Colony size-frequency distributions among different populations of the scleractinan coral Siderastrea stellata in Southwestern Atlantic: implications for life history patterns

Barros, Monica Moraes Lins de; Pires, Débora de Oliveira

Abstracts

Colony size-frequency distributions of reef corals may be used to infer growth potential and population responses upon environmental changes. The present paper compares the size structure of colonies of Siderastrea stellata Verrill, 1868,among 11 sites, six of them distributed along a gradient of sediment deposition in Abrolhos, Bahia, Brazil (18º S). Results indicated that the population structure is likely to be influenced by local conditions, rather than large scale factors, such as latitude. The 11 distributions, however, showed higher frequencies of small size classes. Class 1 (up to 2.5 cm diameter) was always present and the frequency of colonies from size class 3 (10 cm diameter) tended to decrease in all sites. Comparison among the six Abrolhos sites showed that S. stellata has advantages at sites with intermediate sedimentation, where colonies attain larger sizes, probably, reflecting a higher survivorship over time. The present study showed that, despite the influence of environmental conditions on parameters of the populations such as size of colony, the life history strategy of S. stellata reflects a local adaptation that allows its development and survivorship in shallow waters and horizontal substrates, sites characterized by high mortality rates.

Frequency distribution; Colony size; Reef coral; Siderastrea stellata; Sedimentation; Life history; Brazil

Distribuições de freqüências de classes de tamanho de colônias de corais recifais, associadas a dados de fecundidade e crescimento, podem ser utilizadas para inferir o potencial de crescimento e respostas da população frente às variações ambientais. Apresentamos análise da estrutura de tamanho de colônias do coral Siderastrea stellata Verrill, 1868, em 11 locais, seis desses distribuídos ao longo de um gradiente de sedimentação em Abrolhos, Bahia, Brasil (18ºS). Os resultados demonstraram ausência de um padrão latitudinal, indicando maior influência de fatores locais. Em Abrolhos, locais com taxas de deposição de sedimento intermediárias apresentaram os maiores coeficientes de variação e tamanhos médios, indicando condições mais propícias para o desenvolvimento de populações desse coral na região. As 11 distribuições, porém, apresentaram maior freqüência de classes pequenas. A classe 1 (colônias com diâmetro médio de até 2,5cm) ocorreu em todos os locais. A partir da classe 3 (10 cm em diâmetro) as freqüências diminuíram consideravelmente. Esses dados, associados ao fato da espécie se reproduzir cedo e incubar larva, refletem uma estratégia de sobrevivência, em águas rasas e substratos horizontais, caracterizada por alta taxa de mortalidade e tempo de vida curto.

Distribuição de freqüências; Tamanho de colônia; Coral recifal; Siderastrea stellata; Sedimentação; História de vida; Brasil

