06/20/16 |
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A CASE STUDY OF ECOSYSTEM-BASED FISHERIES MANAGEMENT IN PUERTO RICO: THE IDEAL AND THE REAL López-Rivera MM, Arnold WS Ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) is gaining popularity as an alternative to traditional fisheries management approaches. In western Puerto Rico, the Abrir La Sierra, Bajo de Sico, and Tourmaline (ABT) Spawning Aggregation Areas share management between Puerto Rico and the Caribbean Fishery Management Council. Included within the boundaries of ABT are areas of ecological, social, and ... |
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INDIGENOUS CLASSIFICATION AND UTILIZATION OF THE RED SEA BLACK CORAL Nawata H Precious materials, such as red and black coral, have gained in value because they are natural organic resources living in the deep-sea environment, which, for a long time, have presented humans with considerable difficulties in collecting them. Despite their economic and cultural importance, little is known about the basic biology and ecology of black corals (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Hexacorallia: ... |
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EMERGENT CLIMATE CHANGE REFUGIA FROM IMPERFECT CONNECTED REFUGES Holstein DM, Smith TB As coral reef habitats fragment due to climate change and coastal development, resilient populations and their connectivity become critical for metapopulation persistence. Consequently, there has been an increased scientific focus on coral reef refuges – both natural environments removed from stress, and protected or curated environments such as marine protected areas (MPAs). Although there has... |
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BLEACHING AND DEPTH REFUGES IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC DURING THE STRONG 2015-2016 EL NIÑO Smith TB, Baker AC, Brandtneris VW, Glynn PW, Manzello DP, Maté JL, McGillis WR, Palacio A, Fong P The ongoing 2015-16 El Niño is third severe El Niño to impact reefs of the eastern tropical Pacific in the last 35 years. In the two previous events communities of the hydrocoral Millepora intricata were extirpated from shallow water but survived in deeper water (> 12 m depth), facilitating shallow water recovery between disturbances. This supported the deep reef refugia hypothesis, which posit... |
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ECOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF DEPTH RANGES IN CORAL-FEEDING BUTTERFLYFISH: ARE DEEP REEFS A REFUGE? MacDonald C, Bridge TC, Jones GP Declining coral abundance on many reefs globally is altering the composition of coral reef fish communities. Many reef fish species depend on live coral for a range of ecological processes, but coral specialists such as obligate coral feeders are among the most threatened. The most severe declines in coral abundance often occur in shallow water and deeper reefs may therefore provide a refuge fo... |
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DEPTH IS A MORE POTENT STRUCTURING FORCE FOR BRACHYURAN CRAB ASSEMBLAGES THAN LATITUDE, GEOGRAPHY, OR HUMAN IMPACT ACROSS THE HAWAIIAN ARCHIPELAGO Hurley KK, Timmers MA, Godwin LS, Reardon KG, Skillings DJ, Toonen RJ Shallow coral reefs are extensively studied, and although scleractinian corals have been recorded to 165 m, little is known about other mesophotic coral reef ecosystem (MCE) inhabitants. Brachyuran crabs fill many ecological and trophic niches on reefs, making them ideal candidates for evaluating species composition among depths. Here we ask if MCEs host the same communities as the shallower re... |
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ORIGIN AND MAINTENANCE OF REEF FISH BIODIVERSITY IN SEAMOUNTS AND OCEANIC ISLANDS OF THE SOUTH ATLANTIC Pinheiro HT, Bernardi G, Simon T, Joyeux JC, Rocha LA In the Southwestern Atlantic, twelve species are considered endemic to the seamounts and islands of the Vitória-Trindade Chain (VTC). Endemic species exclusive to the islands are suggested to have undergone allopatric speciation after sea level made the seamounts connecting continental and insular populations uninhabitable by shallow water species. These island endemic species are small and hav... |
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TWO NMFS CONSULTATION CASE STUDIES IN PACIFIC AND CARIBBEAN CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEMS TO AVOID AND MINIMIZE CORAL REEF IMPACTS Jayewardene DC, Carrubba L In both the U.S. Pacific Islands and the Caribbean, natural resource agencies review water resource development projects proposed along the coast. A growing interest in renewable energy production and telecommunication installations in the Pacific and Caribbean Islands has led to a number of permit applications for new types of projects that include construction offshore. The first case study, ... |
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THE INFLUENCE OF UPWELLING ON THE TROPHIC STATUS OF CORALS FROM THE SHALLOW AND DEEP SLOPE IN THE CENTRAL MALDIVES Radice VZ, Hoegh-Guldberg O, Fry B, Dove SG Upwelling stimulates primary productivity, which is known to support megafauna but the influence of upwelling on coral is understudied. Nutrient availability and light are important for coral symbiosis with increasing depth. Here we use natural abundance stable isotopes to examine the assimilation of carbon (d13C) and nitrogen (d15N) by the coral host and algal symbiont. We investigate how dept... |
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FITTING A PIECE IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC PUZZLE: SEAMOUNTS AS STEPPING-STONES BETWEEN MAINLAND AND OCEANIC ISLANDS Simon T, Pinheiro HT, Macieira RM, Rocha LA, Santos S, Joyeux JC The puzzling pattern that arises from the disjunct distribution of tropical reef fishes in the South Atlantic indicates that stepping-stone habitats are not required for ocean-wide dispersal, but they may be important for short routes between oceanic islands and mainland. Trindade and Martin Vaz, 1,200 km off the Brazilian coast, are the only exposed peaks of a volcanic ridge, the Vitória-Trind... |
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EXTENSIVE REEF DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE “MESOPHOTIC” NEARSHORE GREAT BARRIER REEF: EVIDENCE FOR INTRA-REGIONAL VARIATIONS IN CORAL RESILIENCE Morgan KM, Perry CT, Smithers SG, Johnson JA, Daniell JJ Mean coral cover on Australia's Great Barrier Reef (GBR) has reportedly declined by over 15% during the last 30 years. Climate change events and outbreaks of coral disease have been major drivers of degradation, often exacerbating the stresses caused by localised human activities (e.g. elevated sediment and nutrient inputs). Here, however, in the first assessment of nearshore reef occurrence an... |
