Curtin University Homepage
  • Library
  • Help
    • Admin

    espace - Curtin’s institutional repository

    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
    View Item 
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item

    Diversity on the edge: non-linear patterns of coral community structure at an isolated oceanic island

    Access Status
    Fulltext not available
    Authors
    Richards, Zoe
    Ryan, N.
    Harvey, Euan
    Garcia, R.
    Hobbs, Jean-Paul
    Date
    2016
    Type
    Journal Article
    
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Citation
    Richards, Z. and Ryan, N. and Harvey, E. and Garcia, R. and Hobbs, J. 2016. Diversity on the edge: non-linear patterns of coral community structure at an isolated oceanic island. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 546: pp. 61-74.
    Source Title
    Marine Ecology Progress Series
    DOI
    10.3354/meps11657
    ISSN
    0171-8630
    School
    Department of Environment and Agriculture
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/17054
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    Coral communities are expected to display predictable patterns of diversity and structure across depth and exposure gradients, yet these predictions have rarely been tested at oceanic locations. Here we tested 5 common ecological predictions about coral community structure at the remote Chrismas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean. Our results suggest that not all of the predictions hold true at this oceanic location, primarily because the community is structured in non-linear ways. Each surveyed depth zone (5, 12, 20 m) supported a distinctive community, yet species diversity and coral abundance did not show the expected linear increase with depth. Habitat complexity was also shown to respond non-linearly with depth, with the highest habitat complexity occurring in the intermediate 12 m zone. We discuss the ‘cliff-edge effect’ as a possible explanation for the high diversity and abundance of corals at 20 m, while physical stress and competitive exclusion may explain the low diversity at 12 m. The cliff-edge habitat provides a narrow zone in between the wave-swept shallows and the low light/high shade environment of the steep outer reef walls, and this zone of heterogeneous environmental conditions supports a wide diversity of corals. If future storm events, bleaching, disease or predator outbreaks were to impact the corals living in the cliff-edge habitat, this may have a disproportionate impact on the coral reef community as a whole. Monitoring the status of corals on the cliff edge is important for understanding and predicting how oceanic reef systems will be affected by climate change.

    Related items

    Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.

    • Biodiversity and biogeography of zooxanthellate corals in Australasia revisited based on new data from the Kimberley
      Richards, Zoe ; Pichon, Michel; Wallace, Carden (2024)
      The Kimberley Marine Region is a vast stretch of complex eastern Indian Ocean seascape spanning approximately six degrees of latitude and eight degrees of longitude. The region includes various habitats, including offshore ...
    • Submerged oceanic shoals of north Western Australia are a major reservoir of marine biodiversity
      Moore, Cordelia; Cappo, M.; Radford, B.; Heyward, A. (2017)
      This paper provides a first assessment of fish communities associated with the submerged oceanic banks and shoals in north-west Australia. Until recently, little was known about these deeper and more inaccessible reefs. ...
    • Habitat specialization in tropical continental shelf demersal fish assemblages
      Fitzpatrick, B; Harvey, Euan; Heyward, Andrew; Twiggs, Emily; Colquhoun, Jamie (2012)
      The implications of shallow water impacts such as fishing and climate change on fish assemblages are generally considered in isolation from the distribution and abundance of these fish assemblages in adjacent deeper waters. ...
    Advanced search

    Browse

    Communities & CollectionsIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument TypeThis CollectionIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument Type

    My Account

    Admin

    Statistics

    Most Popular ItemsStatistics by CountryMost Popular Authors

    Follow Curtin

    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 

    CRICOS Provider Code: 00301JABN: 99 143 842 569TEQSA: PRV12158

    Copyright | Disclaimer | Privacy statement | Accessibility

    Curtin would like to pay respect to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of our community by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which the Perth campus is located, the Whadjuk people of the Nyungar Nation; and on our Kalgoorlie campus, the Wongutha people of the North-Eastern Goldfields.