Anthony, K. R. N. & Fabricius, K. E. 2000. Shifting roles of heterotrophy and autotrophy in coral energetics under varying turbidity. J. expl., mar. Biol. Ecol., 252:221–253.
Anthony, K. R. N. & Larcombe, P. 2000. Coral reefs in turbid waters: sediment–induced stresses in corals and likely mechanisms of adaptation. Proc. 9^th Int. Coral Reef Symp., 1:239–244.
Babcock, R. & Mundy, C. 1996. Coral recruitment: consequences of settlement choice for early growth and survivorship in two scleractinians. J. expl mar. Biol. Ecol., 206:179–201.
Babcock, R. & Smith L. 2000. Effects of sedimentation on coral settlement and survivorship. In: International Coral Reef Symposium, 9. Bali, Indonesia. Proceedings. Indonesia, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, 1:245–248.
Bak, R. P. M. & Engel, M. S. 1979. Distribution, abundance and survival of juvenile hermatypic corals (Scleractinia) and the importance of life history strategies in the parent coral community. Mar. Biol., 54:341–352.
Bak, R. P. M. & Meesters, E. H. 1998. Coral population structure: the hidden information of colony size–frequency distributions. Mar. Ecol.– Prog. Ser., 162:301–306.
Bastidas, C. & Bone, D. 1996. Competitive strategies between Palythoa caribaeorum and Zoanthus sociatus (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) at reef flat environment in Venezuela. Bull. mar. Sci., 59 (3):543–555.
Brown, B. E. 1997. Disturbance to reefs in recent times. In: Birkeland, C., ed. Life and death of coral reefs. New York: Chapman and Hall. p. 354–379.
Castro, C. B. & Pires, D. O. 2001. Brazilian coral reefs: what we already know and what is still missing. Bull. mar. Sci., 69(2):357–371.
Chadwick–Furman, N. E.; Goffredo, S. & Loya, Y. 2000. Growth and population dynamic model of the reef coral Fungia granulosa Klunzinger, 1879 at Eilat, northern Red Sea. J. expl mar. Biol. Ecol., 249:199–218.
Chevalier, J. P. 1987. Order des scléractiniaires. In: Grassé, P. P., ed. Traité de zoologie anatomie, systématique, biologie. Cnidaires (Anthozoaires), Paris: Masson. p. 403–764.
Dodge, R. E. & Vaisnys, J. R. 1977. Coral populations and growth patterns: responses to sedimentation and turbidity associated with dredging. J. mar. Res., 35(4):715–730.
Echeverría C. A.; Pires D.O.; Medeiros M. S. & Castro C. B. 1997. Cnidarians of the Atol das Rocas, Brazil. Proc. 8^th Int. Coral Reef Symp., 1:443–446.
Fabricius, K. E. 2005. Effects of terrestrial runoff on the ecology of corals and coral reefs: review and synthesis. Mar. Pollut. Bull., 50(2):125–146.
Goffredo, S. & Chadwick–Furman, N. E. 2003. Comparative demography of mushroom corals (Scleractinia: Fungiidae) at Eilat, northern Red Sea. Mar. Biol., 142:411–418.
Gúzman, H. M. & Holst, I. 1993. Effects of chronic oil–sediment pollution on the reproduction of the Caribbean reef coral Siderastrea siderea Mar. Pollut. Bull., 26(5): 276–282.
Harvell, C. D. & Grosberg, R. K. 1988. The timing of sexual maturity in clonal animals. Ecology, 69(6):1855–1864.
Haywick, D. W. & Mueller, E. M. 1997. Sediment retention in encrusting Palythoa spp. a biological twist to a geological process. Coral Reefs, 16:39–46.
Hughes, T. P. & Jackson, J. B. C. 1985. Population dynamic and life histories of foliaceous corals. Ecol. Monogr., 55(2):141–166.
Kramarsky–Winter, E. & Loya, Y. 1998. Reproductive strategies of two fungiid corals from the northern Red Sea: environmental constraints? Mar. Ecol. – Progr. Ser., 174:175–182.
