Coral Cover Change Associated to El Niño, Eastern Pacific, Costa Rica, 1992–2001

Abstract. Changes in live and dead coral cover were documented at three localities off the Costa Rican central Pacific coast first in 1992 during the aftermath of the 1991–1992 El Niño; again in the period between 1994 and 1995, and last in January 2001. Recovery of coral communities after the 1991–1992 El Niño was expressed by a significant increase (～40 %) in 1994 of live coral cover at one locality (Manuel Antonio). A subsequent decrease (～50 %) in response to the very strong 1997–1998 episode was recorded at Manuel Antonio and Ballena, mainly due to partial tissue mortality of branching (Pocillopora spp.) and massive (Porites lobata) corals. Mortality of entire colonies associated to that event was scarce and confined to branching and nodular (Psammocora stellata) corals. This species was not found at one locality (Cambutal) in the 2001 survey and it is presumed locally extinct. The recovery of this coral and others will depend on recruits from surviving colonies in deeper waters and other coral communities in the vicinity. Within sites at a given locality, contrasting results in live coral cover variability were found. This is partially due to distinct coral assemblages, coral growth, physical exposure to tidal regime, and, related to the latter, variable duration and intensity of the warming event. In general, predominant meteorological conditions at the studied area are conducive to solar radiation (UV) stress during El Niño years and are related to changes in the atmosphere‐ocean interactions in response to the warming events.     

How Episodic Coral Breakage Can Determine Community Structure: A South African Coral Reef Example

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.     

海南岛鹿回头珊瑚礁与全新世高海平面

通过实地考察和资料分析,海南岛南部全新世以来以沉降活动为主要特征,鹿回头珊瑚礁能够反映全新世以来的海平面变化,鹿回头岸礁礁坪面上的原生珊瑚礁是全新世高海平面时期的产物。全新世以来南海北部至少存在过 4 期相对高海平面阶段:7300~6000、4800~4700、4300~4200和3100~2900cal.aBP。其中 7300~6000aBP 是整个全新世最高海平面时期,也是鹿回头珊瑚礁发育的繁盛期,基本形成了现代珊瑚礁的地貌格局,后来不同时期发育的珊瑚礁是在此时期形成的礁塘或礁坑等低洼地中形成,并在鹿回头半岛两侧向外发展,现代珊瑚礁则发育于全新世珊瑚礁的外礁坪和礁前斜坡带。另外,鹿回头珊瑚礁反映的南海北部全新世高海平面时间与南海其他地区高海平面时间可以衔接或对应,说明南海地区全新世高海平面具有全球背景,至少在南海是一致的,且与气候变暖紧密相联。     

海南岛鹿回头造礁珊瑚的14C年代及珊瑚礁的发育演化

通过2002年7月沿鹿回头珊瑚礁坪断面方向,在原生滨珊瑚(Porites)礁表面进行系统采样,并进行C测年和年代校正,初步划分出全新世以来珊瑚礁演化的5个阶段珊瑚礁繁盛期(7 300-6000cal.aBP)、珊瑚礁发育停滞期Ⅰ(6 000-4 800cal.aBP)、珊瑚礁发展期(4 800-3000 cal.aBP)、珊瑚礁发育停滞期Ⅱ(3 000-1000 cal.aBP)和现代珊瑚礁发育期(1 000cal.aBP以来).鹿回头珊瑚礁在7 300-000cal.aBP处于发育的繁盛期,己基本上形成了现代珊瑚礁的地貌格局.后来不同时期珊瑚礁是在此时期形成的礁塘或礁坑等低洼地中形成,并在鹿回头半岛两侧向外发展,现代珊瑚礁则发育于全新世珊瑚礁的外礁坪或礁前斜坡带.     

