Soft coral abundance on the central Great Barrier Reef: effects of Acanthaster planci, space availability, and aspects of the physical environment

Coral Reefs ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 159-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. E. Fabricius
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Soft Coral ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Acanthaster Planci ◽  
Coral Abundance

Occurrence of aggressive mechanisms during interactions between soft corals (Octocorallia : Alcyoniidae) and other corals on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

1997 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 129 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. K. Griffith
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Soft Coral ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Soft Corals ◽  
Acanthaster Planci ◽  
Coral Reef Community ◽  
Reef Community ◽  
Coral Colony ◽  
Factors Influencing

This study found that on two reefs of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, most coral colonies within 10 cm of a soft coral colony were interacting to the detriment of one or both colonies. Soft corals were more likely to interact with neighbouring hard corals than with other soft corals. The relative infrequency of ties indicated that two coral colonies were rarely equal competitively. Allelopathy and simple overgrowth were the major aggressive mechanisms of alcyoniids. Soft corals tended to simply overgrow neighbouring hard corals but used allelochemicals more frequently when the neighbour was another soft coral. Other factors influencing the type of aggressive mechanism used included the size of the neighbouring colony. The importance of this to a coral reef community after events such as Acanthaster planci infestations is discussed.

scholarly journals Cross-Shelf Variation Among Juvenile and Adult Coral Assemblages on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

Diversity ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle J. Jonker ◽  
Angus A. Thompson ◽  
Patricia Menéndez ◽  
Kate Osborne
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Outer Shelf ◽  
Lower Latitude ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Hard Coral ◽  
Coral Abundance ◽  
The Status ◽  
Community Types

Coral reefs are under increasing pressure from a variety of stressors, highlighting the need for information about the status of coral reef communities including the distribution, abundance and composition of juvenile and adult coral assemblages. This information is currently limited for the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and is necessary for understanding the impacts of disturbances and the system’s potential for recovery. This study reports juvenile and adult hard coral abundance and composition from 122 reefs on the GBR during a period of limited acute disturbance. The data represent baseline observations for juvenile hard coral assemblages spanning the longitudinal cross-shelf gradient of the GBR and 12 degrees of latitude and augment reported distribution of adult coral assemblages over the same scale with inclusion of additional reefs. Juvenile and adult coral assemblages reflected broad differences imposed by the gradient of environmental conditions across the GBR. The mean density of juvenile hard corals was lower in the inshore reefs (5.51 m2) than at either the mid-shelf (11.8 m2) or outer shelf reefs (11.2 m2). The composition of juvenile and adult coral assemblages covaried overall, although there were different relationships between these two life stages across the continental shelf and among community types. Dissimilarity between juvenile and adult coral assemblages was greater on inshore and outer shelf reefs than on reefs in the mid-shelf, although, there were differences in community types both within these shelf positions and those that spanned mid- and outer shelf reefs. Dissimilarity was greatest for Inshore branching Acropora and high for Southern Acropora communities, although very high coral cover and very low juvenile densities at these reefs precluded interpretation beyond the clear competitive dominance of Acropora on those reefs. Dissimilarity was also high between juvenile and adult coral assemblages of Turbid inshore communities suggesting water quality pressures, along with synergistic effects of other stressors, pose ongoing selective pressures beyond the juvenile stage. Conversely, relatively low dissimilarity between juvenile and adult coral assemblages on mid-shelf and lower latitude outer shelf reefs suggests pressures beyond those influencing settlement and early post-settlement survival were having less influence on the composition of adult coral assemblages.

Two new species of alcyonacean-associated shrimp genus Alcyonohippolyte Marin, Okuno & Chan, 2010 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Hippolytidae) from the Great Barrier Reef of Australia

Zootaxa ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 3123 (1) ◽  
pp. 49 ◽  
Author(s):  
IVAN MARIN
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Soft Coral ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Lizard Island ◽  
Two New Species ◽  
Organ Pipe ◽  
Antennular Peduncle

Two new species of symbiotic hippolytid shrimps of the genus Alcyonohippolyte Marin, Okuno & Chan, 2010 are described from Lizard Island, the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. Alcyonohippolyte tenuicarpus sp. nov. is associated with xeniid soft coral of the genus Heteroxenia Kolliker, 1874 and differs from the congeners by a long rostrum greatly exceeding antennular peduncle and slender carpal segments of pereiopod II. Alcyonohippolyte tubiporae sp. nov. is associated with organ pipe coral of the genus Tubipora Linnaeus, 1758, possibly T. musica Linnaeus, 1758 (Alcyonacea: Tubiporidae), and differs from the congeners by equal distal and proximal carpal segments of pereiopod II. Both species can be clearly separated from the congeners ecologically and by coloration.

Distribution of Acanthaster planci outbreaks on the Great Barrier Reef between 1966 and 1989

Coral Reefs ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 97-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Reichelt ◽  
R. H. Bradbury ◽  
P. J. Moran
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Acanthaster Planci

Predation on soft corals (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea) on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

1994 ◽  
Vol 45 (7) ◽  
pp. 1281 ◽  
Author(s):  
JK Griffith
Keyword(s):  
Great Barrier Reef ◽  
Soft Coral ◽  
Barrier Reef ◽  
Soft Corals ◽  
Quantitative Evidence ◽  
Bite Marks ◽  
First Time ◽  
Predation Rates

Quantitative evidence on predation rates on soft corals is presented for the first time. These measured predation rates were low. Less than 1% of the soft coral colonies present in mapped areas at Heron Island and Beaver Reefs had bite marks. Evidence suggests that over 51% of these bite marks were more than two months old. Predators included the mollusc Ovula ovum and two species of chaetodontid fishes that have not been recorded before as feeding on soft corals.

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