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STABILITY AND FUNCTIONALITY OF THE MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES ASSOCIATED WITH TEMPERATE GORGONIANS AND THE PRECIOUS RED CORAL CORALLIUM RUBRUM van de Water J, Voolstra CR, Junca H, Allemand D, Ferrier-Pages C Gorgonians are key habitat-forming species of temperate benthic communities. However, local human impacts and mass mortality events caused by elevated seawater temperatures related to climate change and microbial disease outbreaks are responsible for significant declines in gorgonian populations. Despite these threats, relatively little is known about the symbioses between gorgonian hosts and t... |
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ENERGETIC RESOURCE ALLOCATION FOR REPRODUCTION IN TWO MEDITERRANEAN GORGONIANS WITH DIFFERENT REPRODUCTIVE STRATEGIES: SURFACE VERSUS INTERNAL BROO... Viladrich N, Bramanti L, Tsounis G, Martínez-Quitana A, Coppari M, Dominguez-Carrió C, Ambroso S, Rossi S The present study investigates the energetic investment in reproduction and the potential energetic allocation from parental colonies to larvae for two gorgonians characterized by different reproductive strategies: Corallium rubrum (internal brooder) and Paramuricea clavata (external brooder). Quantification of sexual products and biochemical composition (lipid content and free fatty acid (FFA)... |
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INDIVIDUAL ANNUAL FECUNDITY AND REPRODUCTIVE ENERGY INVESTMENT IN MUSHROOM SCLERACTINIAN CORALS Eyal-Shaham L, Eyal G, Harii S, Sinniger F, Loya Y Reproductive investment and growth are often used as indicators of health or stress at the organism level. Knowledge of how such energy investment varies intrinsically among species or morphological types is crucial for the interpretation of physiological responses to environmental factors. Patterns of energy allocation may change in accordance to the degree of sexual maturity of the individual... |
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06/21/16 |
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IDENTIFICATION OF MARINE PROTECTED AREAS FOR CONSERVATION, MANAGEMENT AND RESTORATION OF CORAL REEFS AND CORAL COMMUNITIES IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF ... Schmahl GP, Hickerson EL, Benson KG The utilization of marine protected areas is an important strategy in the conservation and management of coral reefs and coral communities. The northern Gulf of Mexico contains a range of coral ecosystems including coral reefs, mesophotic coral communities, and deep-sea coral assemblages. In 2015, the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) initiated a formal process to expand it... |
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TEMPERATURE VARIATION AND CORAL COMMUNITY STRUCTURE OF MESOPHOTIC REEF ECOSYSTEM IN PALAU Yuen YS, Nakamura T, Rengiil G Tropical mesophotic reef ecosystems are receiving attention in recent years among coral reef researchers due to their potential as refugia for shallow coral reef ecosystems. Light has been shown to be a limiting factor of coral community in mesophotic reefs while temperature was suggested as not a significant abiotic factor. In light of the prediction of severe El Nino event for 2015/16, seawat... |
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THE HABITAT PERSISTENCE HYPOTHESIS: A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF CORAL-REEF ORGANISMS Pyle RL, Copus JM, Bowen BW, Kosaki RK We propose the “Habitat Persistence Hypothesis” (HPH) to explain patterns of diversity on tropical coral-reefs. We reviewed distributions of organisms inhabiting tropical coral reefs, and formulated the HPH to account for biogeographical patterns on both shallow (<30m) and deep (30–150m) coral-reef habitats. Species occurring on deep reefs appear to show higher rates of endemism and less eastwa... |
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A COMPREHENSIVE INVESTIGATION OF MESOPHOTIC CORAL ECOSYSTEMS IN THE HAWAIIAN ARCHIPELAGO Longenecker K, Boland R, Bolick H, Bowen B, Bradley C, Kane C, Kosaki R, Langston R, Montgomery A, Parish F, Pyle R, Rooney J, Smith C, Spalding H, Wagner D During an interdisciplinary effort spanning more than two decades, we characterized the most expansive MCEs ever recorded, with vast macroalgal communities and areas of 100% coral-cover between depths of 50-90 m extending for tens of km^2 in the Hawaiian Archipelago. We used a variety of sensors and data gathering techniques to establish geophysical, biodiversity patterns, population dynamics, ... |
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COMPARING MESOPHOTIC AND EUPHOTIC REEF FISH SIZE, FEEDING GUILD COMPOSITION, DIVERSITY AND ENDEMISM IN THE AU‘AU CHANNEL, HAWAII Boland RC Mesophotic reefs (30-150m) are understudied habitats. Little is known about the fish assemblages that occur at mesophotic depths and this dearth of information limits the ability to understand and manage potential resources. Mesophotic reef assemblages in the Au'au Channel between the islands of Maui and Lanai in the Hawaiian Islands were compared with neighboring euphotic reef fish assemblages... |
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MESOPHOTIC MACROALGAE ACROSS THE HAWAIIAN ARCHIPELAGO: DECIPHERING THE DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF DEEP LIMU Spalding HL, Conklin KY, Tsuda RT, Wagner D, Kosaki R, Smith CM, Sherwood AR Macroalgae are a conspicuous, yet poorly described, component of mesophotic ecosystems in Hawaii, forming habitat for coral reef fish in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) and vast meadows in the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI). Over the past 10 years, we have used submersibles, ROVs, and technical diving to survey the distribution and diversity of mesophotic algae at 76 sites across the Hawa... |
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EVALUATING POTENTIAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING TROPHIC ASSEMBLAGE SHIFTS IN REEF FISHES FROM SHALLOW TO MESOPHOTIC DEPTHS IN HAWAII Kane CN, Tissot BN Herbivorous reef fishes are considered integral components of healthy coral reef ecosystems, yet initial studies of mesophotic coral reefs (>30m) indicate vast reductions in herbivorous reef fish communities compared to their shallow congeners despite observations of high algal abundance at mesophotic depths. Preliminary hypotheses regarding the reduction in herbivorous fishes with depth propos... |