Effects of Soft Corals on Scleractinian Coral Recruitment. II: Allelopathy, Spat Survivorship and Reef Community Structure

Abstract. Two field experiments were performed on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, at Orpheus Island and Lizard Island, respectively, to investigate the effects of allelopathic soft corals on survivorship and community structure of scleractinian coral spat. Ceramic tiles were placed around the allelopathic soft corals Sinularia flexibilis (Quoy & Gaimard 1833) and Sarcophyton glaucum (Quoy & Gaimard 1833), and controls. One control consisted of settlement plates surrounding a scleractinian coral (non‐allelopathic planktivore); another control had no adult soft or scleractinian coral present. The experimental soft corals affected the recruitment of various taxonomic groups of coral spat differentially, as evidenced by the diversity of coral spat settling in treatments and controls. At Orpheus Island (O.I., n = 1038 spat) and Lizard Island (L.I., n = 7032 spat), there were significant differences between recruitment success of the two dominant coral taxa, Pocilloporidae (O.I., 61.4 %; L.I., 20.5 %) and Acroporidae (O.I., 33.7 %; L.I., 53 %). Settlement plates exposed to Sinularia flexibilis at either site had the lowest proportion of acroporid recruits. Diversity indices (Shannon‐Wiener Indices) varied significantly between treatments at both Orpheus and Lizard Islands. This appears to be due to selective inhibition of acroporid spat by Sinularia flexibilis at both sites. Growth of coral spat was higher on settlement plates in the presence of Sarcophyton at Lizard Island. Settlement of most associated epibiota was generally inhibited under these conditions. Coral spat survivorship was highest in the presence of Sinularia at Orpheus ­Island; at Lizard Island, this was the case with the Sarcophyton treatment. Higher survivorship, and in some cases growth, of coral spat near soft corals was apparently due to reduced competition for space between spat and associated epibiota. This hypothesis is supported by the results of a sister experiment where a coating of Sinularia flexibilis extract on settlement tiles significantly decreased fouling by sessile epibiota. Soft corals have an allelopathic effect on recruitment and early development of scleractinian corals and, consequently, on early coral reef community succession.     

海南岛鹿回头珊瑚礁研究进展

前人在海南岛鹿回头珊瑚礁区所做的工作主要集中于以下三方面：(1)鹿回头珊瑚礁区地貌的粗略描述;(2)鹿回头珊瑚礁记录的古海平面研究：(3)鹿回头珊瑚礁记录的现代环境信息研究。通过野外实地考察,将鹿回头珊瑚礁分为8个生物地貌带：礁前斜坡活珊瑚带、礁缘砾石突起脊带、外礁坪带、中礁坪带、内礁坪带、海滩、沙堤、洼地,它们是全新世海平呵和气候环境变化的产物。关于本区珊瑚礁的研究,结合全球珊瑚礁与环境的研究来看,许多工作有待于展开和补充,大致可从以下4个方面进行深入研究：(1)珊瑚礁的生物地貌过程;(2)珊瑚及珊瑚礁的高分辨率环境记录;(3)珊瑚对海洋环境污染的记录：(4)珊瑚礁生态系统与社会、经济及人文系统的关系及其可持续发展。     

雷州半岛灯楼角珊瑚礁海区的浮游植物

雷州半岛西南岸的珊瑚礁,是唯一的中国大陆沿岸现代珊瑚礁。根据2004年8月的调查资料研究分析了雷州半岛灯楼角珊瑚礁海区浮游植物的种类组成、生态类群和数量分布等,以期为珊瑚礁生态系的研究提供基础资料。结果显示:浮游植物共有108种(含变种和变型),其中硅藻门34属85种、甲藻门10属21种、蓝藻门1属2种,浮游植物的种数分布由近岸往远岸递增;浮游植物大致划分为近岸低盐类群、近海广布类群和外海高温高盐类群等3个生态类群;优势种有中肋骨条藻Skeletonemacostatum、菱形海线藻Thalassionemanitzschioides、奇异菱形藻Nitzschiaparadoxa等8种;多样性指数和均匀度平均值分别为3.448和0.655,总体分布比较均匀;浮游植物细胞总量平均值为93×104cells/m3,其中硅藻类占绝对优势,浮游植物分布不均匀,密集于灯楼角南面的A断面。     

