Coral spawning patterns of Acropora across two Maldivian reef ecosystems
Understanding patterns in coral reproductive biology at local and regional scales is crucial to elucidate our knowledge of characteristics that regulate populations and communities. The lack of published data on coral spawning patterns in the Maldives hinders our understanding of coral reproductive...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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PeerJ Inc.
2023-10-01
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| Series: | PeerJ |
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/16315.pdf |
| _version_ | 1827604897844953088 |
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| author | Margaux A.A. Monfared Kate Sheridan Simon P. Dixon Matthew Gledhill Thomas Le Berre |
| author_facet | Margaux A.A. Monfared Kate Sheridan Simon P. Dixon Matthew Gledhill Thomas Le Berre |
| author_sort | Margaux A.A. Monfared |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Understanding patterns in coral reproductive biology at local and regional scales is crucial to elucidate our knowledge of characteristics that regulate populations and communities. The lack of published data on coral spawning patterns in the Maldives hinders our understanding of coral reproductive biology and limits our ability to assess shifts in reproductive phenology over time. Here we document baseline environmental cues, spawning patterns, exact timings and oocyte development of restored and wild Acropora, inhabiting shallow water reefs, across two Maldivian atolls. A total of 1,200 colonies were recorded spawning across the two sites between October 2021 and April 2023. These colonies represent 22 species of Acropora, with coral spawning observed over an extended period of eight months. This research details exact spawning times of multi-specific spawning, asynchronous spawning and ‘split spawning’ of Acropora, across multiple lunar phases; and highlights the need to consider restored colonies when discussing the sexual reproductive patterns of Maldivian Acropora in the future. Overall, corals spawned earlier in North Male Atoll compared with Baa Atoll. Earlier spawning events were significantly correlated with lower tide depths, wind speeds, daily precipitation and higher sea surface temperatures which helped explain inter-atoll, inter-annual, and intra-annual variations in spawning day. This study contributes to understanding sexual reproductive cycles of Acropora in the Maldives; knowledge that is vital for effective management of a critically endangered ecosystem in a changing climate. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:09:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d0b103a249d94a64801e1e377ae007f2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:09:46Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PeerJ |
| spelling | doaj.art-d0b103a249d94a64801e1e377ae007f22023-12-03T12:00:06ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592023-10-0111e1631510.7717/peerj.16315Coral spawning patterns of Acropora across two Maldivian reef ecosystemsMargaux A.A. Monfared0Kate Sheridan1Simon P. Dixon2Matthew Gledhill3Thomas Le Berre4Reefscapers PVT Ltd, Male, MaldivesReefscapers PVT Ltd, Male, MaldivesReefscapers PVT Ltd, Male, MaldivesReefscapers PVT Ltd, Male, MaldivesReefscapers PVT Ltd, Male, MaldivesUnderstanding patterns in coral reproductive biology at local and regional scales is crucial to elucidate our knowledge of characteristics that regulate populations and communities. The lack of published data on coral spawning patterns in the Maldives hinders our understanding of coral reproductive biology and limits our ability to assess shifts in reproductive phenology over time. Here we document baseline environmental cues, spawning patterns, exact timings and oocyte development of restored and wild Acropora, inhabiting shallow water reefs, across two Maldivian atolls. A total of 1,200 colonies were recorded spawning across the two sites between October 2021 and April 2023. These colonies represent 22 species of Acropora, with coral spawning observed over an extended period of eight months. This research details exact spawning times of multi-specific spawning, asynchronous spawning and ‘split spawning’ of Acropora, across multiple lunar phases; and highlights the need to consider restored colonies when discussing the sexual reproductive patterns of Maldivian Acropora in the future. Overall, corals spawned earlier in North Male Atoll compared with Baa Atoll. Earlier spawning events were significantly correlated with lower tide depths, wind speeds, daily precipitation and higher sea surface temperatures which helped explain inter-atoll, inter-annual, and intra-annual variations in spawning day. This study contributes to understanding sexual reproductive cycles of Acropora in the Maldives; knowledge that is vital for effective management of a critically endangered ecosystem in a changing climate.https://peerj.com/articles/16315.pdfCoral SpawningMaldivesAcropora |
| spellingShingle | Margaux A.A. Monfared Kate Sheridan Simon P. Dixon Matthew Gledhill Thomas Le Berre Coral spawning patterns of Acropora across two Maldivian reef ecosystems PeerJ Coral Spawning Maldives Acropora |
| title | Coral spawning patterns of Acropora across two Maldivian reef ecosystems |
| title_full | Coral spawning patterns of Acropora across two Maldivian reef ecosystems |
| title_fullStr | Coral spawning patterns of Acropora across two Maldivian reef ecosystems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Coral spawning patterns of Acropora across two Maldivian reef ecosystems |
| title_short | Coral spawning patterns of Acropora across two Maldivian reef ecosystems |
| title_sort | coral spawning patterns of acropora across two maldivian reef ecosystems |
| topic | Coral Spawning Maldives Acropora |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/16315.pdf |
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