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DIVERSITY OF SYMBIODINIUM SPP. IN THE ZOANTHARIAN ZOANTHUS SANSIBARICUS ACROSS VERTICAL GRADIENTS IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC Reimer JD, Fujiwara Y, Parkinson JE The zoantharian Zoanthus sansibaricus is widely distributed in the western Pacific from the intertidal zone to depths of more than 50 m. Research has indicated there is diversity in its association with endosymbiotic Symbiodinium spp., but fine-scale investigations across both depth gradients and geographic ranges are needed clarify the distribution of this diversity, as well as provide a basis... |
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INTRASPECIFIC VARIABILITY IN LIFE HISTORY TRAITS OF FISHES BETWEEN SHALLOW CORAL REEFS AND MESOPHOTIC CORAL ECOSYSTEMS IN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN Winston MS, Taylor BM, Hixon MA, Franklin EC Many inhabitants of mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs), such as reef fishes, represent a lower depth distribution of their species as they are also found occupying shallow coral reefs in relatively close geographic proximity. Research on fishes associated with MCEs is sparse; hence there is a critical lack of knowledge of how reef fish found at mesophotic depths may vary from their shallow reef... |
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MESOPHOTIC CORALS OF NORTHEAST AUSTRALIA: INITIAL ESTIMATES OF THE POTENTIAL FOR DEEP-REFUGE Muir PR, Wallace CC, Pichon M, Bridge TC, Englebert N, Bongaerts P Northeast Australia has a rich diversity of coral reef systems that includes the Great Barrier Reef and atolls of the western Coral Sea. While the shallow reefs are relatively well studied in the region, mesophotic coral communities (>30-40 m depth) are not well documented. Here we present results obtained from the study of a large coral collection compiled over eight expeditions from 2007 to 2... |
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DIVING INTO THE DEEP-END: BAITED REMOTE UNDERWATER VIDEO STATIONS (BRUVS) TO STUDY DEEP-REEF FISH IN THE GREAT BARRIER REEF, AUSTRALIA Sih TL, Cappo M, Kingsford MJ Underwater video has great utility to study harder to sample areas such as deeper reefs. Baited Remote Underwater Video Stations (BRUVS) and multi-beam bathymetry were used to investigate deep-reef fish communities off the continental slope in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. BRUVS were deployed between 50-300m and fish species richness and diversity were recorded using Australian Institute o... |
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EXPLORING CORAL-ASSOCIATED BACTERIA OVER AN EXTREME DEPTH GRADIENT: ASSESSING THE PRESENCE OF UBIQUITOUS SYMBIONTS Hernandez AI, Bongaerts P, Leggat W, Ainsworth TD Bacteria have an important functional contribution to the health, nutrition, and nutrient cycling of coral reefs, yet almost nothing is known about the bacterial and microbial communities of corals in the mesophotic zone. Coral-associated bacteria are responsive to coral host habitat and the high observed variability of coral-bacterial interactions has lead to the hypothesis that there are only... |
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SPECIES DIVERSITY IN THE MESOPHOTIC CORAL GENUS LEPTOSERIS: A COMBINED TAXONOMIC AND PHYLOGENOMIC ASSESSMENT Englebert N, Bongaerts P, Pichon M, Dinesen Z, Kahng SE, Eyal G, Muir PR, Hoegh-Guldberg O Mesophotic coral ecosystems in the Indo-Pacific are often dominated by members of the genus Leptoseris, particularly in the deepest parts of the mesophotic zone. Although recent molecular studies have shed light on the species diversity of this genus in the Hawaiian archipelago, the genus remains poorly understood when it comes to other parts of the Indo-Pacific. Here, we present a comprehensiv... |
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PHOTOACCLIMATION AND INDUCTION OF LIGHT-ENHANCED CALCIFICATION IN THE MESOPHOTIC CORAL EUPHYLLIA PARADIVISA Eyal G, Cohen I, Eyal-Shaham L, Ben-Zvi O, Loya Y Depth gradient is characterized by inherent changes in light which lead to several adaptation strategies within corals and their symbionts. In this study, the strictly mesophotic coral Euphyllia paradivisa from the Red Sea served as a model to determine the strategies of acclimation to different light conditions and to study photosynthesis and calcification coupling. The coral's physiology was ... |
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FROM JAPAN TO THE NORTHERN TIP OF THE RED SEA: A LONG, NON-STOP JOURNEY FOR THE MESOPHOTIC SCLERACTINIAN SPECIES LEPTOSERIS AMITORIENSIS ? Pichon M, Eyal G, Sinniger F, Loya Y, Harii S Leptoseris amitoriensis Veron, 1990 was described from Amitori Bay, Iriomote, in the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. In Amitori Bay, it is a rather abundant, typically mesophotic species, found around and below 50 m depth, co-occurring with other Leptoseris species with a wider depth range, such as L. gardineri, L. papyracea and possibly other Leptoseris species. More recently the species was collec... |
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HIGH BIODIVERSITY OF MESOPHOTIC CORALS IN OKINAWA AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN A CHANGING WORLD Sinniger F, Prasetia R, Harii S In the Northwestern Pacific, the Kuroshio Current supplies warm tropical water to the Ryukyu Archipelago in Japan providing good conditions for a high diversity of coral species. However, as for most coral reefs worldwide, the biodiversity of Japanese mesophotic corals remains virtually unknown. Here we report the preliminary observations of the coral distribution and diversity at several sites... |
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ACCLIMATION OF ADULT AND JUVENILE MESOPHOTIC SERIATOPORA HYSTRIX TO SHALLOW REEF HABITATS Prasetia R, Sinniger F, Yorifuji M, Nakamura T, Yuen YS, Harii S Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs), have often been suggested as a source to recolonize shallow reefs. Shallow reef recovery could occur through natural (i.e. larval recruitment) or artificial recolonization (i.e. man-made transplantation). However, the success of the mesophotic coral's contribution to shallow reef recovery depends on their ability to acclimate to shallow reef conditions. Here ... |
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ECOLOGICAL AND BIOGEOCHEMICAL IMPACTS OF INTERNAL WAVES ON MESOPHOTIC CORAL ECOSYSTEMS: TESTING EDDY CORRELATION AND ISOTOPE APPROACHES, IRIOMOTE, ... Wyatt AS, Miyajima T, Leichter JJ, Naruse T, Kuwae T, Yamamoto S, Satoh N, Nagata T While mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCE) may be protected or damped from disturbances impacting shallower reefs insufficient information is available on the environmental conditions supporting these 'deep water refugia'. Nutrient inputs and recycling have rarely been quantified over MCE but may differ fundamentally to that of shallow counterparts due to the reduction in light and increasing reli... |