广西涠洲岛珊瑚礁海域水质环境变化研究与评价

文章根据2013—2016年广西涠洲岛珊瑚礁海域水质实际调查情况,应用单因子污染指数评价法、富营养化指数法和有机污染指数法,对近年来涠洲岛珊瑚礁海域水质环境变化进行综合分析和评价。2013—2016年,广西涠洲岛珊瑚礁海域水质大部分符合国家第一类海水水质标准,满足珊瑚礁的正常生长要求,但悬浮物含量持续偏高,对珊瑚礁造成一定影响。涠洲岛海域水体虽未出现显著的污染,根据历史数据分析,人为排污已在一定程度上影响珊瑚礁的生长,持续的监测有助于及时发现水质环境质量的变化。     

Coral communities and reefs from Guerrero,Southern Mexican Pacific

Corals in the Eastern Pacific extend south from the Gulf of California to Ecuador and oceanic Chile, and west from Colombia to Clipperton Atoll. Nevertheless, large stretches of the Mexican Pacific remain fundamentally unstudied. Therefore, to assess the current conditions of coral communities, a coastal fringe ～300 km long (17°40′ N, 101°39′ W to 16°46′ N, 99°49′ W) was surveyed within the Southern Mexican Pacific, between 2005 and 2009. Fifteen stony coral species were identified at 13 coral communities and six Pocillopora‐dominated fringing reefs, with Pocillopora verrucosa and Pocillopora damicornis the primary contributing taxa. Reef development was identified in embayments or behind rocks or islands that offered shelter from northern and northwestern winds. Observations of Pocillopora effusus, Pocillopora inflata, Porites lobata, Pavona clavus, and Pavona varians expanded the species known geographic ranges by several degrees of latitude, suggesting reef building fauna comprised a mixture of widespread and relatively rare Eastern Pacific corals. Results indicated greater live coral cover in the Ixtapa‐Zihuatanejo area (15–73%) than in the Acapulco localities, which had high algal dominance; the reefs in the latter region exhibited high erosion. Regional differences are likely the result of long‐standing anthropogenic pressures around Acapulco since 1950, when it became an important tourist destination. This paper is the first detailed report of ecologically stressed corals and coral reefs from the state of Guerrero on the Mexican Southern Pacific coast.     

大亚湾珊瑚礁痕量金属的研究

作者采用阳极溶出伏安法测定大亚湾珊瑚礁痕量金属铜、铅、镉的含量 ,并讨论了相关的影响因素。测定结果发现 :A组、B组珊瑚礁礁体中铜、铅、镉的含量从里到外有递增的趋势 ,这与近年来大亚湾水体中铜、铅、镉含量的变化是一致的。而 A组珊瑚礁变化明显 ;B组珊瑚礁礁体中铜、铅、镉含量呈现较复杂的变化。分析认为 ,这是因珊瑚礁的形成受多种因素影响所致 :(1)海水组成对珊瑚礁化学成分的影响 ;(2 )海洋生物种类、数量及其矿物组成是制约元素分布的主要因素 ;(3)陆源碎屑组分对大亚湾珊瑚礁的化学组成有一定的影响。各因素在不同情况下所起的作用不同。     

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...     

The Structure of Coral Communities at Hurghada in the Northern Red Sea

Abstract. The community structure of hard and soft corals, with an emphasis on hard corals, was determined by means of line-transects on 9 on-and off-shore reefs of different type and different wave exposure in the Northern Red Sea near Hurghada in Egypt. Coral communities were found to differentiate along a horizontal wind- and wave-exposure gradient. Exposed communities were dominated by Acropora species, sheltered communities by Porites species, and semi-exposed communities by Millepora species. Also, vertical within-reef zonations following a depth gradient were observed; these were unique for each exposure-determined community type. Average transect diversity was highest on semi-exposed reefs, lowest on sheltered reefs. Reef slopes were more diverse than other reef zones. The observed community structure was compared with data from the literature, and widely distributed, roughly comparable hard and soft coral communities were identified.     

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...     

