11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University

Poster Mini-Symposium 26: Biodiversity and Diversification of Reef Organisms
26.1190
Environmental, Ecological, And Biogeographic Factors Controlling The
Distribution Of Symbiodinium Diversity Among Coral Reef Habitats in Barbados,
Eastern Caribbean
J. Christine FINNEY* 1 , Todd LAJEUNESSE 2 , Hazel OXENFORD 1
1 CERMES, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Cave Hill, Barbados,
2 Department of Biology, Florida International University, North Miami, FL
The obligate symbiotic relationship between Symbiodinium and cnidarians plays a
critical role in the existence and overall health of coral reefs. The extent to which this
relationship can adapt will be a key determinant in the fate of coral reefs under global
warming. However, the nature of the relationship, including the genetic biodiversity of
the obligate symbionts remains poorly understood. Here we document the frequency and
distribution of Symbiodinium spp. among host cnidarians and habitats in Barbados,
eastern Caribbean for the first time. PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of the
internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region of Symbiodinium populations was used to
analyze the diversity of Symbiodinium among five host cnidarians orders.Host species
were collected July - August, 2005 from four distinct and representative habitats of the
reef systems around Barbados, and one thermally polluted habitat. Congruent with other
regions in the Caribbean, Symbiodinium spp. in Clades B (15 types) and C (14 types)
were the most common and genetically diverse, while Symbiodinium in Clades A (4
types) and D (1 type) were less diverse. Of the 34 Symbiodinium types identified, only
eight have been documented in the western Caribbean region. Such regional differences
support the findings of population genetic studies on coral and fish species showing a
clear biogeographic break between eastern and western Caribbean reef systems. The
distribution of Symbiodinium diversity was strongly influenced by the presence and/or
absence of host diversity. Furthermore, near-shore shallow fringing reefs demonstrated
the highest levels of diversity in partner combinations, whereas the deep offshore reefs
had the lowest levels. This confirms that external environmental conditions in shallow
water (variability in irradiance) affects variability in symbiotic associations, but host
taxonomic identity and geographic location are most important in predicting the presence
of any particular symbiont type.
Keywords: Zooxanthellae biodiversity. Symbiodinium. Coral symbiosis. Cnidarian
symbionts
26.1191
Building Regional Taxonomic Capacity Supports Marine Management And
Biodiversity Conservation Efforts
Edward LOVELL* 1 , Johnson SEETO 2 , Victor BONITO 3
1 School of Marine Studies, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji, 2 School of Marine
Science, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji, 3 -, Reef Explorer Fiji, Coral Coast,
Fiji
Marine management and biodiversity conservation are increasingly important, issues in
the Pacific Islands, where there is a high reliance on coastal resources for subsistence
livelihoods. In this context, an accurate understanding of the taxonomy of the fauna and
flora underpins ecological understanding, which is essential for the implementation of
conservation measures. This can only be achieved by the cataloguing and maintenance of
reference collections. The University of the South Pacific’s (USP) marine collection is
the largest in the insular South Pacific and represents a valuable resource for the 12
Pacific Island USP member countries and other institutions. It was initiated through a
United States Peace Corp programme in 1972 with the primary objective of building
taxonomic capability in the region. Recently moved to a specialist facility, the collection
has benefited from the addition of a full-time curator and subsequent reorganization,
upgrading, and expansion. It currently houses approximately 9,000 specimens of algae,
corals, mobile invertebrates and fish that are representative of Fiji’s and regional biota.
Collection information is being converted to a Biota/Lucid database to improve access.
The collection of hard corals (Scleractinia) has been recently upgraded with digital
photographs (living and skeleton), as well as expanded with new records and potentially
new species as part of an ongoing effort to compile a checklist for Fiji and the Southwest
Pacific. The marine collection is an important resource to students, scientists, and
resource managers alike. As Fiji is signatory to the Convention for the International
Trade in Endangered Species and has a thriving marine aquarium industry, USP’s
collection also provides important reference material for the identification of exports.
Continued expansion of the collection and it’s associated learning tools will be valuable
for building regional taxonomic capacity.