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06/22/16 |
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THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RARE EVENTS LOGISTIC REGRESSION TO PREDICT THE DISTRIBUTION OF MESOPHOTIC HARD CORALS ACROSS THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS Veazey LM, Franklin EC, Kelley C, Rooney J, Frazer LN, Toonen RJ Predictive habitat suitability models are powerful tools for cost-effective, mathematically robust ecological assessment of the environmental drivers of species distributions. The aim of this study was to develop a predictive habitat suitability model for two genera (Leptoseris and Montipora) of mesophotic scleractinian corals across the main Hawaiian Islands. The mesophotic zone (30 - 180 m) i... |
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ARE MESOPHOTIC CORALS AND OCTOCORALS REALLY THAT DIFFERENT? AN EVOLUTIONARY PERSPECTIVE FROM CARIBBEAN REEFS Sánchez JA, González FL, Rivera G, Dueñas LF Mesophotic coral reef communities are usually below recreational SCUBA diving but too shallow for deep-sea vehicle exploration. This study aimed to provide a systematic exploration of the mesophotic zone (40-120 m) in an oceanic barrier reef complex in San Andrés Island and on banks along the Deep-sea Corals National Natural Park. Using CCR/Trimix, we wanted to determine whether the mesophotic ... |
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VERTICAL CONNECTIVITY ON ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC REEFS: A GENOME-WIDE ASSESSMENT OF SIX DEPTH-GENERALIST CORAL SPECIES Bongaerts P, Riginos C, van Oppen M, Hoegh-Guldberg O Mesophotic coral ecosystems can act as important refuges against disturbances affecting shallow reefs. Consequently, they have been hypothesized to aid in shallow reef recovery by acting as a source of propagules. However, to date, this assumption of vertical connectivity has only been tested for three different scleractinian coral species. Here, we summarize the results of vertical connectivit... |
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SEASONAL VARIABILITY OF MESOPHOTIC BENTHIC COMMUNITIES AT TWO SITES AND DEPTHS OFF LA PARGUERA, PUERTO RICO Appeldorn RS, Ballantine DL, Carlo M, Nemeth MI, Ruiz HJ, Sherman C, Weil E Coral reefs are dynamic environments, and rapid changes in benthic cover can occur in response to environmental conditions or biological interactions. Mesophotic coral ecosystems are thought to be more stable than shallow coral reefs because it is assumed that variations in environmental parameters (e.g., temperature) are reduced at depth, and MCEs are buffered by depth or distance from shore f... |
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PHYSICAL DRIVERS OF COMMUNITY STRUCTURE AND GROWTH AMONG MESOPHOTIC CORAL ECOSYSTEMS IN ST. THOMAS, US VIRGIN ISLANDS Groves SH, Brandt ME, Enochs IC, Holstein DM, Manzello DP, Canals MF, Smith TB Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) are deep (>30m), light-dependent communities that are abundant in the northern US Virgin Islands. Compared to their shallow water counterparts, MCEs remain understudied. South of St. Thomas, mesophotic coral cover on Orbicella-dominated reefs can reach 50%, but observations of the northern shelf at similar depths (30-45 m) suggest limited coral cover. The caus... |
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PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE MESOPHOTIC REEF SHELF ACCRETION POTENTIAL: A CARBONATE BUDGET APPROACH Weinstein DK, Klaus JS, Smith TB Heterogeneous geomorphology in mesophotic reefs promotes high biodiversity and refuges for commercially important fish. Yet little data are available to understand the geological history and structural sustainability of the underlying architectural framework supporting these deep systems. To address these concepts, the first mesophotic reef carbonate budget model was used in the U.S. Virgin Isl... |
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MESOPHOTIC REEF SPONGES (PORIFERA) FROM PUERTO RICO AND THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS Garcia-Hernandez JE, Schizas NV, Alfaro ML, de Voogd NJ The marine sponges collected during three research cruises conducted by the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez Caribbean Coral Reef Institute and Department of Marine Sciences are described and discussed. Over twenty sites were surveyed by scientific divers using closed circuit rebreathers at depths ranging from 50 to 80 m. The goals of the expeditions were to characterize mesophotic coral e... |
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FINDING A BIOLOGICAL UPPER LIMIT FOR THE MESOPHOTIC ZONE Laverick JH, Rogers AD The lower boundary of the mesophotic zone on coral reefs is largely accepted as coinciding with the last photosynthetic hard corals. The upper limit is set at 30m. These two boundaries are fundamentally different in character. The lower bound is capable of moving, accommodating changes between sites in water clarity and local species capabilities. Such a mobile boundary allows the logical compa... |
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REVISITING DEPTH-DIVERSITY GRADIENTS IN REEF-BUILDING CORALS Roberts TE, Bridge TC, Caley MJ, Baird AH Species are not distributed evenly across geographical space, and understanding the mechanisms generating species' distributions is a fundamental goal of ecology. Among the most prominent of these patterns are changes in species richness over gradients (e.g. latitude, altitude, or depth). Depth is a strong environmental gradient on coral reefs, with depth zonation recognized as a ubiquitous fea... |
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EXPLORATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MESOPHOTIC REEFS OF THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY AND NEIGHBORING BANKS IN THE NORTHWEST GU... Voss JD, Studivan MS, Williams MA, Clark R, Horn L, Hickerson E, Nutall M, Reed JK, Schmahl GP The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) and adjacent banks in the Northwest Gulf of Mexico (NWGOM) exhibit unique and extensive shelf-edge coral communities. Using remotely operated vehicle (ROV)-based high definition imaging, we conducted 299 stratified random quantitative 100 m phototransects to characterize mesophotic reef habitats and fish communities on East and West Ban... |
