11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University

24.1071
Reef Rehabilitation And Natural Recovery: Does Transplantation Of Coral
Fragments Increase Natural Recruitment?
Sebastian FERSE* 1
1 ZMT Bremen, Bremen, Germany
The potential of degraded coral reef areas to recover, provided chronic stressors are
removed, depends to a large part on the natural recruitment of coral larvae. One argument
for the use of coral transplants in reef rehabilitation is that it may lead to an increase in
coral recruitment in the surrounding area, either directly through gametes subsequently
released by brooding transplants, or indirectly through processes of facilitation and
attraction. In this study, fragments of brooding and spawning coral species were
transplanted in combination with artificial structures at three locations in North Sulawesi,
Indonesia. Combinations of one brooding and one spawning species (Pocillopora
verrucosa/Acropora yongei and P. verrucosa/Acropora formosa) were used at two sites,
and one brooding species (Acropora brueggemanni) was transplanted at the third site. At
each site, natural recruitment rates in the plots were assessed using settlement plates
exchanged every three months, and compared to rates in a rubble plot and a plot with
artificial structures alone. No significant differences in the numbers of recruits could be
detected between the three treatments at all three locations, with the exception of the final
measurement. Here, an increase in the total number of recruits indicated an annual
spawning event at all three locations, and numbers of recruits were highest in the plots
containing transplants at two sites. Identification of the recruits to family level revealed a
higher percentage of Acroporids in the transplant plots than in the other plots at spawning
times, while the percentage of Pocilloporids was lowest in the transplant plots. These
results indicate that transplantation of Acroporids may facilitate the recruitment of other
Acroporid, while discouraging recruitment of Pocilloporids. No larval seeding by the
brooding P. verrucosa could be shown during the time-frame of this experiment.
24.1073
Post-Settlement Development Of The Scleractinian Corals acropora Palmata,
Montastrea Faveolata And diploria Strigosa
Abel VALDIVIA* 1,2 , Margaret W. MILLER 3 , Benjamin MASON 4 , Dana E.
WILLIAMS 1,2 , Lyza JOHNSTON 4
1 Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, Rosenstiel School of Marine
and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 2 Southeast Fisheries Science
Center, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, 3 Southeast
Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration,
Miami, FL, 4 Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of
Miami, Miami, FL
Early life history, specifically the post-settlement phase, of broadcasting scleractinian
corals has been poorly treated in the literature due to the difficulty of following small
settled spat. Here we present a time photo-series of early post-settlement development for
three broadcasting species, Acropora palmata, Montastrea faveolata and Diploria
strigosa. Larvae were settled onto different natural and artificial substrata in a closed
seawater aquarium (outdoor shaded environment and temperature controlled at 26-27oC),
in order to document morphological differences among species. Predation and
sedimentation were excluded from the system. Within one week post-settlement, two
cultured strains of zooxanthellae and natural reef substrates were introduced as a source
of endosymbionts. After one week post settlement, premature basal plate formation with
six salient initial septa was observed in all three species even for those polyps without
visible zooxanthellae. In the second week, a few polyps from A. palmata budded while
polyps from M. faveolata started budding on the fourth week. In the fourth week, the
average diameter size of A. palmata was the highest at 1091.7 microns (± 66.0 SE)
followed by D. strigosa at 681.3 microns (± 29.6 SE) while M. faveolata was the smallest
at 576.7 microns (± 27.7 SE). At the tenth week, survivorship of M. faveolata polyps,
settled on marble tiles, was higher (95%) than those polyps settled on natural rubble (22
%). After 17 weeks, calices of the three species were growing more in height, than in
diameter. Clearly, morphological differences were present including size, septa shape,
and tentacle development among species. Understanding and distinguishing early-stage
growth and survivorship and their controlling factors in broadcasting corals could provide
crucial insights to develop strategies for restoration and effective management of these
species.
Poster Mini-Symposium 24: Reef Restoration
24.1074
Coral Recruitment in Sediment-Stressed Reefs: Effect Of Reef Zone And Substrate
Inclination
Jani TANZIL* 1 , Loke Ming CHOU 1 , Peter TODD 1
1 Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
Approximately 60% of Singapore’s coral reefs have been lost through foreshore reclamation. A
monitoring programme initiated in 1987 indicated declining live coral cover with increasing
depth and over time. Hermatypic corals generally do not occur deeper than 6m due to high
sediment loads (5–45mg cm-2 day-1 in 1994) and resultant low visibility (0–5m). In March
2005, 288 20cm×20cm terracotta tiles were deployed for 6 months in order to investigate
optimal conditions for enhancing coral recruitment. Recruitment was measured at 3 different
reef zones, i.e. reef flat (1.5–3.5m depth), crest (4–6m), and slope (6.5–8m), and 4 different
settlement plate inclinations, i.e. 0o (horizontal), 30o, 60o and 90o (vertical). Results revealed
that recruitment on tiles deployed at the reef flat was highest, followed by that deployed at the
reef crest and slope. Results also revealed that at all reef zones, tiles inclined at 60o and 90o had
significantly higher recruit counts than those at 0o and 30o. Recruits on the flat and crest tiles
were predominantly Pocillopora damicornis and Acroporids, with few representatives from
other taxonomic groups. However, sizes of recruits (based on P. damicornis) on slope tiles were
generally smaller (~0.2cm diameter) than those on flat or crest tiles (~1cm diameter); this could
be due to either differential rates in mortality and/or growth of the recruits at the different reef
zones.
24.1075
Distribution and Recruitment of the Black-lipped Pearl Oyster, Pinctada margaritifera,
at Midway Atoll, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Kristin MCCULLY* 1 , Donald POTTS 1
1
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa
Cruz, CA
The black-lipped pearl oyster, Pinctada margaritifera, is considered a potential indicator of the
“health” of reef lagoons. It occurs throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago, including Midway
Atoll near the northern end of the chain. This species experienced intense commercial
exploitation at neighboring Pearl and Hermes Atoll in 1927-1929 and has not recovered to preexploitation
levels. Although P. margaritifera exists at Midway Atoll, there are no reports of it
ever being the subject of a commercial industry. Adults are rare at Midway, but we observed
recruitment of juveniles onto a variety of substrates at four locations inside the lagoon in 2007.
We are continuing studies on adult distribution, growth rate, and temporal and spatial patterns
of spawning and recruitment in order to extend knowledge of the biology of P. margaritifera,
enhance understanding of its use as an indicator of environmental change, and provide a pilot
restoration study at Midway that will assist the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s goal of
restoring P. margaritifera at Pearl and Hermes Atoll.
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