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Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are widely used to protect at-risk ecosystems. This study employed a combined method to quantify the protection performance on coral reef habitats, integrating coral morphology and topographic relief in the rugosity index. In the Weizhou Island reef in the northern South China Sea, after six years of protection, the no-take areas (NTAs) hosted a greater live coral cover (11.7%) compared to the no-protection areas (NPAs, 6.9%), but had a lower rugosity (1.17) than both the NPAs and the habitat protection areas, suggesting that while MPAs enhance coral cover, their benefits for habitat structural complexity may remain insignificant in the short term (six years). In the NTAs, the contribution of live corals to habitat complexity (28.3%) was lower than that of rubbles (34.4%). Moreover, slow-growing massive corals (e.g., Porites lutea), which usually have low rugosity, contributed a larger portion (up to 20%) to habitat complexity. In contrast, fast-growing, structural complex arborescent corals (e.g., Acropora pruinosa) had a limited contribution (2.3%). Foliose corals, which dominated the coral community also have lower rugosity (1.2 ~ 1.3) compared to massive and arborescent corals, presumably due to phenotypic plasticity in response to specific environmental conditions. This study suggests that prioritizing coral species composition, especially corals with high rugosity, is important for effective reef framework reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coral reefs off the coast of the Republic of Sudan are still considered to be among the most pristine reefs in the central Red Sea. The complex coastal fringing reefs, offshore banks, and shoals of Dungonab Bay in the north and Sanganeb atoll situated further to the south, about 23 km off the Sudanese mainland coast, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2016. Due to their remote location and limited access, monitoring of the status of the reefs has been sporadic. Here, we present the results of a repeated large area photomosaic survey (5 m × 5 m plots) on the Sanganeb atoll, first established and surveyed in 1980, and revisited in 1991 and most recently in 2019. The 2019 survey recovered and reinstated the four original monitoring plots. Evaluation of photographic and video records from one photomosaic plot on the seaward slope of the atoll revealed general continuity of the overall community structure and composition over 39 years. Individual colonies of Echinopora gemmacea and Lobophyllia erythraea were recorded in the exact same positions as in the 1980 and 1991 plots. The genera Acropora and Pocillopora remain dominant, although in altered proportions. Shifts in composition were detected at the species level (e.g., increase in Pocillopora verrucosa, Stylophora pistillata, Acropora hemprichii, Dipsastraea pallida, and Echinopora gemmacea, decrease in Acropora cytherea and A. superba), in addition to changes in the extent of uncolonized substrate (e.g., increase from 43.9% in 1980 to 52.2% in 2019), and other scleractinian, hydrozoan, and soft coral living cover. While the temporal resolution only includes three sampling events over 39 years (1980, 1991, 2019), this study presents one of the longest time series of benthic community surveys available for the entire Red Sea. A semi-quantitative estimate of vertical reef growth in the studied test plot indicates a reduction in net accretion rates of more than 80%, from 2.27 to 2.72 cm/yr between 1980 and 1991 to 0.28–0.42 cm/yr between 1991 and 2019. We carefully conclude that the changes observed in the coral community in the plot in 2019 (Acropora–Pocillopora shift, increase in Montipora and calcareous algae) are representative of impacts at the community level, including rising sea surface temperatures and recent bleaching events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high diversity and biomass of organisms associated with coral communities depend directly on the maintenance or changes in the benthic composition. Over a decade, we evaluated the spatiotemporal variation in the benthic structure and composition of an insular coral community in the Northeastern Tropical Pacific. Our results show that local conditions drive spatiotemporal differences, and benthic organisms such as sponges, crustose coralline algae, octocorals, and hydrocorals all increased in abundance (cover) in response to negative thermal anomalies caused by the 2010–2011 La Niña event. In contrast, abnormally high temperatures, such as those recorded during the 2015–2016 El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event, explain the loss of scleractinian corals and crustose coralline algae coverage, which reduced the