The Role of Isopod Crustaceans in the Reef Crest Community at Carrie Bow Cay, Belize

Abstract. The species composition and numbers of specimens of isopod crustaceans from the rubble of a Belizean reef crest were obtained. Four sets of 30 samples were taken from three rubble zones (rubble with algal turf, rubble between Thalassia plants, and pure rubble), in four different collecting periods. Twenty-four species of isopods were identified, sexed and counted. By means of a Likelihood Ratio Chi-square Contingency Table Analysis the presence of 13 species was shown to be positively correlated with habitat, 15 species with season, and nine species with habitat and season combined. From the spread of total numbers and of ovigerous females it is proposed that the isopods may be grouped into three patterns: a) those present and breeding in the reef crest rubble throughout the year, i. e. stress-tolerant species; b) those showing a breeding peak in summer and a population decrease in winter-spring, i. e. opportunist species; and c) those showing a breeding peak in the fall, and a second peak in spring, and a decrease or complete avoidance of the habitat, especially by ovigerous females, in the summer. The diversity of the Belizean reef crest isopod fauna is compared with the published report of the isopod fauna of a coral reef in Madagascar. Several similarities in composition are noted. The multiplicity of microhabitats is invoked as a possible explanation for the relatively high diversity of anthuridean isopods in coral reefs.     

Large aperture seismic imaging at a convergent margin: Techniques and results from the Costa Rica seismogenic zone

In March and April 1995 a cooperative German, Costa Rican, and United States research team recorded onshore-offshore seismic data sets along the Pacific margin of Costa Rica using the R/V Ewing. Off the Nicoya Peninsula we used a linear array of ocean bottom seismometers and hydrophones (OBS/H) with onshore seismometers extending across much of the isthmus. In the central area we deployed an OBS/H areal array consisting of 30 instruments over a 9 km by 35-km area and had land stations on the Nicoya Peninsula adjacent to this marine array and also extending northeast on the main Costa Rican landmass. Our goal in these experiments was to determine the crustal velocity structure along different portions of this convergent margin and to use the dense instrument deployments to create migrated reflection images of the plate boundary zone and the subducting Cocos Plate. Our specific goal in the central area was to determine whether a subducted seamount is present at the location of the 1990, M 7 earthquake off the Nicoya Peninsula and can thus be linked to its nucleation. Subsequently we have processed the data to improve reflection signals, used the data to calculate crustal velocity models, and developed several wide-aperture migration techniques, based on a Kirchhoff algorithm, to produce reflection images. Along the northern transect we used the ocean bottom data to construct a detailed crustal velocity model, but reflections from the plate boundary and top and bottom of the subducting Cocos plate are difficult to identify and have so far produced poor images. In contrast, the land stations along this same transect recorded clear reflections from the top of the subducting plate or plate boundary, within the seismogenic zone, and we have constructed a clear image from this reflector beneath the Nicoya shelf. Data from the 3-D seismic experiment suffer from high-amplitude, coherent noise (arrivals other than reflections), and we have tried many techniques to enhance the signal to noise ratio of reflected arrivals. Due to the noise, an apparent lack of strong reflections from the plate boundary zone, and probable structural complexity, the resulting 3-D images only poorly resolve the top of the subducting Cocos Plate. The images are not able to provide compelling evidence of whether there is a subducting seamount at the 1990 earthquake hypocenter. Our results do show that OBS surveys are capable of creating images of the plate boundary zone and the subducting plate well into the seismogenic zone if coherent reflections are recorded at 1.8 km instrument spacing (2-D) and 5 km inline by 1 km crossline spacing for 3-D acquisition. However, due to typical high amplitude coherent noise, imaging results may be poorer than expected, especially in unfavorable geologic settings such as our 3-D survey area. More effective noise reduction in acquisition, possibly with the use of vertical hydrophone arrays, and in processing, with advanced multiple removal and possibly depth filtering, is required to achieve the desired detailed images of the seismogenic plate boundary zone.     

