Damselfishes alleviate the impacts of sediments on host corals
Mutualisms play a critical role in ecological communities; however, the importance and prevalence of mutualistic associations can be modified by external stressors. On coral reefs, elevated sediment deposition can be a major stressor reducing the health of corals and reef resilience. Here, we invest...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Royal Society
2020-04-01
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| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.192074 |
| _version_ | 1818340781806583808 |
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| author | T. J. Chase M. S. Pratchett M. J. McWilliam M. Y. Hein S. B. Tebbett M. O. Hoogenboom |
| author_facet | T. J. Chase M. S. Pratchett M. J. McWilliam M. Y. Hein S. B. Tebbett M. O. Hoogenboom |
| author_sort | T. J. Chase |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mutualisms play a critical role in ecological communities; however, the importance and prevalence of mutualistic associations can be modified by external stressors. On coral reefs, elevated sediment deposition can be a major stressor reducing the health of corals and reef resilience. Here, we investigated the influence of severe sedimentation on the mutualistic relationship between small damselfishes (Pomacentrus moluccensis and Dascyllus aruanus) and their coral host (Pocillopora damicornis). In an aquarium experiment, corals were exposed to sedimentation rates of approximately 100 mg cm−2 d−1, with and without fishes present, to test whether: (i) fishes influence the accumulation of sediments on coral hosts, and (ii) fishes moderate partial colony mortality and/or coral tissue condition. Colonies with fishes accumulated much less sediment compared with colonies without fishes, and this effect was strongest for colonies with D. aruanus (fivefold less sediment than controls) as opposed to P. moluccensis (twofold less sediment than controls). Colonies with symbiont fishes also had up to 10-fold less sediment-induced partial mortality, as well as higher chlorophyll and protein concentrations. These results demonstrate that fish mutualisms vary in the strength of their benefits, and indicate that some mutualistic or facilitative interactions might become more important for species health and resilience at high-stress levels. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T15:48:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2f1f347e3c9b49b0b503be69e077db64 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T15:48:22Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-2f1f347e3c9b49b0b503be69e077db642022-12-21T23:39:37ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032020-04-017410.1098/rsos.192074192074Damselfishes alleviate the impacts of sediments on host coralsT. J. ChaseM. S. PratchettM. J. McWilliamM. Y. HeinS. B. TebbettM. O. HoogenboomMutualisms play a critical role in ecological communities; however, the importance and prevalence of mutualistic associations can be modified by external stressors. On coral reefs, elevated sediment deposition can be a major stressor reducing the health of corals and reef resilience. Here, we investigated the influence of severe sedimentation on the mutualistic relationship between small damselfishes (Pomacentrus moluccensis and Dascyllus aruanus) and their coral host (Pocillopora damicornis). In an aquarium experiment, corals were exposed to sedimentation rates of approximately 100 mg cm−2 d−1, with and without fishes present, to test whether: (i) fishes influence the accumulation of sediments on coral hosts, and (ii) fishes moderate partial colony mortality and/or coral tissue condition. Colonies with fishes accumulated much less sediment compared with colonies without fishes, and this effect was strongest for colonies with D. aruanus (fivefold less sediment than controls) as opposed to P. moluccensis (twofold less sediment than controls). Colonies with symbiont fishes also had up to 10-fold less sediment-induced partial mortality, as well as higher chlorophyll and protein concentrations. These results demonstrate that fish mutualisms vary in the strength of their benefits, and indicate that some mutualistic or facilitative interactions might become more important for species health and resilience at high-stress levels.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.192074sedimentbiological interactionsmutualismsdamselfishescoralfish–coral interactions |
| spellingShingle | T. J. Chase M. S. Pratchett M. J. McWilliam M. Y. Hein S. B. Tebbett M. O. Hoogenboom Damselfishes alleviate the impacts of sediments on host corals Royal Society Open Science sediment biological interactions mutualisms damselfishes coral fish–coral interactions |
| title | Damselfishes alleviate the impacts of sediments on host corals |
| title_full | Damselfishes alleviate the impacts of sediments on host corals |
| title_fullStr | Damselfishes alleviate the impacts of sediments on host corals |
| title_full_unstemmed | Damselfishes alleviate the impacts of sediments on host corals |
| title_short | Damselfishes alleviate the impacts of sediments on host corals |
| title_sort | damselfishes alleviate the impacts of sediments on host corals |
| topic | sediment biological interactions mutualisms damselfishes coral fish–coral interactions |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.192074 |
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