The effects of growth anomaly on susceptibility of Montipora capitata to turf algal overgrowth
D. C. Claar A B D and M. Takabayashi A C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Marine Science Department, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, 200 W. Kawili Street, Hilo, HI 96720, USA.
B Department of Biology, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada.
C Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, 200 W. Kawili Street, Hilo, HI 96720, USA.
D Corresponding author. Email: dclaar@uvic.ca
Marine and Freshwater Research 67(5) 666-670 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF14200
Submitted: 8 July 2014 Accepted: 9 March 2015 Published: 22 July 2015
Abstract
One of the most prominent coral diseases in Hawai‘i is growth anomaly (GA) of the skeleton. GA reduces key biological functions of Montipora capitata, but the effect of this disease on the ecological competitiveness of the coral has not been investigated. This study evaluated the effect of the GA on the susceptibility of an endemic Hawaiian coral M. capitata to algal overgrowth at Wai‘ōpae, Hawai‘i. Field surveys and photo analyses were conducted to collect epizootiological data. A relationship was found between GA severity and turf algal growth at the colony level; however, this relationship was weaker than expected. Despite the fact that GA lesions can provide areas of protuberant exposed coral skeleton, turf algal overgrowth was no more prevalent on GA-affected colonies than on unaffected colonies. As algal overgrowth is ephemeral compared to the progression of GA, we suggest that filamentous algae takes advantage of ideal environmental conditions regardless of the availability of new surfaces to invade presented by GA lesions.
Additional keywords: brown rice coral, coral health, GA, Hawai‘i.
References
Aeby, G. S., Williams, G. J., Franklin, E. C., Kenyon, J., Cox, E. F., Coles, S., and Work, T. M. (2011). Patterns of coral disease across the Hawaiian archipelago: relating disease to environment. PLoS One 6, e20370.| Patterns of coral disease across the Hawaiian archipelago: relating disease to environment.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3MXntFWksr0%3D&md5=60ea88403404b6742c002cbd73bf32e9CAS | 21655248PubMed |
Airoldi, L. (1998). Roles of disturbance, sediment stress, and substratum retention on spatial dominance in algal turf. Ecology 79, 2759–2770.
| Roles of disturbance, sediment stress, and substratum retention on spatial dominance in algal turf.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Breitbart, M., Bhagooli, R., and Griffin, S. (2005). Microbial communities associated with skeletal tumors on Porites compressa. FEMS Microbiology 243, 431–436.
| Microbial communities associated with skeletal tumors on Porites compressa.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2MXosVKqsA%3D%3D&md5=11b7e0345e2a1cc33b635697cf459150CAS |
Bruckner, A. W., and Bruckner, R. J. (2006). Consequences of yellow band disease (YBD) on Montastraea annularis (species complex) populations on remote reefs off Mona Island, Puerto Rico. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 69, 67–73.
| Consequences of yellow band disease (YBD) on Montastraea annularis (species complex) populations on remote reefs off Mona Island, Puerto Rico.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 16703767PubMed |
Burns, J., and Takabayashi, M. (2011). Histopathology of growth anomaly affecting the coral, Montipora capitata: implications on biological functions and population viability. PLoS One 6, e28854.
| Histopathology of growth anomaly affecting the coral, Montipora capitata: implications on biological functions and population viability.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC38XjvFSnsw%3D%3D&md5=8573a5f82e65a359eaed3e27af936052CAS | 22205976PubMed |
Burns, J., Rozet, N. K., and Takabayashi, M. (2011). Morphology, severity, and distribution of growth anomalies in the coral, Montipora capitata, at Wai‘ōpae, Hawai‘i. Coral Reefs 30, 819–826.
| Morphology, severity, and distribution of growth anomalies in the coral, Montipora capitata, at Wai‘ōpae, Hawai‘i.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Burns, J. H. R., Gregg, T. M., and Takabayashi, M. (2013). Does coral disease affect Symbiodinium? Investigating the impacts of growth anomaly on symbiont photophysiology. PLoS One 8, e72466.
| Does coral disease affect Symbiodinium? Investigating the impacts of growth anomaly on symbiont photophysiology.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Cheroske, A. G., Williams, S. L., and Carpenter, R. C. (2000). Effects of physical and biological disturbances on algal turfs in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 248, 1–34.
| Effects of physical and biological disturbances on algal turfs in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 10764882PubMed |
Connell, S. D., Foster, M. S., and Airoldi, L. (2014). What are algal turfs? Towards a better description of turfs. Marine Ecology Progress Series 495, 299–307.
| What are algal turfs? Towards a better description of turfs.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Diaz-Pulido, G., and McCook, L. J. (2002). The fate of bleached corals: patterns and dynamics of algal recruitment. Marine Ecology Progress Series 4, e5239.
Diaz-Pulido, G., McCook, L. J., Dove, S., Berkelmans, R., Roff, G., Kline, D. I., Weeks, S., Evans, R. D., Williamson, D. H., and Hoegh-Guldberg, O. (2009). Doom and boom on a resilient reef: climate change, algal overgrowth and coral recovery. PLoS One 4, e5239.
| Doom and boom on a resilient reef: climate change, algal overgrowth and coral recovery.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 19384423PubMed |
Friedlander, A., Aeby, G., Brainard, R., Browh, E., Chaston, K., Clark, A., McGowan, P., Montgomery, T., Walsh, W., Williams, I., and Wiltse, W. (2008). The state of coral reef ecosystems of the main Hawaiian Islands. In ‘The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States: 2008’. (Eds J. E. Waddell and A. M. Clarke.) NOAA Technical Memo NCCOS 73, pp. 219–261. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Silver Spring, MD.) Available at http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/research/docs/CoralReport2008.pdf [Verified 13 July 2015].