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DO THE SHUFFLE: CHANGES IN SYMBIODINIUM CONSORTIA THROUGHOUT JUVENILE DEVELOPMENT Reich HG, Robertson DL, Goodbody-Gringley G Previous studies of symbiotic associations between scleractinians corals and Symbiodium have demonstrated that hosts alter the consortium of symbionts in response to environmental conditions. However, less is known about symbiont shuffling during early development in corals, particularly for brooding species. This study examined whether Symbiodinium consortia varied (1) in Porites astreoides on... |
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USE OF MESOPHOTIC CORAL ECOSYSTEMS BY INVASIVE WESTERN ATLANTIC LIONFISH Andradi-Brown DA, Hendrix A, Grey R, Rogers AD, Exton D The severe negative effects of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans and Pterios miles) on western Atlantic shallow reefs are well documented, yet despite lionfish recorded on deeper reefs, the use of mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) in invasive lionfish ecology and life history remains a significant gap in our knowledge. We combine studies of lionfish abundance and body length on shallow (0-30... |
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ECOLOGICAL DRIVERS OF LIONFISH AGGREGATIONS ON MESOPHOTIC REEFS IN BERMUDA Goodbody-Gringley G, Chequer A, Eddy C, Pitt J, Smith S Invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles) are now ubiquitous throughout the Caribbean and Western Atlantic, having established themselves in a variety of marine habitats. Recent surveys in Bermuda have revealed dense aggregations of lionfish on mesophotic reefs (60m depth), yet these densities are not pervasive across reefs at this depth. Using diver-led in situ surveys of mesophotic re... |
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DEEP ON THE CHEAP: ACCESSIBLE AND COST-EFFECTIVE METHODS FOR QUANTITATIVELY SURVEYING MESOPHOTIC CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEMS Brandtneris VW, Groves SH, Holstein DM, Brandt ME, Smith TB An array of recent technological advancements has allowed broader scientific access to mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs). These reefs are now known to function in support of fisheries, serve as regional larval sources, and act as potential refuges for reef organisms. There is still a great deal unknown about these systems, including their global distribution. Although our collective understand... |
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MESOPHOTIC CORAL REEF FISH COMMUNITIES IN THE CENTER OF MARINE BIODIVERSITY Pinheiro HT, Shepherd B, Greene B, Jessup E, Rocha LA Philippines coral reefs are known for their extremely high biodiversity. However, most of the information available for the area comes exclusively from shallow reefs, with very few data published on Philippines' mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs, 30-150m depth). Here we describe the MCE fish community of three sites of the Verde Island Passage, Philippines, the center of the center of global ma... |
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THERMAL-STRESS REFUGIA FOR CORALS: OBSERVATIONS IN MESOPHOTIC COMMUNITIES OF APO REEF, PHILIPPINES Cabaitan PC, Cabactulan DC, Olavides RD, Siringan FP, Villanueva RD, Da-anoy JP On top of local scale coral mortalities, climate change induced mass coral bleaching has alarmingly reduced reefs worldwide over the last decades. Coral bleaching, which is primarily caused by anomalous changes in sea surface temperature and irradiance, is commonly reported for euphotic reefs (<20 m) while still generally viewed as less prevalent in mesophotic reefs (≥30 m). However, more studi... |
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UNUSUAL FEATURES OF A MESOPHOTIC HARD CORAL ASSEMBLAGE IN A LAGOON ENVIRONMENT DOMINATED BY HEAVY TERRIGENOUS SEDIMENTATION: THE BANC GAIL (SW NEW ... Joannot P, Pichon M, Thomassin BA Mesophotic coral assemblages are most often developed on the deep fore reef slopes exposed to oceanic conditions. Less common are the mesophotic assemblages which occasionally occur within the confines of large lagoons where environmental conditions impart specific and unusual characters to the scleractinian community. Situated in the SW lagoon of the New Caledonian barrier reef system, the Ban... |
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06/23/16 |
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PHOTOCONVERTIBLE CORAL FLUORESCENT PROTEINS: AN ADAPTATION TO THE LIGHT CLIMATE AT MESOPHOTIC DEPTHS? Bollati E, D’Angelo C, Eyal G, Wiedenmann J The high-level expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-like pigments in mesophotic corals suggests an important biological function for this protein group other than the photoprotective role assigned to their homologues in shallow water cnidarians. Photoconvertible fluorescent proteins (PCFPs), which undergo a green-to-red spectral shift upon ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, are commonly fou... |
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CONNECTIVITY OF THE PULLEY RIDGE - SOUTH FLORIDA CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEM: PROCESSES TO DECISION-SUPPORT RESOURCES Cowen RK, Ortner PB, Pomponi SA The coral reef ecosystem of the southeast United States is a complex system of interconnected, deep and shallow reefs stretching along the western, southern and southeastern coasts of Florida. Given its economic and ecological value, there is a strong need to develop effective management options that encompass the entire ecosystem and its complex interactions. The goal of the Pulley Ridge resea... |
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PHYSICAL PROCESSES CONTROLLING CONNECTIVITY AMONG SOUTH FLORIDA CORAL REEFS AND PATHWAYS OF UPSTREAM RIVER INFLUENCE Kourafalou VH, Smith RH, Valle-Levinson A, Le Hénaff M, Kang H, Androulidakis Y A combination of in situ and satellite measurements and high resolution modeling are combined to study the connectivity among South Florida coral reef systems and the influence of upstream nutrient sources on local water properties. The study area covers the mesophotic Pulley Ridge reef on the Southwest Florida Shelf and the Florida Keys shallow reef system, extending to the Dry Tortugas. An un... |
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HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF OCEANOGRAPHIC CONNECTIVITY IN THE PULLEY RIDGE Olascoaga MJ, Vaz AC, Paris CB, Smith RH Pulley Ridge is a mesophotic 60-m-deep reef system located 66-km west of the Dry Tortugas. Far from the coast and surface, it is not affected by coastal pollution and/or bleaching from water temperature fluctuations. Many of the species living at Pulley Ridge are also found in shallower water, and they may be connected. Studying the oceanographic conditions in the region can help determine the ... |