benthic groups' richness (BGR), diversity (H'BG), and evenness (J'BG), with evidence of a consequent decrease in ecosystem function recorded the following year. Our analysis also showed that sites with high habitat heterogeneity harbored higher average BRG and H'BG values and were less affected by environmental fluctuations than sites with high live scleractinian coral cover and lower BRG and H'BG values. Therefore, the benthic structure was impacted differently by the same perturbation, and changes in the benthic community composition affected the groups associated with the community and ecological functions. More importantly, regional stressors such as the ENSO event caused only temporary changes in the benthic community structure, demonstrating the high resilience of the community to annual and interannual stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive coral bleaching events can result in catastrophic degradation of coral reefs and reorganization of coral communities. In the present study, we analyzed the spatial differences in coral bleaching and possible reasons of large-scale coral bleaching, based on the results of a survey carried out in the northern South China Sea in 2020. In addition, we have continuously monitored the sea surface temperature (SST) of the northernmost Weizhou Island for more than six years. The living coral cover at Weizhou Island (W), Xuwen Nature Reserve (X), and Haihua Island (H) was relatively high at 24.6% ± 4.8%, 12.1% ± 3.8%, and 8.1% ± 2.6%, respectively, whereas their bleaching rates were 9.7% ± 2.6%, 9.7% ± 3.3%, and 6.9% ± 2.1%, respectively. Among them, the living coral cover of W was significantly different from those of X and H, whereas the bleaching rate was not significantly different among the three areas. In all three areas, the massive and encrusting corals predominate and exhibit relatively high bleaching rates, with Porites lutea and Bernardpora stutchburyi being the dominant species. In addition, the temperature monitoring results of Weizhou Island for six consecutive years showed that the critical SST of coral bleaching was 31.5 ℃. The monitoring results also showed that the average SST of Weizhou Island was 32.1 ℃, exceeding 32 ℃ in July 2020 for up to 533 h. The longest continuous time when the SST exceeded 32 ℃ was 97 h. These findings indicated that the coral bleaching event that occurred in the Beibu Gulf during 2020 was a large-scale and high-temperature transient event that presented a relatively homogeneous threat to the coral communities. We inferred that this sudden heat stress event was caused by the enclosed tidal current in the Beibu Gulf, which prevented the southern upwelling from reaching the north, as well as by the inability of the SST to decrease without rainfall caused by typhoon cyclones. Our findings suggested that abnormal heat waves can result in coral bleaching at high latitudes and even coral reef degradation. Furthermore, our study provides a new perspective for investigating the self-recovery and reorganization of coral communities following accumulated coral bleaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high diversity and biomass of organisms associated with coral communities depend directly on the maintenance or changes in the benthic composition. Over a decade, we evaluated the spatiotemporal variation in the benthic structure and composition of an insular coral community in the Northeastern Tropical Pacific. Our results show that local conditions drive spatiotemporal differences, and benthic organisms such as sponges, crustose coralline algae, octocorals, and hydrocorals all increased in abundance (cover) in response to negative thermal anomalies caused by the 2010–2011 La Niña event. In contrast, abnormally high temperatures, such as those recorded during the 2015–2016 El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event, explain the loss of scleractinian corals and crustose coralline algae coverage, which reduced the benthic groups’ richness (BGR), diversity (H’BG), and evenness (J’BG), with evidence of a consequent decrease in ecosystem function recorded the following year. Our analysis also showed that sites with high habitat heterogeneity harbored higher average BRG and H’BG values and were less affected by environmental fluctuations than sites with high live scleractinian coral cover and lower BRG and H’BG values. Therefore, the benthic structure was impacted differently by the same perturbation, and changes in the benthic community composition affected the groups associated with the community and ecological functions. More importantly, regional stressors such as the ENSO event caused only temporary changes in the benthic community structure, demonstrating the high resilience of the community to annual and interannual stressors.