26.1192
Community Structure And Biodiversity Of Chinchorro Bank, Mexico
Ernesto CHAVEZ* 1 , José Manuel BORGES-SOUZA 1
1 Pesquerías, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, IPN, La Paz, BCS, Mexico
Chinchorro Bank, with an area of 144,360 hec, is a complex coral reef whose long axis
measures 43.26 km by 18.03 km wide. The lagoon reef, with nearly 53,379 hec, is shallow with
depths decreasing from south to north (10 to 2 m). The southern half has numerous patches and
coral ridges, some of them reaching up to 3 km long and arranged parallel to the eastern margin.
Sampling consisted in 33 transects 50m-long, with 30 samples each, at depths from 1 to 35 m.
Structure and spatial composition of the reef community and its biodiversity were evaluated.
Species richness in the south leeward margin yielded 38 species per transect, distributed in 5
main groups (Macroalgae, Octocorals, Hexacorals, coralline algae, and sponges); 3,082
individual colonies were recorded. The internal margin of the windward surf was the poorest
with 30 species. Species accumulation curves were analyzed and the spectrum of diversity in
these areas was measured; the southern slope along the leeward side is a more diverse; by
contrast, the southern lagoon on the windward side is the poorest. The windward lagoon showed
that dominant groups were hexacorals and macroalgae with 38% and 37% respectively. In the
lagoon on the leeward side, hexacorals and coralline algae were dominant with 36 and 24%
respectively. On the windward slope, macroalgae and hexacorals are the dominant components
with 30 and 32% respectively. Finally, on the leeward slope, sponges and coralline algae are
dominant with 40 and 32% respectively. In general, hexacorals and macroalgae are dominant on
the southern part of the reef with 32 and 23% respectively. The analysis was complemented
with the examination of some satellite images describing oceanographic variables and a
comparison with data on the benthos and fish previously recorded.
26.1193
Patterns Of The Benthic Community Structure in Coral Reefs Of The North Western
Caribbean
José M BORGES-SOUZA* 1 , Ernesto A CHAVEZ 2
1 Pesquerías, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, IPN, La Paz, BCS, Mexico,
2 Pesqueriás, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, IPN, La Paz, BCS, Mexico
Quantitative data were obtained at six reefs of the eastern Yucatan peninsula using the
photographic-transect method. Structural patterns in each reef comparing windward and
leeward reefs, and shallow- and deep reefs. Windward reefs were dominated by hexacorals and
octocorals, with 53% and 28% of total abundance, respectively. The most common species
were: Agaricia agaricites, Gorgonia ventalina, Pseudopterogorgia americana,
Pseudopterogorgia acerosa, Acropora palmata, Gorgonia flabellum, Plexaurella dichotoma,
Pseudopterogorgia bipinnata and Diploria strigosa. Sponges and hexacorals dominated in
leeward reefs, with 39% and 30% of total abundance, respectively. The most common species
in this group of reefs were: Agelus sp, Pandarus acanthifolium, Agaricia agaricites, Montastrea
annularis, Haliclona hogarthi, Neofibularia nolitangere, Cliona delitrix, Hemectyon ferox,
Verongia longissima, Plexaurella dichotoma and Plexaurella sp. In the shallow stratum,
hexacorals, sponges and algae dominated, with 38%, 34.6% and 14.5% of total abundance,
respectively. The species most commonly found were: Montastrea annularis, Agaricia
agaricites, Agaricia tenuifolia, Siderastrea siderea, Diploria strigosa, Agelus sp, Pandarus
acanthifolium, Haliclona hogarthi, Neofibularia nolitangere, Cliona delitrix, Dictyota
dicthiota, Penicillus dumetosus and Halimeda opuntia. Hexacorals and sponges dominated in
the deep stratum, with 38% and 29% of total abundance, respectively. The species most
commonly found were: Montastrea annularis, Acropora cervicornis, Agaricia agaricites,
Montastrea cavernosa, Goreauiella auriculata, Agelus sp, Cliona lampa and Chondilla nucula.
The Mexican Caribbean reefs display some differences in the benthic community structure and
composition, which are determined by light intensity/depth and reef location in high or low
energy areas. Differences detected in the benthic community structure may also depend on other
unidentified extrinsic and intrinsic aspects, which may be regulating the benthic community
dynamics in the study area.
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