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RESILIENCE OF A UNIQUE MESOPHOTIC REEF IN THE GULF OF MEXICO, USA: A 30-YEAR HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF THE CORAL COMMUNITIES AT PULLEY RIDGE REEF Reed JK, Farrington S, Voss J, Spring K, Hine A, Kourafalou V, Smith R, Vaz A, Paris C, Hanisak D A five-year study was funded by NOAA (“Connectivity of the Pulley Ridge - South Florida Coral Reef Ecosystem”) to understand coral ecosystem connectivity in the southeastern United States, from mesophotic reefs at Pulley Ridge (PR) in the Gulf of Mexico to the shallow water reefs in the Florida Keys. This paper uses these data from ROV photographic transects over a four year period (2012-2015) ... |
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REFUGIA AND RESILIENCE: VARIABLE POPULATION DEMOGRAPHICS AND REPRODUCTION OF A CORAL REEF FISH ACROSS VERTICAL SPATIAL SCALES Goldstein ED, D’Alessandro EK, Sponaugle S With the decline of coral reef ecosystems, reef organisms may become dependent upon habitats at the periphery of their distributions for population persistence. Mesophotic coral reefs (30-150 m), near the depth boundary of most reef fishes, may be natural refuges that can supply larvae to degraded reefs, and are buffered from anthropogenic and natural disturbances. However, depth-driven habitat... |
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Oral presentation
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THE PERFECT STORM: MATCH-MISMATCH OF BIOPHYSICAL EVENTS DRIVES LARVAL FISH CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN PULLEY RIDGE MESOPHOTIC REEFS AND THE FLORIDA KEYS Ana CV, Paris CB, Olascoaga MJ, Kourafalou VH, HeeSook K, Reed JK Mesophotic coral reef ecosystems are remote from coastal stressors and may be the key to resilience. While they remain for the most part exposed to fisheries overexploitation, nothing is known so far about larval fish connectivity between mesophotic and shallow ecosystems. We use a biophysical model to test the hypothesis that Pulley Ridge, a mesophotic reef in the Gulf of Mexico that hosts a v... |
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Oral presentation
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GENETIC AND BIOPHYSICAL MODELING ASSESSMENT OF CONNECTIVITY IN THE RED GROUPER, EPINEPHELUS MORIO Johnston MW, Bernard AM, Reichert MJ, Shivji MS Understanding connectivity of reef organisms is important to aid the conservation of biological diversity and facilitate sustainable fisheries. Common methods to assess reef connectivity include genetics, modeling, and tagging. Individually, these techniques can offer insight into population structure; however, the information acquired by a singular analysis is often subject to inherent limitat... |
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COMPARING GENETIC CONNECTIVITY AND GENE EXPRESSION ACROSS SHALLOW AND MESOPHOTIC REEF CORALS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO Studivan MS, Voss JD Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) comprise reef environments between 30-150m and in some cases have coral communities similar to those found on shallow reefs. Glynn (1996) originally proposed that deeper reefs may act as a coral refuge by providing larvae to nearby shallow reefs. Key questions underlying this theory remain unanswered including: (1) How well are MCEs connected to shallow reefs,... |
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SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF EXPANDED HABITAT PROTECTION IN PULLEY RIDGE, FLORIDA GULF COAST Bhat MG, Seeteram N, Pierce B, Die D The Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council designated Pulley Ridge as a HAPC in 2005. Although Pulley Ridge is in relatively intact ecological condition, its rarity and connectivity with the broader marine area lead agencies to believe that its protection is necessary. A small portion of the Pulley Ridge is banned for bottom trawling, but the agency is considering expanding its reach. The ... |
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Oral presentation
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40 YEARS OF BENTHIC COMMUNITY CHANGE AT THE FORE-REEF SLOPE (10 – 40 M) OF THE CARIBBEAN REEFS IN CURAÇAO AND BONAIRE: THE RISE OF CYANOBACTERIAL MATS De Bakker DM, Van Duyl FC, Nugues MM, Bak RP, Nieuwland G, Meesters EH In the past decades benthic sessile communities of tropical coral reefs have undergone significant changes worldwide. Generally, there was a shift from stony corals to fleshy macroalgae. Long-term studies documenting changes in other benthic reef groups, however, are scarce. We have studied change in dominant benthic groups at 4 reef sites in the Caribbean islands of Curaçao and Bonaire over a ... |
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ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION OF DEEP CORAL GARDENS ON THE MEDITERRANEAN CONTINENTAL SHELF Gori A, Linares C, Montseny M, Olariaga A, Carreras M, Mallios A, Palomeras N, Viladrich N, Ambroso S, Grinyó J, Santin A, Ribas D, Hurtós N, Magí L, Dominguez-Carrió, Ferrier-Pagès C, Gili JM Bottom trawling and trammel net fishing are currently causing the removal or damage of deep-water corals and gorgonians allover the world. Fragmentation and reduction of population density of these structural benthic species is one of the major threats for their viability, and may results in a drastic change in the ecological structural and functional role they play. In this presentation, we sh... |
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06/24/16 |
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Oral presentation
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ECOLOGICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL TRAITS PREDICT DEPTH-GENERALIST FISHES ON CORAL REEFS Bridge T, Luiz OJ, Coleman RR, Kane CN, Kosaki RK Ecological communities that utilise similar habitats may exhibit functional convergence despite significant geographic distances and taxonomic dissimilarity. On coral reefs, steep gradients in key environmental variables (e.g. light and wave energy) restrict some species to shallow depths. We show that depth-generalist reef fishes are correlated with two species-level traits: caudal fin aspect ... |
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ROVING PREDATORS RELOADED: AN INVESTIGATION OF SHARK AND JACK POPULATIONS IN SHALLOW (0-30M) AND MESOPHOTIC DEPTHS (30-100M) IN THE HAWAIIAN ARCHIP... Asher JM, Williams ID, Harvey ES Coral reef roving predators (sharks, jacks, snappers) are generally believed to be depleted around human population centers. In Hawaii, most of the data to support this conclusion comes from underwater visual censuses of shallow water reef ecosystems (0-30m). However, information on the density and distribution of mobile predators in mesophotic depths (30-100m+) remains sparse. Survey technique... |
