has great potential for investigating the physiological state of symbiotic associations.     

Influence of local environmental conditions and bleaching histories on the diversity and distribution of Symbiodinium in reef-building corals in Tanzania

Pollution, turbidity and coral bleaching history, as well as coral diversity, vary along the Tanzanian coastline. Prior to this study, it was not known whether exposure to such environmental variation might have influenced the diversity and distribution of Symbiodinium along this coastline. Such information can provide insight into whether Tanzanian reef-building corals develop adaptation to current trends of climate change. Here, 10 reef-building coral samples were collected from different reefs along the Tanzanian coast with different micro-environments and bleaching histories. The ITS-2 region of ribosomal DNA was employed in the characterisation of Symbiodinium harboured by reef-building corals. DGGE fingerprints and DNA sequences showed that most coral species host a single Symbiodinium type, which is maintained throughout the coast regardless of local environmental differences. We present polymorphic symbioses in Acropora spp., Millepora sp. and Galaxea fascicularis in mainly turbid and warm environments as a sign of adaptation to harsh conditions. However, such adaptation may not provide marked resistance to bleaching because Acropora is a bleaching-susceptible genus.     

On the three-dimensional numerical modeling of the deep circulation around Ángel de la Guarda Island in the Gulf of California

A three-dimensional nonlinear baroclinic model is used to model the circulation in the Ballenas Channel, Gulf of California, México, which was inferred from current meter observations over three sills that surround the area. The suggested circulation consists of deep inflow that follows two paths: the first one is a direct spill of water through San Lorenzo sill into Ballenas Channel, the second one, a larger route that starts at San Esteban sill, then flows north of the island passing over Tiburón and Delfín basins, and then turns to the south reaching the North Ballenas Channel sill and then spills into Ballenas Channel. Following the latter result, a previous modeling effort to reproduce the circulation was partially obtained, the long path was not reproduced and it was believed that finer horizontal resolution was needed. In this work, the bathymetric resolution was increased by a factor of three and the full path of this deep circulation is now obtained and corroborated.     

Matrilineal evidence for genetic structure and Late Pleistocene demographic expansion of the Ornate goby Istigobius ornatus (Teleostei: Gobiidae) in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea

The Persian Gulf and Oman Sea are characterized by an interesting paleoclimatic history and different ecological settings, and offer a unique study area to investigate the genetic structure of marine organisms including fishes. The Ornate goby Istigobius ornatus is widely distributed throughout the tropical Indo‐West Pacific including the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea. Here, we present the population structure, genetic diversity, and demographic history of four populations of I. ornatus from the latter two regions using the D‐loop marker of mitochondrial DNA. The results reveal a shallow genealogy, a star‐like haplotype network, significance of neutrality tests, and unimodal mismatch distribution. This is concordant with a recent demographic expansion of I. ornatus in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea at about 63,000–14,000 years ago, which appears to be related to Late Pleistocene sea level fall and rise. The results of the pairwise Fst estimates imply high gene flow along the coast of the Persian Gulf, which is probably due to larval dispersion, whereas the Oman Sea population clearly differs from all Persian Gulf populations. The AMOVA result indicates that 7.74% of the variation is related to differences among ecoregions, while inter‐ and intra‐population differences explained ?3.20% and 95.47% of the variation, respectively. The haplotype network depicts two groups of haplotypes, most of them were specific to the Persian Gulf. No further evidence for geographic lineage substructuring was evident. The Mantel test result indicates that isolation by distance is not the main mechanism that promoted the genetic differentiation among the studied populations of I. ornatus. We suggest that cumulative effects of ecological and geographic barriers such as salinity, oceanographic conditions, and the presence of the Strait of Hormuz have shaped the genetic structure of I. ornatus in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea.     

