Benthic foraminifera as bioindicators of coral condition near mangrove environments.

Chadda-Harmer, D; Byrne, M; Reymond, CE; Fellowes, TE; Camp, EF; Foo, SA

Benthic foraminifera as bioindicators of coral condition near mangrove environments.

Chadda-Harmer, D Byrne, M Reymond, CE Fellowes, TE Camp, EF Foo, SA

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Publisher:: ELSEVIER SCI LTD
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Mar Environ Res, 2025, 209, pp. 107159
Issue Date:: 2025-08

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Chadda-Harmer, D
dc.contributor.author	Byrne, M
dc.contributor.author	Reymond, CE
dc.contributor.author	Fellowes, TE
dc.contributor.author	Camp, EF
dc.contributor.author	Foo, SA
dc.date.accessioned	2025-10-15T03:52:44Z
dc.date.available	2025-04-15
dc.date.available	2025-10-15T03:52:44Z
dc.date.issued	2025-08
dc.identifier.citation	Mar Environ Res, 2025, 209, pp. 107159
dc.identifier.issn	0141-1136
dc.identifier.issn	1879-0291
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/190414
dc.description.abstract	Climate change stressors such as ocean warming, acidification and deoxygenation are severely threatening coral reefs and the vital ecosystem services they provide. Corals found to survive in mangrove habitats that naturally possess stressful conditions, are being increasingly studied to investigate the impact of multiple co-occurring stressors on coral growth. However, the water quality within mangrove-coral habitats and how this changes with varying distance from the mangroves remains largely unknown. We used the Foraminifera in Reef Assessment and Monitoring Index (FORAM Index) to assess the suitability of environments for coral growth across a mangrove to reef gradient. Sediment samples were collected from five sites at varying proximity to the Low Isles mangroves in the northern Great Barrier Reef. Sites were located: amongst the inner mangroves, the mangrove fringe, the adjacent leeward and windward reef margins and at Opal Reef (control) 38 km away from the mangroves. Foraminiferal community assemblages were used to determine the environmental suitability for coral growth and recovery. The poorest seawater conditions for coral occurred at the inner mangrove site with water quality improving outside the mangroves. Leeward and windward margin sites differed in their suitability for coral growth despite being a similar distance from the mangroves, indicating that water conditions were not necessarily constrained by proximity to mangroves alone. These findings have important implications for studies investigating mangrove-coral habitats as refugia and for assessing linkages between coral reefs and mangroves - two highly threatened tropical ecosystems.
dc.format	Print-Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	ELSEVIER SCI LTD
dc.relation.ispartof	Mar Environ Res
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.marenvres.2025.107159
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	03 Chemical Sciences, 05 Environmental Sciences, 06 Biological Sciences
dc.subject.classification	Marine Biology & Hydrobiology
dc.subject.classification	31 Biological sciences
dc.subject.classification	34 Chemical sciences
dc.subject.classification	41 Environmental sciences
dc.subject.mesh	Foraminifera
dc.subject.mesh	Animals
dc.subject.mesh	Anthozoa
dc.subject.mesh	Coral Reefs
dc.subject.mesh	Environmental Monitoring
dc.subject.mesh	Wetlands
dc.subject.mesh	Climate Change
dc.subject.mesh	Geologic Sediments
dc.subject.mesh	Ecosystem
dc.subject.mesh	Animals
dc.subject.mesh	Anthozoa
dc.subject.mesh	Ecosystem
dc.subject.mesh	Environmental Monitoring
dc.subject.mesh	Geologic Sediments
dc.subject.mesh	Wetlands
dc.subject.mesh	Foraminifera
dc.subject.mesh	Climate Change
dc.subject.mesh	Coral Reefs
dc.subject.mesh	Foraminifera
dc.subject.mesh	Animals
dc.subject.mesh	Anthozoa
dc.subject.mesh	Coral Reefs
dc.subject.mesh	Environmental Monitoring
dc.subject.mesh	Wetlands
dc.subject.mesh	Climate Change
dc.subject.mesh	Geologic Sediments
dc.subject.mesh	Ecosystem
dc.title	Benthic foraminifera as bioindicators of coral condition near mangrove environments.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	209
utslib.location.activity	England
utslib.for	03 Chemical 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
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups/Chancellor's Research Fellows
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.rights.license	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.date.updated	2025-10-15T03:52:41Z
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	209

Abstract:

Climate change stressors such as ocean warming, acidification and deoxygenation are severely threatening coral reefs and the vital ecosystem services they provide. Corals found to survive in mangrove habitats that naturally possess stressful conditions, are being increasingly studied to investigate the impact of multiple co-occurring stressors on coral growth. However, the water quality within mangrove-coral habitats and how this changes with varying distance from the mangroves remains largely unknown. We used the Foraminifera in Reef Assessment and Monitoring Index (FORAM Index) to assess the suitability of environments for coral growth across a mangrove to reef gradient. Sediment samples were collected from five sites at varying proximity to the Low Isles mangroves in the northern Great Barrier Reef. Sites were located: amongst the inner mangroves, the mangrove fringe, the adjacent leeward and windward reef margins and at Opal Reef (control) 38 km away from the mangroves. Foraminiferal community assemblages were used to determine the environmental suitability for coral growth and recovery. The poorest seawater conditions for coral occurred at the inner mangrove site with water quality improving outside the mangroves. Leeward and windward margin sites differed in their suitability for coral growth despite being a similar distance from the mangroves, indicating that water conditions were not necessarily constrained by proximity to mangroves alone. These findings have important implications for studies investigating mangrove-coral habitats as refugia and for assessing linkages between coral reefs and mangroves - two highly threatened tropical ecosystems.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/190414