Coral reefs off the coast of the Republic of Sudan are still considered to be among the most pristine reefs in the central Red Sea. The complex coastal fringing reefs, offshore banks, and shoals of Dungonab Bay in the north and Sanganeb atoll situated further to the south, about 23 km off the Sudanese mainland coast, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2016. Due to their remote location and limited access, monitoring of the status of the reefs has been sporadic. Here, we present the results of a repeated large area photomosaic survey (5 m × 5 m plots) on the Sanganeb atoll, first established and surveyed in 1980, and revisited in 1991 and most recently in 2019. The 2019 survey recovered and reinstated the four original monitoring plots. Evaluation of photographic and video records from one photomosaic plot on the seaward slope of the atoll revealed general continuity of the overall community structure and composition over 39 years. Individual colonies of Echinopora gemmacea and Lobophyllia erythraea were recorded in the exact same positions as in the 1980 and 1991 plots. The genera Acropora and Pocillopora remain dominant, although in altered proportions. Shifts in composition were detected at the species level (e.g., increase in Pocillopora verrucosa, Stylophora pistillata, Acropora hemprichii, Dipsastraea pallida, and Echinopora gemmacea, decrease in Acropora cytherea and A. superba), in addition to changes in the extent of uncolonized substrate (e.g., increase from 43.9% in 1980 to 52.2% in 2019), and other scleractinian, hydrozoan, and soft coral living cover. While the temporal resolution only includes three sampling events over 39 years (1980, 1991, 2019), this study presents one of the longest time series of benthic community surveys available for the entire Red Sea. A semi-quantitative estimate of vertical reef growth in the studied test plot indicates a reduction in net accretion rates of more than 80%, from 2.27 to 2.72 cm/yr between 1980 and 1991 to 0.28–0.42 cm/yr between 1991 and 2019. We carefully conclude that the changes observed in the coral community in the plot in 2019 (Acropora–Pocillopora shift, increase in Montipora and calcareous algae) are representative of impacts at the community level, including rising sea surface temperatures and recent bleaching events.

Simple Summary: The Xuwen coral reef, as a potential refuge for corals to adapt to high-temperature migration, is an ideal "laboratory" to determine the impact of human activities on coral reef ecology in the northern South China Sea (NSCS). Global warming, coastal eutrophication and the decrease in herbivores has influenced coral reef degradation; compared with human activities, global climate change is the stronger influence on coral reef degradation on a large scale. For the Xuwen coral reef, which is in the coastal zone, anthropogenic stressors are more significant to the rapid degradation of its coral reef ecosystems. Under these circumstances, more evidence is required to understand the response of high-latitude reefs under natural and anthropogenic stresses. In this study, we investigated the ecological features of the scleractinian coral assemblage and their correlation with environmental factors on the Xuwen coral reef in 2020. Based on the data acquired by investigation and the implementation of statistical analysis methods, potential environmental conditions favoring coral communities in Xuwen were summarized. These results of the survey are expected to provide a basis for bridging the gap between economic development and sustainable management. Taking the coral communities of the Xuwen coral reef in 2020 as the research object, we analyzed the species composition, diversity, and interspecific Spearman correlation of the scleractinian coral communities, investigated the features and spatial distribution of the scleractinian coral community, and discussed the correlation between the community composition and environmental factors to identify the affecting factors and their sources. These results showed that (1) compared with the survey in 2004, the coverage of corals in 2020 had significantly decreased, while the dominant genera were still Goniopora and Porites. The coral morphology was massive, and the diversity of the coral community (Shannon–Wiener index, H') was 2.87. The distribution of coral was uneven. The competition among some dominant species of coral was intense. (2) The mass coral bleaching event in the NSCS in August 2020 did not cause severe coral death in the short term on the Xuwen coral reef. (3) The growth of the coral community in 2020 might be greatly affected by high suspended solids and nutrient levels, which were related to the current, mariculture, and coastal erosion. (4) Anthropogenic activities such as coastal aquaculture and fishing were the major factors leading to the reduction in coral coverage on Xuwen coral reef in the past 10 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clipperton, an uninhabited and remote coral atoll from the Eastern Pacific, is an important steppingstone area that harbors a high marine biodiversity. Despite its biogeographic importance, little information on the ecological status of its coral reefs is available from the last decade. Herein, we characterized the benthic coral community and health status among four different shallow reef-zones (North to South) of Clipperton during the Tara Pacific expedition in 2018. The benthic composition (expressed as coverage percentage), as well as occurrence of potential disease-like phenotypes, in particular a pink-spotted coral phenotype was assessed. Average live coral cover on Clipperton reefs was 66% (range 55–85%), differing between sites, with massive Porites