南海黄岩岛珊瑚记录的1780-2013年的表层海温年代际变化特征

基于南海中部黄岩岛滨珊瑚生长率与表层海温距平（SSTA）的正相关关系,重建了1780-2013年（共234年）黄岩岛海域SSTA年际变化序列。结果表明,1780-1890年SSTA总体偏低,平均为-0.2℃,最低SSTA为-1℃（1837年）,对应于小冰期晚期;1890年以来SSTA总体呈阶段性上升,其中1971-1998年升温最快,1998年达到峰值（2℃）,之后SSTA略呈下降趋势,冷暖变化与北半球陆地温度变化基本是同步的。频谱分析显示,黄岩岛海域SSTA在过去234年主要呈现出26~34 a的冷暖周期波动,其相位转变基本与太平洋年代际振荡冷-暖位相同步。近234年来南海中部黄岩岛海域SSTA的年代际变率并不是持续不变的,1890年以来该海域SST年代际变率出现明显增强,可能与全球变暖导致的海洋内部变率的变化有关。考虑到热带西南太平洋SST年代际变率同样在1890年也发生了一次转变,我们认为这些证据可能指示了整个热带太平洋内部变率在1890年以后发生了一次转变。     

Long‐term temporal and spatial patterns in bioeroding sponge distribution at the Abrolhos Bank,Brazil, Southwestern Atlantic

Bioeroding sponges belong to the most dominant bioeroders, significantly contributing to the erosion of coral reefs. Some species are tolerant or even benefit from environmental conditions such as ocean warming, acidification, and eutrophication. In consequence, increases in sponge bioerosion have been observed on some coral reefs over the last decades. The Abrolhos Bank is the largest coral reef system in the South Atlantic. It has been affected by sedimentation, eutrophication, overfishing, and climate change, mainly affecting coastal reefs, and at lesser intensity outer ones as well. This study aimed to describe spatial and temporal patterns in bioeroding sponge distribution in carbonate substrates in the Abrolhos Bank. Photo‐quadrats were used to compare bioeroding sponge abundance between two shallow reefs: a coastal, Pedra de Leste (PL), and an outer reef, Parcel dos Abrolhos (PAB). Each individual was delimitated over the substrate by determining the sponge surface through a line connecting the outermost papillae. The study was conducted over 6 years in 2008–2009 and 2013–2016. Four species of bioeroding sponges were identified: Cliona carteri Ridley, 1881, C. delitrix Pang, 1973, C. cf. schmidtii Ridley, 1881, and Siphonodictyon coralliphagum Rützler, 1971. The distribution and abundance of species varied between the inner and outer reefs and across the years, and displayed certain selectivity for the calcareous substrates recorded. Crustose coralline algae (CCA) were the main substrate excavated by the most abundant bioeroding species, C. carteri, and represented 70% of the substrate types occupied by this sponge (CCA, coral overgrown by CCA and plain coral). The highest abundance of bioeroding sponges observed in photo‐quadrats was 21.3 individuals/m² at the outer reefs (PAB) in 2014. The abundances or areal extents of bioeroding sponges were up to 10 times greater on the outer reefs than on the coastal ones, where sedimentation is higher and more strongly influenced by siliciclastic material. Moreover, a higher herbivorous fish biomass has been reported on outer reefs which could also influence the higher abundance of bioeroding sponges in outer reefs. During the study period of 6 years, an increase in bioeroding sponge abundance was observed at the outer reefs (PAB), with the sea surface temperature increase. As CCA have an important role in reefal cementation and carbonate production in the Abrolhos reefs, a bioerosion impact might be expected, in particular, on the outer reefs.     

Genetic connectivity of the coral‐eating sea star Acanthaster planci during the severe outbreak of 2006–2009 in the Society Islands,French Polynesia

Occasional population outbreaks of the crown‐of‐thorns sea star, Acanthaster planci, are a major threat to coral reefs across the Indo‐Pacific. The presumed association between the serial nature of these outbreaks and the long larval dispersal phase makes it important to estimate larval dispersal; many studies have examined the population genetic structure of A. planci for this purpose using different genetic markers. However, only a few have focused on reef‐scale as well as archipelago‐scale genetic structure and none has used a combination of different genetic markers with different effective population sizes. In our study, we used both mtDNA and microsatellite loci to examine A. planci population genetic structure at multiple spatial scales (from <2 km to almost 300 km) within and among four islands of the Society Archipelago, French Polynesia. Our analysis detected no significant genetic structure based on mtDNA (global F_ST = ?0.007, P = 0.997) and low levels of genetic structure using microsatellite loci (global F_ST = 0.006, P = 0.005). We found no significant isolation by distance patterns within the study area for either genetic marker. The overall genetically homogenized pattern found in both the mitochondrial and nuclear loci of A. planci in the Society Archipelago underscores the significant role of larval dispersal that may cause secondary outbreaks, as well as possible recent colonization in this area.     

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.     

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.