Hidden in the deep: Distinct benthic trajectories call for monitoring of mesophotic reefs
Abstract Coral reef conservation management depends on long‐term monitoring efforts for a sound understanding of ecosystem structuring, functioning, and dynamics. However, ongoing monitoring programs are almost exclusively focused on shallow depths, and it remains unclear to what extent those repres...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Conservation Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12875 |
| _version_ | 1811304115716751360 |
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| author | Alejandra Hernandez‐Agreda Francesca Marina Sahit Norbert Englebert Ove Hoegh‐Guldberg Pim Bongaerts |
| author_facet | Alejandra Hernandez‐Agreda Francesca Marina Sahit Norbert Englebert Ove Hoegh‐Guldberg Pim Bongaerts |
| author_sort | Alejandra Hernandez‐Agreda |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Coral reef conservation management depends on long‐term monitoring efforts for a sound understanding of ecosystem structuring, functioning, and dynamics. However, ongoing monitoring programs are almost exclusively focused on shallow depths, and it remains unclear to what extent those represent the whole ecosystem. Here, we present a temporal comparison (2012–2017) of directly adjacent shallow and mesophotic benthic communities across seven sites from the Great Barrier Reef and the Western Coral Sea. We found a positive relationship initially between shallow and mesophotic coral cover, with higher cover at shallow depths. However, this relationship was no longer significant after multiple disturbances, with coral cover significantly declining only at shallow depths. Point‐based tracking revealed the dynamic nature of mesophotic communities, with their consistent coral cover reflecting a net balance between substantial growth and mortality. Overall, the divergent trajectories highlight the urgency to expand coral reef monitoring efforts into mesophotic depths to ensure their unique characteristics can be accounted for in conservation management strategies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T08:00:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8a816acfbc0e4a3f88b0c36efa561c4c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1755-263X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T08:00:11Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Conservation Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-8a816acfbc0e4a3f88b0c36efa561c4c2022-12-22T02:55:17ZengWileyConservation Letters1755-263X2022-03-01152n/an/a10.1111/conl.12875Hidden in the deep: Distinct benthic trajectories call for monitoring of mesophotic reefsAlejandra Hernandez‐Agreda0Francesca Marina Sahit1Norbert Englebert2Ove Hoegh‐Guldberg3Pim Bongaerts4California Academy of Sciences San Francisco California USAGlobal Change Institute and School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Saint Lucia AustraliaGlobal Change Institute and School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Saint Lucia AustraliaGlobal Change Institute and School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Saint Lucia AustraliaCalifornia Academy of Sciences San Francisco California USAAbstract Coral reef conservation management depends on long‐term monitoring efforts for a sound understanding of ecosystem structuring, functioning, and dynamics. However, ongoing monitoring programs are almost exclusively focused on shallow depths, and it remains unclear to what extent those represent the whole ecosystem. Here, we present a temporal comparison (2012–2017) of directly adjacent shallow and mesophotic benthic communities across seven sites from the Great Barrier Reef and the Western Coral Sea. We found a positive relationship initially between shallow and mesophotic coral cover, with higher cover at shallow depths. However, this relationship was no longer significant after multiple disturbances, with coral cover significantly declining only at shallow depths. Point‐based tracking revealed the dynamic nature of mesophotic communities, with their consistent coral cover reflecting a net balance between substantial growth and mortality. Overall, the divergent trajectories highlight the urgency to expand coral reef monitoring efforts into mesophotic depths to ensure their unique characteristics can be accounted for in conservation management strategies.https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12875benthic communitiescoral bleachingcoral reefsdisturbancesecosystem recoverylong‐term monitoring |
| spellingShingle | Alejandra Hernandez‐Agreda Francesca Marina Sahit Norbert Englebert Ove Hoegh‐Guldberg Pim Bongaerts Hidden in the deep: Distinct benthic trajectories call for monitoring of mesophotic reefs Conservation Letters benthic communities coral bleaching coral reefs disturbances ecosystem recovery long‐term monitoring |
| title | Hidden in the deep: Distinct benthic trajectories call for monitoring of mesophotic reefs |
| title_full | Hidden in the deep: Distinct benthic trajectories call for monitoring of mesophotic reefs |
| title_fullStr | Hidden in the deep: Distinct benthic trajectories call for monitoring of mesophotic reefs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hidden in the deep: Distinct benthic trajectories call for monitoring of mesophotic reefs |
| title_short | Hidden in the deep: Distinct benthic trajectories call for monitoring of mesophotic reefs |
| title_sort | hidden in the deep distinct benthic trajectories call for monitoring of mesophotic reefs |
| topic | benthic communities coral bleaching coral reefs disturbances ecosystem recovery long‐term monitoring |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12875 |
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