and branching Pocillopora corals dominating the benthic community with an average 48% (32–66%), and 15% (3–21%), respectively. While Clipperton reefs exhibited significant live coral cover overall, and no other disease-like phenotypic were observed, the pink-spotted coral phenotype was common, with a higher occurrence in massive corals (Porites 27%, and Pavona 31%). This observation may be related to the combined effects of previously heatwaves, and local inputs of guano-derived nutrients discharged during storms and hurricanes, which may suggest that even highly remote reefs supporting high coral cover can be subject to local and global threats. An alternative hypothesis is that the observation of a healthy reef with high coral cover and high incidence of pink-spotted coral phenotype in the absence of other diseases might reflect potential infection with the parasitic trematode Podocotyloides stenometra. While this hypothesis will have to be confirmed by histological and molecular analysis, it may be possible that larvae of this trematode may experience favorable conditions due to periodic nutrient input frorm the nutrient-rich lagoon or via guano run-off of Clipperton Island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking the coral communities of the Xuwen coral reef in 2020 as the research object, we analyzed the species composition, diversity, and interspecific Spearman correlation of the scleractinian coral communities, investigated the features and spatial distribution of the scleractinian coral community, and discussed the correlation between the community composition and environmental factors to identify the affecting factors and their sources. These results showed that (1) compared with the survey in 2004, the coverage of corals in 2020 had significantly decreased, while the dominant genera were still Goniopora and Porites. The coral morphology was massive, and the diversity of the coral community (Shannon–Wiener index, H’) was 2.87. The distribution of coral was uneven. The competition among some dominant species of coral was intense. (2) The mass coral bleaching event in the NSCS in August 2020 did not cause severe coral death in the short term on the Xuwen coral reef. (3) The growth of the coral community in 2020 might be greatly affected by high suspended solids and nutrient levels, which were related to the current, mariculture, and coastal erosion. (4) Anthropogenic activities such as coastal aquaculture and fishing were the major factors leading to the reduction in coral coverage on Xuwen coral reef in the past 10 years.

Coral reefs of Grand Bahama and New Providence islands in The Bahamas have been surveyed several times over the past decade, and long-term monitoring indicates declines in coral cover associated with hurricanes, bleaching events, and local threats. However, the greatest declines in coral populations in The Bahamas over the past decade may be attributed to the recent introduction of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD). In 2019, a comprehensive assessment of both islands was conducted using Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) methods to characterize reefs before SCTLD was reported in The Bahamas. Following reports of SCTLD in late 2019, timed roving diver assessments of corals were conducted for Grand Bahama in March 2020 and New Providence in June 2020 to determine which species were affected by the disease and the proportion of corals that were healthy, infected with SCTLD, and those that appeared to have experienced recent mortality for the most abundant intermediate or highly susceptible species. Additional surveys were conducted for both islands in January 2021 to further assess the extent of the outbreak, and repeated assessments of several sites for each island were used to determine the impact of the disease on corals over the previous 6.5 to 10.5 months. Infection rates varied among species following patterns described for Florida and elsewhere, with higher infection rates occurring in vulnerable species for both Grand Bahama and New Providence. Pseudodiploria strigosa appears to be the most affected species with 45.6% of colonies on Grand Bahama infected and 23.1% infected on New Providence and recent mortality rates of 31.5 and 42.7%, respectively, at the time of surveys. Spatial patterns of mortality and infection rates for the most vulnerable species were greatest close to international commercial shipping ports on both islands, suggesting SCTLD has been present in those locations for a longer time, and the proportion of healthy colonies increased with distance from the port. For Grand Bahama, there was also a significant effect of depth, with shallow reefs having a higher proportion of colonies that was infected or experienced recent mortality. For New Providence, sites to the east of the port saw a sharp decline in infection and mortality rates with distance compared to sites west of the port, where nearly the entire coastline was affected by SCTLD. Temporal analyses showed an increase in recent mortality and a decrease in active infection for most species on both islands, but little change in the proportion of healthy corals, suggesting some degree of resistance to the disease. Because Freeport and Nassau are the two largest container ports in The Bahamas and are over 200 km apart with multiple islands between them where SCTLD has not yet been reported, it is probable that SCTLD arrived in The Bahamas via commercial shipping, followed by rapid spread within islands via local currents and other vectors. Results from this study stress the need for early detection and suggest that preventing the spread of the disease between islands via vessel traffic is of utmost importance.

