11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University

Oral Mini-Symposium 16: Ecosystem Assessment and Monitoring of Coral Reefs - New Technologies and Approaches
16-1
Sampling State And Process Variables On Coral Reefs
Roger GREEN* 1 , Brian MCARDLE 2 , Robert VAN WOESIK 3
1 Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada,
2 Department of Statistics, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand,
3 Biological Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL
Contemporary coral reefs are forced to survive through and recover from disturbances at
a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Understanding disturbances in context of
background processes will lead to accurate predictive models of population trajectories
over time. Most reef studies and monitoring programs examine the state (variables) of
reefs, by assessing the coverage of major benthic organisms; few studies examine the key
ecological processes that drive the state variables. Here we outline a sampling strategy
that captures both state and process variables, at a spatial scale of 10s of kilometers.
Specifically we are interested in 1) examining spatial and temporal patterns in coral
population size-frequency distributions, 2) determining vital processes, including rates of
recruitment and mortality, 3) examining relationships between processes and state
variables and whether size distributions reflect population performance, and 4) assessing
which state and process variables relate to environmental forcing functions. Our effective
sampling units are randomly selected 75 x 25 m stations, spaced approximately 250-500
m apart, representing a 103 m spatial scale. Stations are nested within sites, spaced
approximately 2 km apart, representing a 104 m spatial scale. Three randomly selected 16
m2 quadrats placed in each station, and marked for relocation, are used to assess
processes across time; while random belt-transects, re-randomized at each sampling
event, are used to sample state variables. Both quadrats and belt-transects are effectively
sub-samples from which we derive estimates of means for each station at each sampling
event. This nested sampling strategy is allowing us to examine population performance,
critical stages in demographic performance and vital rates across locations that can be
easily applied to Marine Protected Areas to examine whether and how protecting areas
may influence major state and process variables.
16-2
Synoptic Ecological Tools For Coral Reef Science
Bruce HATCHER* 1 , Jinyu SHENG 2 , Serge ANDREFOUET 3
1 Bras d'Or Institute for Ecosystem Research, Cape Breton University, Sydney, NS,
Canada, 2 Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada, 3 Institut de Recherche pour le
Développement, Nouméa, New Caledonia
Coral reefs are well-suited to applications of spatial ecology because of their clear
geomorphologies, sessile life forms and water-borne vectors of interaction. The
challenges of portraying the pattern and pace of change in coral reef ecosystems are
increasingly addressed through emerging technology and theory that permit the depiction
of the spatial distribution of ecological units at relevant scales of reef existance, and the
prediction of interaction parameters across ecological time-space. Acquisition and
interpretation of remotely sensed data and imagery provides the maps, and hybrid
numerical models of physical advection and bio-physical dispersion provide the movies
that combine to support hypothesis testing. The addition of numerical optimization
models to the domain supports scenario-based adaptive management. The devil is in the
details of scaling and interfacing the pixelated technologies and reconciling the physical
versus biological variabilities. Ecological connectivity among coral reef ecosystems is the
current test bed the integration of synoptic ecological tools. Through our collaborative
experience, we have learned a set of lessons and techniques, which are offered for your
consideration.
16-3
Multi-Scale Approach For Assessing The Effects Of Land-Based Contamination On The
Southeast Fringing Reef Of Molokai
Laetitia HEDOUIN* 1 , Bernardo VARGAS ANGEL 2 , Amanda REICHELT-BRUSHETT 3 ,
Xavier POCHON 1 , Ruth D. GATES 1
1 Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Kaneohe, HI, 2 Coral Reef
Ecosystem Division, NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Honolulu, HI,
3 School of Environmental Science and Management, Southern Cross University, Lismore,
Australia
On a global scale, there is now deep concern as to whether coral reefs will survive shifts in the
marine environment associated with global climate change; however, on a local scale, many of
the reefs in Hawaii are most imminently and seriously threatened by coastal development and
changes in land use. Few tools are currently available for assessing the impacts of land-based
contamination on the health of reef corals. The first step in developing such tools is to identify
biological traits in corals that are responsive to land-based contamination. The current project
focuses on corals sampled on the SE coast of Molokai that are threatened by sediment stress e.g.
high to low sediment deposition rates. Ecological, physiological and histological characteristics
have been measured in corals sampled at 8 stations along the fringing reef of Molokai that cross
a gradient of sediment stress. Data have been statistically analyzed to identify biological traits
that most tightly correlated with the stress exposure regimes measured at each sampling station.
Protein concentration, chlorophyll a concentration, and zooxanthellae densities decrease with
increasing sediment loads suggesting that these physiological measures are useful indicators of
sediment exposure in corals. Ecological, physiological and histological data represent different
temporal windows of the biological response of corals to sediment stress. We are currently
exploring whether the integration of these data streams collectively provide greater insight into
the biological effects of sediment stress on coral health than each of them alone.
16-4
Using Cellular Diagnostics To Link Land-Based Sources Of Pollution With Coral Reef
Degradation in South Florida
Phillip DUSTAN* 1 , John FAUTH 2 , Kenneth BANKS 3 , Eric PANTE 4 , Bernardo VARGAS-
ANGEL 5 , Craig DOWNS 6
1 Department of Biology, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, 2 Department of Biology,
University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 3 Department of Environmental Protection, Broward
County, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 4 Department of Biology, University of Louisana at Larayette,
Lafayette, LA, 5 Coral Reef Ecosystem Division, NOAA Pacific Island Fisheries Sciences
Center, Honolulu, HI, 6 Cellular Diagnostics and Proteomics, Haereticus Environmental
Laboratory, Amherst, VA
This project is a first step in identifying the chain of causality between land-based pollutants,
responses of individual reef-building corals, and health of coral reef communities in the South
Florida watershed. We tested the feasibility of using cellular diagnostics to link land-based
sources at four paired inshore and offshore stations off Broward Country, FL (control, sewage
wastewater outfall, an inlet mouth and a wastewater outfall adjacent to an inlet). Live coral
coverage was