Status of Montastraea from Coral Reefs in Natural Reserves of Puerto Rico
Status of Montastraea from coral reefs in Natural Reserves of Puerto Rico
Jorge R. Garcia-Sais Departamento Ciencias Marinas - UPRM [email protected]
Acropora/Montastraea Workshop – DNER October, 2009, San Juan, P. R. Baseline Assessment of Montastraea annularis from Puertorrican Coral Reefs (1999 -2004)
• Coral reefs zones between 10 – 20 m dominated in terms of % substrate cover and rugosity by M. annularis (complex)
• Most reef sites with very high live coral cover (> 40 %) strongly influenced by large, centenary colonies of M. annularis
• M. annularis most prevalent coral of “pristine” reefs - off the west and southwest coasts, oceanic islands, reefs distant from the coast, up-current from rivers, clear water reefs down to 40 m (130’).
• Gradual loss of live coral tissue by M. annularis measured from coastal reefs during 2001- 2005 monitoring period
• 1989 coral bleaching event could have been first serious setback of M. annularis from Puertorrican reefs Percent live coral cover at reef sites – baseline data set (1995 – 2001)
REEF - SITE Pto. Canoas - DES Tourmaline - MAY Pto. Botes - DES Turrumote - LP La Boya - LP Media Luna - LP Mujeres - MON Cayo Diablo - FAJ Palominito - FAJ Fanduco - GY Caña Gorda - GUA Las Coronas - MAY Punta Ventana 2 - GUA Manchas Int 2 - MAY Palomino - FAJ Carmelitas - MON Arrecife Norte - DES Cayo Coral - GUA West - CMU MANN Bajo Gallardo - BOQ Cabezas - FAJ MCAV Caribe 2 - JOB Pájaros - MON Manchas Ext. 2 - MAY PAST La Barca - JOB Bajo Resuellos - BOQ PPOR Canjilones - LP Manchas Ext. 1 - MAY Berberia - CMU AGAR Pta. Ventana - GY Caribe 1 - JOB SIDE Manchas Int 1- MAY El Palo - BOQ DSTRI Media Luna - MAY Sur Margarita - LP Unitas - GY DIPLOSPP Morrillos 1 - ARE Pta. Candelero - HUM CNAT Siete Mares - FAJ Cerro Gordo - DOR Río -GY MILLE Boca Vieja - SJ Winward - CMU OTHERS Morrillos 2 - ARE Guayanilla - TAY Hojitas - PON Mameyal - DOR Bajíos - SJ 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 % LIVE CORAL COVER
Cayo Coral Reef 70
60 Monitoring Years:
50 1999
2005 40 2006
30
% Cover % (-40 % or 6.7 %/yr)
20
10
0 Live Coral Sponges Benthic Algae Abiotic Gorgonians Substrate Categories
Cayo Coral - Guanica Coral Species
Montastrea annularis
Colpophyllia natans
Montastrea cavernosa Monitoring Years:
Porites astreoides 1999 2005 2006
Eusmilia fastigiata
Siderastrea siderea
Agaricia agaricites
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 % Cover Caja de Muerto Reef - Ponce Caja de Muerto Reef 70
60
Monitoring Years: 50 1999
40 2005 -21.6 % 2006 30 (-3.6 %/yr) % Cover %
20 (-40.7 %/yr)
10
0 Live Coral Sponges Benthic Algae Abiotic Gorgonians Substrate Categories
Caja de Muertos Coral Species
Montastrea annularis (-56.4 %) Montastrea cavernosa
Agaricia agaricites
Monitoring Years: Colpophyllia natans
1999
Porites astreoides 2005
2006 Siderastrea radians
Stephanocoenia michelini
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 % Cover CORAL BLEACHING EVENT 2005-06
An intense, regional coral bleaching event associated with high SST affected reef systems in PR during August - October 2005 causing drastic shifts in the community structure
Boulder Star Coral, Montastraea annularis was the most severely affected species, presenting large scale mortalities throughout PR. Reef systems dominated by M. annularis suffered significant degradation Derrumbadero Reef Derrumbadero Reef - Ponce 80
Monitoring Years: 70 2001 2005 60 2006
50 -21% or - 4.3%/yr 40 % Cover %
30 -46% 20
10
0 Live Coral Sponges Benthic Algae Abiotic Gorgonians
Substrate Categories
Derrumbadero Reef Coral Species
Montastrea annularis -61 % Agaricia agaricites
Monitoring Years: Porites astreoides 2001 2005 Montastrea cavernosa 2006
Acropora cervicornis
Diploria labyrinthiformis
