Title: HIGH BIODIVERSITY OF MESOPHOTIC CORALS IN OKINAWA AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN A CHANGING WORLD

Abstract: 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 along the archipelago at depths from 30 down to 100 m. The coral cover and community structure were estimated using photoquadrats, while detailed coral identification was based on morphological and molecular examination of samples. An important diversity of distinct coral communities was found throughout the archipelago combined with high coral species diversity. Coral coverage is usually low, although occasionally, coral coverage can be nearly total. However, the highest coral coverage was usually associated with low species diversity. Leptoseris, the emblematic mesophotic coral genus, dominated communities mainly in protected bays of the Southern part of the archipelago. Other communities were dominated by Pachyseris, Acropora species, Seriatopora hystrix, and other anthozoans (e.g. corallimorphs). Except for the Leptoseris-dominated communities, most of the dense coral communities were found only from one location. This suggests that not only MCEs in the Ryukyu Archipelago are very diverse both at species and community level, but also that this diversity is still largely underexplored. We will discuss the significance of these findings in a conservation perspective.

Authors: Sinniger F, Prasetia R, Harii S

Presentation: Oral

Session: 29

Date: 06/21/16

Time: 17:30

Location: 308 A/B

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