06/20/16 |
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Poster presentation (130)
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OSTREOBIUM DIVERSITY IN THE SCROLL CORAL, AGARICIA UNDATA, AT MESOPHOTIC CORAL ECOSYSTEMS FROM SAN ANDRES ISLAND, COLOMBIAOSTREOBIUM DIVERSITY IN T... González FL, Sánchez JA Endolithic algae have important functions in reef ecosystems and will have a critical role in how coral tolerate climate change and ocean acidification. Endolithic algal filaments dissolve CaCO3 crystals making reefs more susceptible to abrasion and dissolution and serve as food for bioeroders. These algae can also facilitate coral survival during bleaching events extending their survivorship w... |
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06/21/16 |
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Poster presentation (183)
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EVIDENCE OF REPRODUCTIVE PLASTICITY OF PORITES ASTREOIDES ACROSS A DEPTH GRADIENT IN BERMUDA Wong KH, Reich HG, Goodbody-Gringley G Mesophotic coral reef ecosystems (MCEs) extend to the bottom of the photic zone and are relatively sheltered from anthropogenic and natural disturbances resulting in low reef degradation compared to shallow reef counterparts. MCEs are hypothesized to serve as a refuge for shallow reefs, where larvae may aid the re-population of previously disturbed shallow habitats. This study determines whethe... |
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Poster presentation (341)
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CHANGES IN MESOPHOTIC REEF FISH ASSEMBLAGES IN THE NORTHWESTERN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS ALONG A LATITUDINAL AND LONGITUDINAL GRADIENT Fukunaga A, Kosaki R, Wagner D Mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) are characterized by the presence of light-dependent corals and associated fauna at depths below 30 m and support a diversity of marine organisms. We investigated changes in the structure of mesophotic reef fish assemblages in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) along a latitudinal and longitudinal gradient, using survey data from 27 - 92 m depths. There ... |
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Poster presentation (338)
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GROWTH HISTORY RECORDED IN SKELETAL STABLE ISOTOPES IN THE MESOPHOTIC PORITES CORAL FROM THE GULF OF EILAT, RED SEA Watanabe TK, Watanabe T, Eyal G, Loya Y Mesophotic coral ecosystems are found at depth below 30m. Due to its depth, the mesophotic zone is relatively protected from climatic and anthropogenic disturbance at the surface. Under relatively undisturbed conditions, mesophotic coral ecosystems may act as refugia. Owing to its depth, it has been difficult to observe mesophotic coral growth patterns and histories. Here we introduce geochemi... |
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Poster presentation (292)
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WHY DO CORAL REEFS THRIVE IN ICEHOUSE WORLD CLIMATES? CLUES FROM LARGER BENTHIC FORAMINIFERS Hallock P, Mateu-Vicens G, Pomar L In the past 25 years, foraminifers that host algal endosymbionts (aka large benthic forams or LBF) have become widely used as bioindicators for carbonate-depositional environments, both fossil and modern. This is particularly true for Amphistegina, which is nearly circumtropical in modern oceans and has a long fossil record. They exhibit bleaching, induced by photo-oxidative stress similar to b... |
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Poster presentation (331)
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EVIDENCE OF ADAPTATION IN A CORAL-ALGAL SYMBIOSIS AT MESOPHOTIC DEPTHS IN THE NORTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO Polinski JM, Voss JD Many coral species common in shallow habitats also live in the mesophotic zone (30-150 m). Similar to shallow corals, many mesophotic corals maintain important symbioses with photosynthetic microalgae in the genus Symbiodinium. Despite the importance of the coral-algal symbiosis in corals' ability to thrive in multiple dynamic environments, few studies have focused on symbionts associated with ... |
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Poster presentation (328)
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CHARACTERIZATION OF MESOPHOTIC BENTHIC COMMUNITIES IN THE NORTHWESTERN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS Wagner D, Chang C, Barkman A, Tepper JR, Kosaki RK Historical surveys to characterize the marine biodiversity of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) have largely focused on shallow (<30 m) or deep (>300 m) waters, with intermediate depths being largely ignored. This intermediate zone hosts mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs), which are notoriously undersurveyed worldwide and particularly in remote locations like the NWHI. Since 2012, annual... |
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Poster presentation (326)
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THE DAWNING OF THE MESOPHOTIC REEF RESEARCH IN THE PHILIPPINES Siringan FP, Cabactulan DC, Cabaitan PC, Calleja MC, Doctor MA, Munar JC, Olavides RD, Tinacba EC, Villanoy CL, Villanueva RD The Philippines has among the largest and most biodiverse reef areas in the world. However, most of its shallow reefs outside marine protected areas have gradually declined over the decades while its mesophotic reefs at depths of 30–150 m have scarcely been studied. In this study, six sites from different parts of the Philippines were surveyed for documentation of the occurrence of coral ecosys... |
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Poster presentation (325)
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ARE MESOPHOTIC REEFS SAFE FROM EXPLOITATIVE FISHING? Cabaitan PC, Deocadez MR, Martinez RS, Mamauag AS, Aliño PM, Atrigenio MP, Siringan FP, Olavides RD Reef fish communities are faced with various disturbances, of which destructive and unsustainable fishing practices pose the most direct and immediate impacts. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are among the management measures used to mitigate such impacts, although for pragmatic reasons MPAs are typically located in shallow and more accessible reefs. In the Philippines, reef fish communities at d... |
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Poster presentation (188)
