Abstract
As the impact of anthropogenic activity and climate change continue to accelerate rates of degradation on Caribbean coral reefs, conservation and restoration faces greater challenges. At at this stage, of particular importance in coral reefs, is to recognize and to understand the structural spatial patterns of benthic assemblages. We developed a field-based framework of a Caribbean reefscape benthic structure by using hermatypic corals as an indicator group of global biodiversity and bio-construction patterns in eleven reefs of the northern sector of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (nsMBRS). Four hundred and seventy four video-transects (50 m long by 0.4 m wide) were performed throughout a gradient of reef complexity from north to south (∼400 km) to identify coral species, families and ensembles of corals. Composition and abundance of species, families and ensembles showed differences among reefs. In the northern zone, the reefs had shallow, partial reef developments with low diversities, dominated by Acropora palmata, Siderastrea spp., Pseudodiploria strigosa and Agaricia tenuifolia. In the central and southern zones, reefs presented extensive developments, high habitat heterogeneity, and the greatest diversity and dominance of Orbicella annularis and Orbicella faveolata. These two species determined the structure and diversity of corals in the central and southern zones of the nsMBRS and their bio-construction in these zones is unique in the Caribbean. Their abundance and distribution depended on the reef habitat area, topographic complexity and species richness. Orbicella species complex were crucial for maintaining the biodiversity and bio-construction of the central and southern zones while A. palmata in the northern zones of the nsMBRS.
Highlights
Compared to other marine ecosystems, coral reefs possess the greatest taxonomic and functional diversity of the planet, due to the structural complexity of their habitats, which generate multiple ecological niches for thousands of associated species (Jackson et al, 2001)
The present study shows the importance of the function that O. annularis and O. faveolata present in shaping the structure and diversity of the coral assemblages of the nsMBRS at species, family and ensemble level
The structure and diversity of their coral assemblages are related to higher reef habitat area, live coral cover and topographic complexity values
Summary
Compared to other marine ecosystems, coral reefs possess the greatest taxonomic and functional diversity of the planet, due to the structural complexity of their habitats, which generate multiple ecological niches for thousands of associated species (Jackson et al, 2001) This biodiversity favors reef stability and provides benefits for people, including alimentary and economic resources such as tourism, fisheries and coastal protection (Bellwood et al, 2004). Within the Western Atlantic, the reefs of the northern sector of the nsMBRS are under chronic stress from human activities and natural disturbances such as hurricanes and massive tourism (Núñez-Lara et al, 2005; Bozec et al, 2008; Healthy Reefs, 2012). The ecological studies in this sector have increased in recent decades, in the community structure of different biological assemblages (e.g. NúñezLara et al, 2005; Reyes-Bonilla et al, 2014), the contribution of alpha, beta and gamma diversity of reef fish (Arias-González et al, 2008; Rodríguez-Zaragoza and Arias-González, 2008), key ecological drivers (Arias-González et al, 2011), the effects of biodiversity loss (Acosta-González et al, 2013), reef architectural complexity assessments (Alvarez-Filip et al, 2011), and trophic functioning (e.g., Arias-González et al, 2004; Alva-Basurto and Arias-González, 2014)
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