Gateño, D., León, A., Barki, Y., and Cortes, J. (2003). Skeletal tumor formations in the massive coral Pavona clavus. Marine Ecology Progress Series 258, 97–108.
| Skeletal tumor formations in the massive coral Pavona clavus.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Haas, A., El-Zibdah, M., and Wild, C. (2010). Seasonal monitoring of coral–algae interactions in fringing reefs of the Gulf of Aqaba, Northern Red Sea. Coral Reefs 29, 93–103.
| Seasonal monitoring of coral–algae interactions in fringing reefs of the Gulf of Aqaba, Northern Red Sea.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hall, V. R. (2001). The response of Acropora hyacinthus and Montipora tuberculosa to three different types of colony damage: scraping injury, tissue mortality and breakage. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 264, 209–223.
| The response of Acropora hyacinthus and Montipora tuberculosa to three different types of colony damage: scraping injury, tissue mortality and breakage.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Harvell, C. D., Kim, K., Burkholder, J. M., Colwell, R. R., Epstein, P. R., Grimes, D. J., Hofmann, E. E., Lipp, E. K., Osterhaus, A. D. M. E., Overstreet, R. M., Porter, J. W., Smith, G. W., and Vasta, G. R. (1999). Emerging marine diseases – climate links and anthropogenic factors. Science 285, 1505–1510.
| Emerging marine diseases – climate links and anthropogenic factors.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaK1MXlslOktro%3D&md5=2be9e7ef59a36650add3c8229b680275CAS | 10498537PubMed |
Harvell, D., Jordan-Dahlgren, E., Merkel, S., Rosenberg, E., and Raymundo, L. (2007). Coral disease, environmental drivers, and the balance between coral and microbial associates. Oceanography 20, 172–195.
| Coral disease, environmental drivers, and the balance between coral and microbial associates.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hay, M. E. (1981). The functional morphology of turf-forming seaweeds: persistence in stressful marine habitats. Ecology 62, 739–750.
| The functional morphology of turf-forming seaweeds: persistence in stressful marine habitats.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kimes, N. E., Grim, C. J., Johnson, W. R., Halan, N. A., Tall, B. D., Kothary, M. H., Kiss, H., Munk, A. C., Tapia, R., Green, L., Detter, C., Bruce, D. C., Brettin, T. S., Colwell, R. R., and Morris, P. J. (2012). Temperature regulation of virulence factors in the pathogen Vibrio coralliityticus. The ISME Journal 6, 835–846.
| Temperature regulation of virulence factors in the pathogen Vibrio coralliityticus.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC38XksVantbc%3D&md5=9a823ec4f8df8b78aefa6b8021862844CAS | 22158392PubMed |
Miller, J., Muller, E., Rogers, C., Waara, R., Atkinson, A., Whelan, K. R. T., Patterson, M., and Witcher, B. (2009). Coral disease following massive bleaching in 2005 causes 60% decline in coral cover on reefs in the US Virgin Islands. Coral Reefs 28, 925–937.
| Coral disease following massive bleaching in 2005 causes 60% decline in coral cover on reefs in the US Virgin Islands.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Onton, K., Page, C. A., Wilson, S. K., and Neale, S. (2011). Distribution and drivers of coral disease at Ningaloo reef, Indian Ocean. Marine Ecology Progress Series 433, 75–84.
| Distribution and drivers of coral disease at Ningaloo reef, Indian Ocean.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
R Development Core Team (2013). R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. (R Foundation for Statistical Computing: Vienna, Austria.) Available at http://www.R-project.org [Verified 19 May 2015].
Takabayashi, M., Gregg, T. M., Farah, E., and Burns, J. (2010). The prevalence of skeletal growth anomaly and other afflictions in scleractinian corals at Wai‘ōpae, Hawai‘i. In ‘Proceedings of the Eleventh International Coral Reef Symposium’, 7–11 July 2008, Fort Lauderdale, FL. pp. 820–824. (International Society for Reef Studies.)
Titlyanov, E. A., Titlyanova, T. V., Yakovleva, I. M., Nakano, Y., and Bhagooli, R. (2005). Regeneration of artificial injuries on scleractinian corals and coral/algal competition for newly formed substrate. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 323, 27–42.
| Regeneration of artificial injuries on scleractinian corals and coral/algal competition for newly formed substrate.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Work, T. M., Coles, S. L., and Rameyer, R. A. (2009). Johnston Atoll reef health survey. In ‘Coral Health and Disease in the Pacific: Vision for Action’. (Eds S. B. Galloway, A. W. Bruckner, and C. M. Woodley.) NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 97 and CRCP 7, pp. 214–224. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Silver Spring, MD.) Available at http://www.coris.noaa.gov/activities/cdh_vision/pdfs/cdh_vision_full.pdf [Verified 13 July 2015].
Yamashiro, H., Oku, H., Onaga, K., Iwasaki, H., and Takara, K. (2001). Coral tumors store reduced level of lipids. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 265, 171–179.
| Coral tumors store reduced level of lipids.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3MXos1Orsb8%3D&md5=462ac046f0c009b8854a50f2d17fab05CAS |