Diploria strigosa
0 5 10 15 20 25
% Cover PuertoDesecheo 20m Canoas Reef 20 m - Desecheo
70
60
Monitoring Years: 50
2000 40 2001 2004
2005 30
% Cover % (-53.2 %) 2006
20
10
0 Live Coral Sponges Benthic Algae Abiotic Gorgonians
Substrate Categories
Coral Species Desecheo 20m
Montastrea annularis (-81.3 %)
Porites porites
Colpophyllia natans
Monitoring Years: Agaricia agaricites 2000 2004 Porites astreoides 2005 2006
Meandrina meandrites
Diploria labyrinthiformis
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 % Cover Playa Mujeres – Isla de Mona
Mona 20m
70
Monitoring Years: 60 2000 50 2008 2009 40
%Cover 30
20 -71 %
10
0 Live Coral Sponges Benthic Algae Abiotic Gorgonians
Substrate Category Coral Species Mona 20m
Montastraea annularis -83%
Colpophyllia natans
Agaricia agaricites Monitoring Years:
2000 Porites astreoides 2008 2009
Diploria labyrinthiformis
Porites porites
Eusmilia fastigiata
0 5 10 15 20 25 % Cover Tourmaline 10m Coral Species
Montastraea annularis
Madracis mirabilis
Porites porites Monitoring Years:
Porites astreoides 1999
2004
Agaricia spp. 2005 2006
2007 Dendrogyra cylindrus 2008
2009 Colpophyllia natans
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 % Cover TourmarineTourmarine 30m 30 m - Mayaguez 60
50 Monitoring Years:
40 2004
2005
30 2006 % % Cover
20
10
0 Live Coral Sponges Benthic Algae Abiotic Gorgonians
Substrate Categories
Coral Species Torumarine 30m
Montastrea annularis
Agaricia lamarcki
Montastrea cavernosa
Agaricia agaricites Monitoring Years:
2004 Agaricia sp. 2005 2006
Stephanocoenia michelini
Madracis formosa
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 910 % Cover DesecheoPuerto 30m Canoas Reef 30 m - Desecheo 60
Monitoring Years: 50 (-23.1%/yr) 2004
40 2005 2006
30 % Cover 20
10
0 Live Coral Sponges Benthic Algae Abiotic Gorgonians
Substrate Categories
Coral Species Desecheo 30m
Montastrea annularis (-55.8%)
Colpophyllia natans
Agaricia agaricites
Porites astreoides Monitoring Years:
Eusmilia fastigiata 2004 2005 2006 Diploria strigosa
Agaricia lamarcki
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 % Cover TresTres Palmas 10mPalmas Reef 10 m - Rincon
80
70 Monitoring Years:
60 2004 2005 50 2006 40 % Cover % 30
20
10
0 Live Coral Sponges Benthic Algae Abiotic Gorgonians
Substrate Categories
Tres Palmas 10m Coral Species
Montastrea cavernosa
Porites astreoides
Montastrea annularis
Monitoring Years: Diploria labyrinthiformis 2004 2005 Doploria strigosa 2006
Colpophyllia natans
Siderastrea siderea
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 910 % Cover …The Future
Can M. annularis regain its lost space and ecological standing on Puertorrican reefs ?? Coral Species Desecheo 30m
Montastraea annularis
Colpophyllia natans
Agaricia agaricites
Porites astreoides Monitoring Years:
2004 Eusmilia fastigiata 2005 2006 Diploria strigosa 2007 2008 2009 Agaricia lamarcki
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
% Cover Coral Species Tourmaline 20m
Montastraea annularis
Montastraea cavernosa
Siderastrea siderea
Porites astreoides Monitoring Years:
2004
Madracis formosa 2005 2006 2007 Colpophyllia natans 2008 2009
Diploria labyrinthiformis
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 % Cover Derumbadero - Ponce Coral Species
Montastraea annularis
Agaricia agaricites
Porites astreoides Monitoring Years:
2001 Montastraea cavernosa 2005
2006
Acropora cervicornis 2007 2008
2009 Diploria labyrinthiformis
Diploria strigosa
0 5 10 15 20 25 % Coral Cover Caja de Muertos Coral Species
Montastraea annularis
Montastraea cavernosa
Agaricia agaricites
Colpophyllia natans Monitoring Years: Porites astreoides 1999 2005 Siderastrea radians 2006 2007 Stephanocoenia michelini 2008 2009 Porites porites
Siderastrea siderea
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 % Cover