Laborel, J. 1970. Madréporaires et hydrocoralliaires récifaux des cotes brésiliennes. Systématique, écologie, répartition verticale et géographique. XXXVI Campagne de la Calypso au large des cotes Atlantiques de l'Amérique du Sud (1961–1962). Première et deuxième partie (suite):171–229.
Langmead, O. & Sheppard, C. 2004. Coral reef community dynamics and disturbance: a simulation model. Ecol. Mod., 175:271–290.
Leão, Z. M. N. A.; Araujo, T. M. F. & Nolasco, M. C. 1988. The coastal reefs of the coast of eastern Brazil. In: International Coral Reef Symposium, 6. Australia. Proceedings. Townsville, 3:339–347.
Lins de Barros M. M.; Pires D. O. & Castro, C. B. 2003. Sexual reproduction of the Brazilian reef coral Siderastrea stellata Verrill, 1868 (Anthozoa, Scleractinia). Bull. Mar. Sci., 73:713–724.
Lins–de–Barros, M. M. & Pires, D. O. Life history aspects of Siderastrea stellata in the Tropical Western Atlantic, Brazil. J. Inv. Reprod. and Develop. (in press).
Lirman, D.; Manzello, D. & Maciá, S. 2002. Back from the dead: the resilience of Siderastrea radians to severe stress. Coral Reefs, 21:291–292.
Meesters W. H.; Hilterman M.; Kardinaal, E.; Keetman M., de Vries, M. & Bak. R. P. M. 2001. Colony size–frequency distributions of scleractinian coral populations: spatial and interspecific variation. Mar. Ecol. – Prog. Ser., 209:43–54.
Miller, M. W.; Weil E & Szmant A. M. 2000. Coral recruitment and juvenile mortality as structuring factors for reef benthic communities in Biscayne National Park, USA. Coral Reefs, 19:115–123.
Nughes, M. M. & Roberts, C. M. 2003a. Partial mortality in massive reef corals as an indicator of sediment stress on coral reefs. Mar. Pollut. Bull., 46:314–323.
Nughes, M. M. & Roberts, C. M. 2003b. Coral mortality and interaction with algae in relation to sedimentation. Coral Reefs, 22(4):507–516.
Reis, M. A. C. & Leão, Z. M. A. N. 2000. Bioerosion rate of the sponge Cliona celata (Grant 1826) from reefs in turbid waters, north Bahia, Brazil. In: International Coral Reef Symposium, 9. Bali, Indonesia. Proceedings. Indonesia, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, 2:273–278.
Riegl, B. & Branch, G. M. 1995. Effects of sediment on the energy budgets of four scleractinian (Bourne 1900) and five alcyonacean (Lamouroux 1816) corals. J. expl Mar. Biol. Ecol., 186:259–275.
Rinkevich, B. & Loya, Y. 1987. Variability in the pattern of sexual reproduction of the coral Stylophora pistillata at Eilat, Red Sea: A long term study. Biol. Bull., 173:335–344.
Sanders, D. & Baron–Szabo, R. C. 2005. Scleractinian assemblages under sediment input: their characteristics and relation to nutrient input concept. Paleogeogr. Palaeoclimat. Palaeoecol., 216:139–181.
Santangelo, G.; Carletti, E.; Maggi, E. & Bramanti, L. 2003. Reproduction and population sexual structure of the overexploited Mediterranean red coral Corallium rubrum Mar. Ecol. – Prog. Ser., 248:99–108.
Segal, B. & Castro, C. B. 2000. Slope preferences of reef corals (Cnidaria, Scleractinia) in the Abrolhos Archipelago, Brazil. Bolm Mus. Nac., n.s. Zool., 418:1–10.
Alvarenga, M. F. 2004. Recrutamento de corais recifais no Banco dos Abrolhos, Brasil. M.Sc. Thesis. Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 72p.
Segal–Ramos, B. 2003. Corais e comunidades recifais e sua relação com a sedimentação no Banco dos Abrolhos, Brasil. PhD. Thesis. Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. 131p.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
05 Nov 2007
Date of issue
Dec 2006