This article provides raw datasets of the coral reefs status in Pulau Bidong, southern of South China Sea before and after being strike by the tropical storm Pabuk on January 2019. Data were collected using a rapid coral survey method called Coral Video Transect (CVT) technique. The data were collected along a 100 m transect line set up parallel to the shoreline and at a constant depth. In total, eight transects were surveyed during both periods (pre – August 2016, post – March 2019). Back in laboratory, the footage was then extracted into non-overlapping frames or still images prior to image analysis using Coral Point Count with Excel Extension (CPCe) software. The benthic coral reefs relative percentage cover was automatically generated after the image analysis and represented by five major categories; live coral (C), algae (ALG), other invertebrates (OT), dead coral (DC), and sand silt and rock (SR). Live coral cover was identified up to the genus level. This raw dataset was used in this article. The data provided in this article could be of significant use for future studies especially on coral recovery after the natural disturbances. It can provide a baseline assessment especially for coral reefs management as well as to comprehend changes in coral health status in the face of natural and anthropogenic disturbances. The data presented here support the information in the article Safuan et al. (2020).

Studies of inshore and offshore coral reef systems usually conclude that there are fundamental differences between them assuming that terrigenous influences diminish with distance from the mainland. However, with few exceptions reefs in Thailand are fringing reefs around continental islands, whether inshore or offshore. We describe patterns in coral community composition along a 70 km transect from the mainland to offshore islands in the southern Andaman Sea. We found that coral assemblages are comprised of two basic types. Differences in coral assemblages were associated with obviously different environmental conditions, including underwater visibility and level of suspended matter, which were not always aligned with distance from the mainland. While reef communities were quite variable between sites, the inshore coral assemblages tended to be characterized by higher numbers of Montipora, Pectinia, Podabacia, and Acropora compared to reefs around offshore islands. Offshore reefs were characterized by a relatively high number of Lobophyllia and Plerogyra colonies. The expected relationship between water quality and sensitive indicator groups like Acropora did not materialize with Acropora and Montipora being more common inshore. While there were strong inshore-offshore reef habitat differences in environmental conditions and reef communities in southern Thailand, they were not consistent with expectations from the literature.

Kepulauan Seribu is a well-known destination of marine tourism in Indonesia. Inevitably, the place has been affected by human activities. Hence it is important to preserve and conserve the area so as it is still suitable for reef community to grow and develop. One of the methods to evaluate the feasibility for reef environment is calculated by FoRAM Index (FI) values. Benthic foraminifera as a tool for environmental bioindicators were collected from 15 marine surface sediment samples in the vicinity areas of Kotok Besar, Kotok Kecil and Karang Bongkok islands in Kepulauan Seribu to assess the FI values. Approximately 20 genera of benthic foraminifera were found in the study area. The genera are dominated by Amphistegina and Calcarina along with Operculina, Quinqueloculina, Peneroplis, and Discorbis. The finding signifies reef flat environment as the dominant morphology, although the presence of fore slope is also observed particularly at the western part of Kotok Besar island. The assemblages of Operculina and Quinqueloculina suggest that the abundance of benthic foraminifera is influenced not only by the morphology of seafloor, but also by tidal current and terrestrial influence. The FI formula using foraminifers found in the study area results values above 4, thus the area can be reviewed as a decent environment for reef growth and development.

