Skip to main content
WCS
Menu
Library
Library Catalog
eJournals & eBooks
WCS Research
Archives
Research Use
Finding Aids
Digital Collections
WCS History
WCS Research
Research Publications
Science Data
Services for WCS Researchers
Archives Shop
Bronx Zoo
Department of Tropical Research
Browse By Product
About Us
FAQs
Intern or Volunteer
Staff
Donate
Search WCS.org
Search
search
Popular Search Terms
WCS History
Library and Archives
Library and Archives Menu
Library
Archives
WCS Research
Archives Shop
About Us
Donate
en
fr
Title
Gradients of disturbance and environmental conditions shape coral community structure for south-eastern Indian Ocean reefs
Author(s)
Zinke, Jens;Gilmour, James P.;Fisher, Rebecca;Puotinen, Marji;Maina, Joseph;Darling, Emily;Stat, Michael;Richards, Zoe T.;McClanahan, Timothy R.;Beger, Maria;Moore, Cordelia;Graham, Nicholas A. J.;Feng, Ming;Hobbs, Jean-Paul A.;Evans, Scott N.;Field, Stuart;Shedrawi, George;Babcock, Russ C.;Wilson, Shaun K.
Published
2018
Publisher
Diversity and Distributions
Published Version DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.12714
Abstract
Aim To describe, model and assess the relative importance of environmental and climatic factors likely influencing the regional distribution of coral cover and assemblages with contrasting life histories and susceptibilities to bleaching. Location We compiled the first comprehensive empirical dataset for coral communities in the south-eastern Indian Ocean (SEIO), incorporating information from 392 sites along the western coast of Australia and offshore atolls/islands across ~19° of latitude. Methods We assessed hard coral cover and community composition to genus using point-intercept transects or point-count analysis of digital images taken along transects. We explored spatial variation in environmental conditions and in composition of corals with contrasting life histories. After de-trending the temporal patterns, we assessed the relative importance of environmental metrics to coral cover, life histories and bleaching susceptibility using a full subsets model-selection approach with generalized additive mixed models, accounting for both temporal and among site variation. Results The distribution of temperature, light, the frequency of temperature anomalies and tropical cyclones appear to be drivers of coral community structure. Functional diversity of low- to mid-latitude coral communities may convey some resilience to thermal stress, while higher latitude communities dominated by Competitive and Bleaching-Susceptible taxa may lack this functional resilience. These patterns likely reflect varying historical exposure to cyclones and temperature anomalies. Main conclusions As evident in recent years, changing background conditions and regimes of disturbance in coming decades will shift the distribution, functional diversity and resilience of coral reefs throughout the SEIO. The rate and magnitude of environmental change will ultimately determine the future of the tropical reefs and whether the higher latitude reefs provide some refuge from climate change. Our study highlights the need to quantify the distributional properties of key environmental metrics to better understand and predict reef condition through coming decades.
Keywords
biodiversity;coral bleaching;coral life-history traits;Indian Ocean;sea surface temperature;tropical cyclones
Access Full Text
A full-text copy of this article may be available. Please email the
WCS Library
to request.
Back
PUB24282