11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University

Poster Mini-Symposium 10: Ecological Processes on Today's Reef Ecosystems
10.342
Ecological Forecast Using Rapid Survey Reef Demographics
Phillip DUSTAN* 1 , Alison MOULDING 2 , Drew WHAM 1 , Judy LANG 3
1 Department of Biology, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, 2 National Coral Reef
Institute, Nova Southeastern University, Dania Beach, FL, 3 Independent, Ophelia, VA
The distributions of adult and juvenile reef corals were compared along transects at four
paired inshore and offshore stations off Broward Country, FL (control, treated
wastewater outfall, inlet mouth, and a treated wastewater outfall adjacent to an inlet).
Coral coverage varied from 1-4%. Adult corals that were present in both 2004 and 2007
and as juveniles in 2007 are the principal species presently on the reef: Montastraea
cavernosa, Stephanocoenia intersepta, Solenastrea bournoni, Siderastrea siderea,
Dichocoenia stokesi, Porites astreoides, and Meandrina meandrites. Species present as
adults but not juveniles may be undergoing local reproductive failure, not contributing to
the future, and therefore thought of as remnants. Species that could only be found as
juveniles, and not adults, may originate upstream and unable to survive for more than a
few years under present environmental conditions.
In stark contrast to these present observations, data from the coral-dominated fore reef off
Discovery Bay, Jamaica, 1970-74, revealed that species that exhibited juvenile
distribution patterns which may be classified into the broad categories of K-selected, with
small colonies generally rare and independent of the adult abundance (i.e. Montastraea
annularis complex), or more of an r-selected pattern with many more juveniles than
adults (i.e. Agaricia agaricites).
Our observations reinforce the obvious; as reefs degrade, species decrease in abundance,
their relative abundance patterns change and some undergo reproductive failure. Our
data come from two very different systems: southeast Florida’s high latitude, low coral
cover, highly stressed, and perhaps near end-stage communities and, representing a coraldominant
phase, the 1970’s luxuriant, pre-crash, reefs of the Jamaican north coast. These
observations may help interpret rapid survey data as comparisons between juvenile and
adult populations may provide a glimpse into the trajectory of stressed reef-coral
populations.
10.343
The Effect of Reef Health on the Early Recruitment of Fish
Cormac NOLAN* 1 , Bret DANILOWICZ 2 , Daniel GLEASON 2
1 School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin,
Ireland, 2 College of Science and Technology, Georgia Southern Univeristy, Statesboro,
GA
Unfortunately, the term “today’s coral reefs” refers to an increasingly degraded and algal
covered substrate. There is little doubt that this decreased coral cover is detrimental to the
ecological functioning of reefs. One important economic product of coral reefs that may
be impacted by these changes are their fisheries. Since the vast majority of reef fish
utilise a pelagic larval phase, the successful settlement of larval fish to a reef and their
initial survival is related to the future catch in fisheries. But what is the effect of
decreased coral cover on the early recruitment of fishes? We monitored fish recruitment
at two spatial and temporal scales in sites varying by coral cover at Turneffe Atoll,
Belize. Abundance and species richness were significantly higher in areas of higher coral
cover. This significant difference remained even after the effect of substrate complexity
was removed, suggesting there are properties of live coral other than refuge availability
which are attractive to fish larvae or facilitate their early survival. Thus, if the trend of
decreasing coral cover on reefs continues, fish populations associated with coral reefs
will continue to decline, which exacerbates the existing problems stemming from overfishing.
10.344
Integrating Oceanography And Marine Ecology: What Affect Does The Río Aguán Have
Upon The Benthic Reef Community Of Los Cayos Cochinos, Honduras?
Jonathan SHRIVES* 1,2 , Greg COWIE 3 , Martin SPEIGHT 1
1 Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, 2 Operation Wallacea, Lincolnshire,
United Kingdom, 3 Earth Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
This investigation looks at the feasibility of integrating oceanographic and ecological
techniques to better understand and assess the differences in reef benthic community structure
within the Marine National Monument Cayos Cochinos (MNMCC), Honduras. These
techniques are then used to look at the role of riverine impact upon the region.
A grid of ten sample stations was adapted to the reefs of MNMCC. At each station a series of
oceanographic, geochemical and ecological surveys was conducted. A conductivitytemperature-depth
probe, coupled with an acoustic current meter, was used to investigate water
column structure and flow, salinity and suspended Chlorophyll-a. Isotopic C:N analysis of
suspended and sinking sediments from stations and transects was used to asses the presence of
terrestrial sediments. Water samples were also analysed for nutrient content. The benthic
community at each station was analysed using random digital photo-quadrats and compared
with uni-variant, multi-variant and spatial statistics.
There is a significant difference (P