20 年来涠洲岛珊瑚礁物种多样性演变特征研究

综合2007年10～11月、2008年4～5月布置的6条主剖面20条分断面的调查结果,涠洲岛珊瑚礁共出现石珊瑚10科22属46种,9个未定种,该调查区以角蜂巢珊瑚属(Favites)、滨珊瑚属(Porites)、蔷薇珊瑚属(Montipora)为优势类群,各主剖面的优势类群分布各有差异,以西南部的W2主剖面、东北部的W5主剖面的珊瑚礁属种最多,均为8科13属;涠洲岛珊瑚礁属级多样性指数H′值和均匀度指数E值均呈现东北部W5西南部W2东南部W6西南部W1西北部W3北部W4的规律,H′值差异明显,E值变化不大;其珊瑚礁群落近20 a来受到全球气候事件及区域人为活动的影响,整体呈现出衰退迹象,处于缓慢恢复状态。衰退表现在:从20世纪60年代至21世纪初期的珊瑚礁优势种群的组合变化,由较多的优势属种组合演化到相对少的优势属种组合。一直占据优势的鹿角珊瑚种群出现退化,从顶级优势类群降级更替;珊瑚礁属种的多形态组合向相对简单形态组合的演变;历年来珊瑚礁伴生生物的资料(主要是鱼群数量、海参等)显示,涠洲岛珊瑚礁群落生物多样性呈现衰退态势;从2001年至今连续的珊瑚礁健康调查(Reef Check)资料显示,该区石珊瑚礁曾大面积死亡尚未完全恢复。从涠洲岛20 a珊瑚礁多样性演变过程研究发现,影响因素主要包括全球性极端气候、区域性气候变化及不合理的破坏性人类活动影响等因素。     

Coral assemblages and reef growth in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (Western Pacific Ocean)

Reef development varies considerably around the high, raised‐limestone islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Here we examine the modern assemblages at 30 sites for coral composition, colony density, colony size, and fidelity. We defined four reef types and hypothesize the presence of environmentally driven ecological stasis, whereby the environment continuously selects for coral species membership, defines colony sizes, and over time creates the noted reef types. Our results show that constructional spur‐and‐groove reefs supported significantly larger coral‐colony sizes and higher coral species richness compared with high‐relief interstitial framework, low‐relief incipient, and non‐constructional coral assemblages. Non‐constructional reefs supported much smaller coral colony sizes, despite similar population densities, and were consistently found in association with high wave exposure. The distinct coral assemblages found on interstitial framework and low‐relief incipient reefs were not affiliated with any wave exposure regime, but were located adjacent to large watersheds and on islands with unique geological history. These assemblages were nested within the spur‐and‐groove species pool. Overall, modern coral cover was well predicted by bathymetric slope and watershed size, while species richness was additively influenced by two proxies of pollution, suggesting the latter is better suited for establishing management targets. In contrast with previous studies that suggested modern assemblages were biologically controlled in the CNMI, we show reef assemblages and reef development are highly influenced by long‐term environmental forcing.     

三亚蜈支洲岛海洋牧场近岛区底表大型底栖动物群落结构及评价

三亚蜈支洲岛海洋牧场拥有丰富的岛礁生物资源。为掌握海洋牧场近岛区的底表大型底栖动物群落组成和分布特征及其影响因子、评估海洋牧场底栖生态系统健康状况, 本研究于2020—2021年进行了底表大型无脊椎动物群落季节变动的调查。结果表明: 近岛珊瑚礁区共鉴定出棘皮动物、软体动物、节肢动物3大门类90种, 其中秋季种类数最多为55种, 夏季种类数最少为16种; 底表大型底栖动物的年平均丰度为0.87±0.26ind.·m^-2, 年平均生物量为76.99±34.32g·m^-2。群落聚类分析(cluster)与多维排序尺度分析(multidimensional Scaling, MDS)表明, 该区域群落结构季节性差异不显著, 各站位间群落结构受沉积物性质以及人类活动的频繁程度的影响, 形成北部与南部区域2个聚类组。全年的物种丰富度指数d为2.7±1.16, 多样性指数H′为3.14±0.88, 均匀度指数J为0.76±0.11。基于多样性指数H'及多变量海洋生物指数(Multivariate-AZTI′s marine biotic index, M-AMBI)评价指标, 海洋牧场近岛区环境除夏季为轻度污染外, 其他季节均为无污染状态。采用动物丰度与生物量比较曲线(abundance-biomass curves, ABC曲线)法评价底栖动物群落稳定性状况得出, 除冬季以外, 其他季节底表大型底栖动物群落受到一定程度干扰, 尤其是夏季群落结构稳定性较低。建议应持续关注底表大型底栖动物群落变动, 调整、优化涉海休闲旅游活动, 以保证蜈支洲岛海洋牧场生态系统的长期健康与稳定。