History

Reviewed
08 Aug 2006
Received
06 June 2006
Accepted
30 Aug 2006

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

[1] Anthony, K. R. N. & Fabricius, K. E. 2000. Shifting roles of heterotrophy and autotrophy in coral energetics under varying turbidity. J. expl., mar. Biol. Ecol., 252:221–253.

[2] Anthony, K. R. N. & Larcombe, P. 2000. Coral reefs in turbid waters: sediment–induced stresses in corals and likely mechanisms of adaptation. Proc. 9^th Int. Coral Reef Symp., 1:239–244.

[3] Babcock, R. & Mundy, C. 1996. Coral recruitment: consequences of settlement choice for early growth and survivorship in two scleractinians. J. expl mar. Biol. Ecol., 206:179–201.

[4] Babcock, R. & Smith L. 2000. Effects of sedimentation on coral settlement and survivorship. In: International Coral Reef Symposium, 9. Bali, Indonesia. Proceedings. Indonesia, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, 1:245–248.

[5] Bak, R. P. M. & Engel, M. S. 1979. Distribution, abundance and survival of juvenile hermatypic corals (Scleractinia) and the importance of life history strategies in the parent coral community. Mar. Biol., 54:341–352.

[6] Bak, R. P. M. & Meesters, E. H. 1998. Coral population structure: the hidden information of colony size–frequency distributions. Mar. Ecol.– Prog. Ser., 162:301–306.

[7] Bastidas, C. & Bone, D. 1996. Competitive strategies between Palythoa caribaeorum and Zoanthus sociatus (Cnidaria: Anthozoa) at reef flat environment in Venezuela. Bull. mar. Sci., 59 (3):543–555.

[8] Brown, B. E. 1997. Disturbance to reefs in recent times. In: Birkeland, C., ed. Life and death of coral reefs. New York: Chapman and Hall. p. 354–379.

[9] Castro, C. B. & Pires, D. O. 2001. Brazilian coral reefs: what we already know and what is still missing. Bull. mar. Sci., 69(2):357–371.

[10] Chadwick–Furman, N. E.; Goffredo, S. & Loya, Y. 2000. Growth and population dynamic model of the reef coral Fungia granulosa Klunzinger, 1879 at Eilat, northern Red Sea. J. expl mar. Biol. Ecol., 249:199–218.

[11] Chevalier, J. P. 1987. Order des scléractiniaires. In: Grassé, P. P., ed. Traité de zoologie anatomie, systématique, biologie. Cnidaires (Anthozoaires), Paris: Masson. p. 403–764.

[12] Dodge, R. E. & Vaisnys, J. R. 1977. Coral populations and growth patterns: responses to sedimentation and turbidity associated with dredging. J. mar. Res., 35(4):715–730.

[13] Echeverría C. A.; Pires D.O.; Medeiros M. S. & Castro C. B. 1997. Cnidarians of the Atol das Rocas, Brazil. Proc. 8^th Int. Coral Reef Symp., 1:443–446.

[14] Fabricius, K. E. 2005. Effects of terrestrial runoff on the ecology of corals and coral reefs: review and synthesis. Mar. Pollut. Bull., 50(2):125–146.

[15] Goffredo, S. & Chadwick–Furman, N. E. 2003. Comparative demography of mushroom corals (Scleractinia: Fungiidae) at Eilat, northern Red Sea. Mar. Biol., 142:411–418.

[16] Gúzman, H. M. & Holst, I. 1993. Effects of chronic oil–sediment pollution on the reproduction of the Caribbean reef coral Siderastrea siderea Mar. Pollut. Bull., 26(5): 276–282.

[17] Harvell, C. D. & Grosberg, R. K. 1988. The timing of sexual maturity in clonal animals. Ecology, 69(6):1855–1864.

[18] Haywick, D. W. & Mueller, E. M. 1997. Sediment retention in encrusting Palythoa spp. a biological twist to a geological process. Coral Reefs, 16:39–46.

[19] Hughes, T. P. & Jackson, J. B. C. 1985. Population dynamic and life histories of foliaceous corals. Ecol. Monogr., 55(2):141–166.

[20] Kramarsky–Winter, E. & Loya, Y. 1998. Reproductive strategies of two fungiid corals from the northern Red Sea: environmental constraints? Mar. Ecol. – Progr. Ser., 174:175–182.

[21] Laborel, J. 1970. Madréporaires et hydrocoralliaires récifaux des cotes brésiliennes. Systématique, écologie, répartition verticale et géographique. XXXVI Campagne de la Calypso au large des cotes Atlantiques de l'Amérique du Sud (1961–1962). Première et deuxième partie (suite):171–229.