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FISH ASSEMBLAGES ASSOCIATED WITH RED GROUPER PITS AT PULLEY RIDGE, THE DEEPEST PHOTOSYNTHETIC CORAL REEF IN THE CONTINENTAL U.S. Harter SL, Moe HL, David AW Pulley Ridge is a series of drowned barrier islands on the southwest Florida Shelf and is known to be the deepest photosynthetic coral reef in the continental U.S. The fishes at Pulley Ridge are unique in that they comprise a mixture of shallow water and deep species. With the majority of the ridge being low rugosity habitat comprised of algae and plate corals, fish densities are low compared t... |
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Poster presentation (332)
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POPULATION STRUCTURE OF MONTASTRAEA CAVERNOSA ON SHALLOW VERSUS MESOPHOTIC REEFS IN BERMUDA Goodbody-Gringley G, Marchini C, Chequer AD, Goffredo S Mesophotic coral reef ecosystems remain largely unexplored with only limited information available on taxonomic composition, abundance and distribution. Yet, mesophotic reefs may serve as potential refugia for shallow-water species and thus understanding biodiversity, ecology and connectivity of deep reef communities is integral for resource management and conservation. The Caribbean coral, Mon... |
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Poster presentation (190)
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THE PULLEY RIDGE INTERACTIVE DECISION SUPPORT RESOURCE (DSR) Mader C, Perez J, Scott C, Norris T, Datar N Connectivity of the Pulley Ridge - South Florida Coral Reef Ecosystem: Process to Decision-Support Tools, is studying the Pulley Ridge mesophotic coral community in order to better understand its connection to the ecosystems of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, other ecosystems in Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas, and Caribbean region. The results of this study will improve unders... |
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Poster presentation (189)
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HABITAT AVAILABILITY AND DEPTH-DRIVEN POPULATION DEMOGRAPHICS REGULATE REGIONAL REPRODUCTIVE OUTPUT OF A COMMON CORAL REEF FISH Sponaugle S, Goldstein E, D’Alessandro EK Coral reef organisms that span broad geographic and depth distributions experience a range of habitat quality, creating variable subpopulation demographics and dynamics. At the depth boundary of coral reefs, mesophotic coral ecosystems (30-150 m) that are buffered from anthropogenic stressors may be refuges that can seed larvae to degraded coral reefs. However, the degree of connectivity via la... |
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Poster presentation (323)
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HAVE INVASIVE LIONFISH IMPACTED THE PULLEY RIDGE MESOPHOTIC CORAL ECOSYSTEM? Whitney SK, Boye LR, Woolsey M, Jarnagin R, Moore S, Slattery M Mesophotic coral ecosystems are deep fore-reef, low-light adapted, communities often comprised of scleractinian corals, macroalgae and sponges. At a depth of 60-80m, Pulley Ridge represents the deepest coral reef on the US continental shelf extending over 100km along the western edge of the Florida Platform. We surveyed this unique ecosystem using AUVs, ROVs, and technical diving; the reefs con... |
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Poster presentation (321)
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COMPARISON OF BACTERIAL COMMUNITIES ASSOCIATED WITH AGARICIA LAMARCKI FROM MESOPHOTIC AND SHALLOW WATER REEFS Schizas NV, Appeldoorn R, Nadathur G Access to mesophotic reefs provides a unique opportunity to study the holobiont composition in corals across their bathymetric distributions. We aim at characterizing the coral-associated bacterial community profiles of the scleractinian coral Agaricia lamarcki in Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. Agaricia lamarcki attains a wide bathymetric distribution in the Caribbean where it can be foun... |
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Poster presentation (336)
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POPULATION STRUCTURE OF THE CORAL, AGARICIA LAMARCKI FROM SW PUERTO RICO AND U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS Hammerman NM, Schizas NV, Alfaro M Drastic declines in coral abundance and health have been documented worldwide within the past few decades, threats to these ecosystems range from both local and global inputs. Shallow coral reefs are highly affected, conversely, deeper reefs below ~30 meters, otherwise known as mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) remain relatively healthy. The Deep Reef Refugia Hypothesis (DRRH) has been propose... |
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Poster presentation (339)
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UNDERSTANDING THE TAXONOMY OF THE MESOPHOTIC CORAL GENUS LEPTOSERIS: THE NEXT CHAPTER Dinesen ZD, Pichon M Growing interest in mesophotic coral reef ecosystems (MCEs) has stimulated interest in the taxonomy and biology of mesophotic corals. A key example is the agariciid genus Leptoseris which is often a dominant coral in MCEs. Historically, Leptoseris has not been well represented in museum collections, and despite the systematic review of Leptoseris by Dinesen (1980), from a taxonomic perspective ... |
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Poster presentation (337)
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DEVELOPMENT OF MICROSATELLITE PROTOCOLS FOR CORAL MADRACIS COMPLEX Ballesteros Contreras DC, Barrios L, Aguirre J, Fernández A, Cedeño C, Chasqui L, Alonso D, Preziosi R After the declaration of the Colombian Marine Protected Area-MPA Deep Coral Natural National Park (PNNCP) in 2013, it became evident the need to develop a management plan for this MPA in the Colombian Caribbean. One of the interesting features of this MPA is that the main structural species belong to the coral complex Madracis sp (Pocilloporidae: Cnidarian) in the area: M. auretenra, M. myriast... |
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06/22/16 |
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Poster presentation (400)
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HIGH-RESOLUTION BATHYMETRY IN SELECT PHILIPPINE REEFS AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS ON THE LATE PLEISTOCENE-HOLOCENE SEA-LEVEL CHANGES AND REEF DEVELOPMENT Munar JC, Siringan FP, Manalaysay D, Candelaria E, Cabactulan D, Calleja M, Villanueva R, Cabaitan P, Villanoy C Coral reefs provide an effective archive to past sea levels because reef-forming corals grow at a limited depth range and have a good geologic preservation. High-resolution multibeam bathymetry to a depth of 70m show a series of terraces and steep scarps in Apo Reef, Occidental Mindoro; Masinloc, Zambales; and Patnanungan, Quezon in the Philippines. Diver and drop-camera observations indicate t... |