NDLI: The effect of structurally complex corals and herbivory on the dynamics of Halimeda

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Castro Sangui, Carolina Lovelock, Catherine Mumby, Peter J.
Copyright Year	2016
Abstract	The calcareous green alga Halimeda is a key contributor to carbonate sediment production on coral reefs. As herbivores have a direct negative effect on the abundance of Halimeda, protection from herbivory is critical for Halimeda growth. Branching corals such as Acropora are likely to provide refugia for Halimeda from grazers, yet studies are scarce. Here, we investigated the vulnerability of two Halimeda species to herbivory using fish exclusion cages and assessed the contribution of coral structural complexity to seasonal changes in Halimeda biomass and morphometrics. While up to 50 % Halimeda abundance was depleted outside cages due to herbivory and the exclusion of large herbivores resulted in an increase in net growth up to threefold, Halimeda recruitment was positively affected by herbivory, more than two times greater outside cages. However, these responses differed between species and seasons; only one species was affected in winter but not summer. Coral structural complexity facilitated an increase of total algal biomass particularly in summer. At the individual level, thalli growing inside the Acropora canopy were always significantly larger (thallus biomass, volume and height) than those growing in exposed areas. We estimated that the carbonate production of Halimeda was nearly three times greater inside refuges provided by Acropora. Because Halimeda species differ in growth rates and susceptibility to grazing, we predict that the ongoing degradation of the habitat complexity provided by branching corals will alter Halimeda community structure and its contribution to local sediment budgets.
Starting Page	597
Ending Page	609
Page Count	13
File Format	PDF
ISSN	07224028
Journal	Coral Reefs
Volume Number	35
Issue Number	2
e-ISSN	14320975
Language	English
Publisher	Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Publisher Date	2016-02-12
Publisher Place	Berlin, Heidelberg
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	Calcified macroalgae Branching Acropora Habitat complexity Parrotfish Carbonate production Freshwater & Marine Ecology Oceanography
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Aquatic Science

Sl.	Authority	Responsibilities	Communication Details
1	Ministry of Education (GoI), Department of Higher Education	Sanctioning Authority	https://www.education.gov.in/ict-initiatives
2	Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	Host Institute of the Project: The host institute of the project is responsible for providing infrastructure support and hosting the project	https://www.iitkgp.ac.in
3	National Digital Library of India Office, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	The administrative and infrastructural headquarters of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in
4	Project PI / Joint PI	Principal Investigator and Joint Principal Investigators of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti will be added soon
5	Website/Portal (Helpdesk)	Queries regarding NDLI and its services	support@ndl.gov.in
6	Contents and Copyright Issues	Queries related to content curation and copyright issues	content@ndl.gov.in
7	National Digital Library of India Club (NDLI Club)	Queries related to NDLI Club formation, support, user awareness program, seminar/symposium, collaboration, social media, promotion, and outreach	clubsupport@ndl.gov.in
8	Digital Preservation Centre (DPC)	Assistance with digitizing and archiving copyright-free printed books	dpc@ndl.gov.in
9	IDR Setup or Support	Queries related to establishment and support of Institutional Digital Repository (IDR) and IDR workshops	idr@ndl.gov.in

Interaction of herbivory and seasonality on the dynamics of Caribbean macroalgae

Seaweed survival after consumption by the greenbeak parrotfish, Scarus trispinosus

Differential larval settlement responses of Porites astreoides and Acropora palmata in the presence of the green alga Halimeda opuntia

Structurally complex habitats provided by Acropora palmata influence ecosystem processes on a reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Patch dynamics of coral reef macroalgae under chronic and acute disturbance

Increased temperature mitigates the effects of ocean acidification in calcified green algae (Halimeda spp.)

Habitat differentiation in the early life stages of simultaneously mass-spawning corals

New constraints on the spatial distribution and morphology of the Halimeda bioherms of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Success of mass culture of Acropora corals from egg to colony in open water

The effect of structurally complex corals and herbivory on the dynamics of Halimeda

Similar Documents

Interaction of herbivory and seasonality on the dynamics of Caribbean macroalgae

Seaweed survival after consumption by the greenbeak parrotfish, Scarus trispinosus

Differential larval settlement responses of Porites astreoides and Acropora palmata in the presence of the green alga Halimeda opuntia

Structurally complex habitats provided by Acropora palmata influence ecosystem processes on a reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Patch dynamics of coral reef macroalgae under chronic and acute disturbance

Increased temperature mitigates the effects of ocean acidification in calcified green algae (Halimeda spp.)

Habitat differentiation in the early life stages of simultaneously mass-spawning corals

New constraints on the spatial distribution and morphology of the Halimeda bioherms of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Success of mass culture of Acropora corals from egg to colony in open water

The effect of structurally complex corals and herbivory on the dynamics of Halimeda