EFFECTS OF AN UNUSUAL HURRICANE FREQUENCY PERIOD ON THE BODY OF CORAL REEFS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15359/revmar.1.4Keywords:
Climate change, hurricanes, coral reefs, diseases, CubaAbstract
In coral reefs of southwestern Cuba, we assessed the impacts from unprecedented frequent and intense hurricanes during the period 2001-2007, and from coral diseases, which are both factors considered to be associated with climate change.. At the reef crests, live hard coral cover reduction varied from null to 21%, while maximum average coral diameter reduction varied from 16 to 40 cm. In the fore-reefs, the reduction of coral cover varied from null to 14%, while diameter reduction varied from null to 26 cm. However, at all sites, great shifts in species dominance patterns were observed. In reef crests, numerical dominance of Acropora palmata and other hard corals shifted towards increases of Millepora complanata or, to a lesser extent, of Porites astreoides or Acropora prolifera. At the fore-reefs, the shifts occurred from the dominance of Montastraea annularis complex, Diploria strigosa and Agaricia agaricites, towards combined increases of P. astreoides or Siderastrea siderea. With those ongoing changes, reef crests are losing effectiveness as refuges and wave dissipators because of reduction of structural complexity. The population density of the sea-urchin Diadema antillarum remained negligible and unchanged in the southern Gulf of Batabanó, while it increased significantly at the Faro Cazones reef crest. Percentages of recent mortality and percentages of disease incidence in corals remained low, suggesting a dominant influence from hurricanes on assessed coral reef decline.
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