Coral community decline at Bonaire, southern Caribbean

Sommer, B; Harrison, PL; Brooks, L; Scheffers, SR

Coral community decline at Bonaire, southern Caribbean

Sommer, B

Harrison, PL Brooks, L Scheffers, SR

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Publisher:: ROSENSTIEL SCH MAR ATMOS SCI
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Bulletin of Marine Science, 2011, 87, (3), pp. 541-565
Issue Date:: 2011-07-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Sommer, B https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0617-7790
dc.contributor.author	Harrison, PL
dc.contributor.author	Brooks, L
dc.contributor.author	Scheffers, SR
dc.date.accessioned	2021-07-29T02:35:06Z
dc.date.available	2021-07-29T02:35:06Z
dc.date.issued	2011-07-01
dc.identifier.citation	Bulletin of Marine Science, 2011, 87, (3), pp. 541-565
dc.identifier.issn	0007-4977
dc.identifier.issn	1553-6955
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/149972
dc.description.abstract	We assessed the status of coral reef benthic communities at Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, in December 2008 and January 2009 through ∼5 km of photo transects taken at depths of 5, 10, and 20 m at 14 locations around the island. Univariate and multivariate analyses detected significant variation in benthic communities among depths and locations, as well as between leeward and windward sides of the island. Mean percentage cover of scleractinian corals ranged between 0.2% and 43.6% at the study sites and tended to be lowest at 5-m depth. The survey recorded 40 scleractinian coral species from 19 genera, within 10 families. Faviidae were by far the most abundant scleractinian family at all depths (predominantly Montastraea spp.), followed by Agariciidae at 20 and 10 m, and by Astrocoeniidae at 5-m depth. Macroalgal cover exceeded scleractinian coral cover at nearly all sites, averaging 34.9% (all samples pooled), compared with a pooled mean coral cover of 15.4%. Windward reefs were characterized by prolific growth of the brown algae Sargassum spp., and leeward reefs by growth of turf algae, Dictyota spp., Trichogloeopsis pedicellata (Howe) I. A. Abbott & Doty, and Lobophora variegata (Lamouroux) Womersley ex Oliveira. Damage from recent hurricanes was evident from the presence of toppled and fragmented corals, the movement of sand, and exposure of cemented Acropora cervicornis (Lamarck, 1816) rubble on the shallow reef platform. The combination of algal dominance and low to moderate coral cover are symptomatic of partly degraded reef systems, particularly as they coincide with elevated nutrients and reduced herbivory. © 2011 Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science of the University of Miami.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	ROSENSTIEL SCH MAR ATMOS SCI
dc.relation.ispartof	Bulletin of Marine Science
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.5343/bms.2010.1046
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	04 Earth Sciences, 05 Environmental Sciences, 06 Biological Sciences
dc.subject.classification	Marine Biology & Hydrobiology
dc.title	Coral community decline at Bonaire, southern Caribbean
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	87
utslib.for	04 Earth Sciences
utslib.for	05 Environmental Sciences
utslib.for	06 Biological Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2021-07-29T02:35:04Z
pubs.issue	3
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	87
utslib.citation.issue	3

Abstract:

We assessed the status of coral reef benthic communities at Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, in December 2008 and January 2009 through ∼5 km of photo transects taken at depths of 5, 10, and 20 m at 14 locations around the island. Univariate and multivariate analyses detected significant variation in benthic communities among depths and locations, as well as between leeward and windward sides of the island. Mean percentage cover of scleractinian corals ranged between 0.2% and 43.6% at the study sites and tended to be lowest at 5-m depth. The survey recorded 40 scleractinian coral species from 19 genera, within 10 families. Faviidae were by far the most abundant scleractinian family at all depths (predominantly Montastraea spp.), followed by Agariciidae at 20 and 10 m, and by Astrocoeniidae at 5-m depth. Macroalgal cover exceeded scleractinian coral cover at nearly all sites, averaging 34.9% (all samples pooled), compared with a pooled mean coral cover of 15.4%. Windward reefs were characterized by prolific growth of the brown algae Sargassum spp., and leeward reefs by growth of turf algae, Dictyota spp., Trichogloeopsis pedicellata (Howe) I. A. Abbott & Doty, and Lobophora variegata (Lamouroux) Womersley ex Oliveira. Damage from recent hurricanes was evident from the presence of toppled and fragmented corals, the movement of sand, and exposure of cemented Acropora cervicornis (Lamarck, 1816) rubble on the shallow reef platform. The combination of algal dominance and low to moderate coral cover are symptomatic of partly degraded reef systems, particularly as they coincide with elevated nutrients and reduced herbivory. © 2011 Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science of the University of Miami.

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