[22] Langmead, O. & Sheppard, C. 2004. Coral reef community dynamics and disturbance: a simulation model. Ecol. Mod., 175:271–290.

[23] Leão, Z. M. N. A.; Araujo, T. M. F. & Nolasco, M. C. 1988. The coastal reefs of the coast of eastern Brazil. In: International Coral Reef Symposium, 6. Australia. Proceedings. Townsville, 3:339–347.

[24] Lins de Barros M. M.; Pires D. O. & Castro, C. B. 2003. Sexual reproduction of the Brazilian reef coral Siderastrea stellata Verrill, 1868 (Anthozoa, Scleractinia). Bull. Mar. Sci., 73:713–724.

[25] Lins–de–Barros, M. M. & Pires, D. O. Life history aspects of Siderastrea stellata in the Tropical Western Atlantic, Brazil. J. Inv. Reprod. and Develop. (in press).

[26] Lirman, D.; Manzello, D. & Maciá, S. 2002. Back from the dead: the resilience of Siderastrea radians to severe stress. Coral Reefs, 21:291–292.

[27] Meesters W. H.; Hilterman M.; Kardinaal, E.; Keetman M., de Vries, M. & Bak. R. P. M. 2001. Colony size–frequency distributions of scleractinian coral populations: spatial and interspecific variation. Mar. Ecol. – Prog. Ser., 209:43–54.

[28] Miller, M. W.; Weil E & Szmant A. M. 2000. Coral recruitment and juvenile mortality as structuring factors for reef benthic communities in Biscayne National Park, USA. Coral Reefs, 19:115–123.

[29] Nughes, M. M. & Roberts, C. M. 2003a. Partial mortality in massive reef corals as an indicator of sediment stress on coral reefs. Mar. Pollut. Bull., 46:314–323.

[30] Nughes, M. M. & Roberts, C. M. 2003b. Coral mortality and interaction with algae in relation to sedimentation. Coral Reefs, 22(4):507–516.

[31] Reis, M. A. C. & Leão, Z. M. A. N. 2000. Bioerosion rate of the sponge Cliona celata (Grant 1826) from reefs in turbid waters, north Bahia, Brazil. In: International Coral Reef Symposium, 9. Bali, Indonesia. Proceedings. Indonesia, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, 2:273–278.

[32] Riegl, B. & Branch, G. M. 1995. Effects of sediment on the energy budgets of four scleractinian (Bourne 1900) and five alcyonacean (Lamouroux 1816) corals. J. expl Mar. Biol. Ecol., 186:259–275.

[33] Rinkevich, B. & Loya, Y. 1987. Variability in the pattern of sexual reproduction of the coral Stylophora pistillata at Eilat, Red Sea: A long term study. Biol. Bull., 173:335–344.

[34] Sanders, D. & Baron–Szabo, R. C. 2005. Scleractinian assemblages under sediment input: their characteristics and relation to nutrient input concept. Paleogeogr. Palaeoclimat. Palaeoecol., 216:139–181.

[35] Santangelo, G.; Carletti, E.; Maggi, E. & Bramanti, L. 2003. Reproduction and population sexual structure of the overexploited Mediterranean red coral Corallium rubrum Mar. Ecol. – Prog. Ser., 248:99–108.

[36] Segal, B. & Castro, C. B. 2000. Slope preferences of reef corals (Cnidaria, Scleractinia) in the Abrolhos Archipelago, Brazil. Bolm Mus. Nac., n.s. Zool., 418:1–10.

[37] Alvarenga, M. F. 2004. Recrutamento de corais recifais no Banco dos Abrolhos, Brasil. M.Sc. Thesis. Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 72p.

[38] Segal–Ramos, B. 2003. Corais e comunidades recifais e sua relação com a sedimentação no Banco dos Abrolhos, Brasil. PhD. Thesis. Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. 131p.