Sediment load can influence both the population distribution and structures of coral reef communities. We investigated whether coral assemblages on inshore and more turbid reefs differ from those on offshore reefs in the largest coral reefs of the Southwest Atlantic. We compared inshore and offshore reefs (with different turbidity climatologies) in terms of benthic and coral assemblage structures, abundances and individual sizes of coral populations and recruitment patterns. Unexpectedly, the inshore reefs showed higher coral cover and abundance, larger colonies and more recruits. This finding is related to the predominance of sediment-tolerant species on the turbid reefs. In contrast, only Mussismilia braziliensis (main builder of Abrolhos) showed better performance (greater coverage, larger diameter and more recruits) on offshore reefs, apparently behaving as a strong competitor in less turbid environments. These results reinforce the recent thinking of coral reef of turbid environments as resistant ecosystems and potential refuges considering the unnatural increase of sediment supply. • Coastal and heavily turbid coral reefs of Abrolhos have robust coral communities. • These communities flourished due to great performance of sediment-tolerant species. • Coastal reefs show higher coral cover and abundance, larger colonies and more recruits. • Only one coral species performed better in less turbid coral reefs of Abrolhos. • We present a worrying scenario due to the increasing of sediment load worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Climate change and other anthropogenic disturbances are having dramatic impacts on tropical coral reefs and the ecosystem services they provide. Anticipating change in ecosystem services is a pressing challenge that requires understanding how species respond to an environmental change, and how they contribute to ecosystem services. Building on analogous efforts by plant ecologists, we propose a trait‐based framework that aims to predict the resistance and recovery of coral ecosystem services against both pulse and press disturbances. The framework involves identifying effect, resistance, and recovery traits across coral species and using these to ascertain how species might (1) contribute to a service, (2) resist disturbance, and (3) recover after the disturbance. By identifying trait functional overlaps and quantifying correlations among the trait types, the framework can yield a better understanding of the potential mechanistic links between community assembly, ecosystem dynamics, and ecosystem functioning. We demonstrate the utility of the framework by applying it to a virtual scenario, implemented via simulation, in which habitat provisioning is the focal ecosystem service, and cyclones and bleaching events are the disturbances of interest. This demonstration required us to assemble an extensive dataset of relevant traits—a process that revealed key gaps in the coral trait database and in our understanding of coral functional ecology. The framework can provide predictive power for the resilience of ecosystem services and can also help identify crucial knowledge gaps, research objectives, and strategies for applying a trait‐based approach to advancing coral reef science and conservation.

Coral reefs along the Malacca Straits (MS) are poorly developed mainly due to turbidity and sedimentation. This study describes the health status and community structure of the corals in Cape Rachado, West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia (WCPM), utilizing the Coral Video Transect (CVT) technique. All the survey transects were categorized as ‘fair’ coral conditions (27.39 ± 5.41%-48.56 ± 18.96%) with the reef floor mainly covered by corals and sediment. Twelve families of coral comprised of 25 distinct genera were identified. Coral communities were differentiated into four clusters with each being predominated by Galaxea, Diploastrea, Fungia and Pectinia respectively. Among all, Pectinia is the most spectacular genera and dominated the survey area. Along the MS, Favia, Favites and Porites are commonly found while Porites and Pectinia dominated the reefs. Low coral cover and diversity was recorded in MS as compared to the reefs in the South China Sea (SCS). The most prominent results include changes in the dominant coral from Porites to Pectinia while some species such as Acropora were absent from the study area. Based on the presented data, the reef in the study area was predominantly occupied by sediment and the coral communities were formed by a species with a high tolerance to turbidity and sedimentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and other anthropogenic disturbances are having dramatic impacts on tropical coral reefs and the ecosystem services they provide. Anticipating change in ecosystem services is a pressing challenge that requires understanding how species respond to an environmental change, and how they contribute to ecosystem services. Building on analogous efforts by plant ecologists, we propose a traitbased framework that aims to predict the resistance and recovery of coral ecosystem services against both pulse and press disturbances. The framework involves identifying effect, resistance, and recovery traits across coral species and using these to ascertain how species might (1) contribute to a service, (2) resist disturbance, and (3) recover after the disturbance. By identifying trait functional overlaps and quantifying correlations among the trait types, the framework can yield a better understanding of the potential mechanistic links between community assembly, ecosystem dynamics, and ecosystem functioning. We demonstrate the utility of the framework by applying it to a virtual scenario, implemented via simulation, in which habitat provisioning is the focal ecosystem service, and cyclones and bleaching events are the disturbances of interest. This demonstration required us to assemble an extensive dataset of relevant traits--a process that revealed key gaps in the coral trait database and in our understanding of coral functional ecology. The framework can provide predictive power for the resilience of ecosystem services and can also help identify crucial knowledge gaps, research objectives, and strategies for applying a trait-based approach to advancing coral reef science and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

S tudies of inshore and offshore coral reef systems usually conclude that there are fundamental differences between them assuming that terrigenous influences diminish with distance from the mainland. However, with few exceptions reefs in Thailand are fringing reefs around continental islands, whether inshore or offshore. We describe patterns in coral community composition along a 70 km transect from the mainland to offshore islands in the southern Andaman Sea. We found that coral assemblages are comprised of two basic types. Differences in coral assemblages were associated with obviously different environmental conditions, including underwater visibility and level of suspended matter, which were not always aligned with distance from the mainland. While reef communities were quite variable between sites, the inshore coral assemblages tended to be characterized by higher numbers of Montipora, Pectinia, Podabacia, and Acropora compared to reefs around offshore islands. Offshore reefs were characterized by a relatively high number of Lobophyllia and Plerogyra colonies. The expected relationship between water quality and sensitive indicator groups like Acropora did not materialize with Acropora and Montipora being more common inshore. While there were strong inshore-offshore reef habitat differences in environmental conditions and reef communities in southern Thailand, they were not consistent with expectations from the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coral cover at lower mesophotic depths (particularly >75 m) by zooxanthellate scleractinians is usually very scarce, largely due to the extremely low irradiance levels at these depths. An exception are the Leptoseris communities observed near the Hawaiian islands (Central Pacific) that form dense fields, supporting a broad range of associated organisms. Here, we describe a similar high-cover coral community at lower mesophotic depths, but in the Caribbean. The community was observed on the leeward side of Curaçao (Southern Caribbean) using a manned submersible ( Curasub), and was predominantly composed of plating Agaricia corals and an assemblage of reef fishes. Some of the fish species were known from similar depths at other localities, whereas others obtained new depth records. Future surveys are required to establish the extent of similar high-coral communities around Curaçao, and more broadly in the western Atlantic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding what determines spatio-temporal changes in echinoderm assemblages from an integrative perspective that considers biodiversity, species evenness, and species' niches could permit superior community-scale characterizations of habitat resilience to disturbance. Such an approach was taken herein by tracking a Central Mexican Pacific echinoderm assemblage between 2012 and 2021, and higher richness, diversity, evenness, and functional entity counts were associated with more heterogeneous benthic assemblages. Echinoderm taxonomic composition was influenced by ENSO events, with higher functional diversity found during La Niña events. Conservation strategies should focus on species with unique functional traits to maintain the balance of coral community functionality. • Echinoderms are essential in the coral community functionality. • Their assemblage and functional entities have spatio-temporal differences. • After a decade, functional and taxonomical indexes showed differences. • Regional and local conditions act in synergy to determine the echinoderm community. • Understanding the functional differences at species level should be a tool for post-ENSO scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

slas del Rosario and San Bernardo is a National Nature Park that protects coral reefs and mangroves but is increasingly affected by tourism. Between April 2011 and January 2013 we interviewed users of the 16 main submarine trails. The most frequented trail was Ministerio / Acuario mío (23,7 ± 5,7 %); Open Water scuba diving was the main diving certificate among tourists (63,5 ± 4,5 %); 58.6% lacked basic diving experience, and 74% had some type of contact with the corals (mostly hard coral: 0,9 ± 0,05). An average there were 5,39 contacts per diver (scuba). For basic diving there was an average of 0.18 contacts/ min/ diver. Diving causes direct and indirect damages to these ecosystems. Most coral contacts are from inexperienced divers: training the tourists is fundamental.

Sedimentation has previously been considered an important source of impact in coral reefs. We compared 3 sites on the Abrolhos Bank, Brazil, regarding sedimentation rates, carbonate sediment composition, coral cover, and colony size for the commonest local coral species (Mussismilia braziliensis, Siderastrea stellata, and Favia gravida). The sites are located at different distances from the mainland: Pedra de Leste (14 km), Pontas Sul (26 km), and Parcel dos Abrolhos (58 km). Sedimentation was higher in winter (p A sedimentação tem sido considerada uma importante fonte de impacto nos recifes de coral. Uma comparação entre as taxas de sedimentação, teor de carbonatos nos sedimentos, cobertura coralínea e tamanho de colônias de corais para as espécies mais comuns (Mussismilia braziliensis, Siderastrea stellata, e Favia gravida) foi realizada em 3 locais no Banco dos Abrolhos. Os locais representam um gradiente de distância da costa: Pedra de Leste (14 km), Pontas Sul (26 km) e Parcel dos Abrolhos (58 km). A sedimentação foi maior no inverno (p