Population status of Acropora palmata (Lamarck, 1816) in Cuban coral reefs

Abstract

Acropora palmata is the most important reef-building species in the crest biotopes in the Caribbean Sea. Their populations have been decimated in the last century by disease outbreaks, hurricanes and coral bleaching events. The species has been declared as threatened based on its wide-range decline and poor recovery. We evaluated the status of A. palmata populations across 41 shallow reefs (= sites) around the Cuban archipelago. Density, maximum diameter, and mortality percentage of A. palmata colonies were quantified as main metrics of status. Living coral cover (all species) and reef complexity per site were quantified as well. Metrics of A. palmata varied significantly among sites. A. palmata density was less than 5 colonies 10 m−1 except in one site and only three sites had dominance greater than 50% with respect to the rest of corals. The diameter of A. palmata colonies ranged from 10 to 600 cm, with 70% of sites having a median of less than 200 cm. The mortality was large, with 50% of the sites having more than 50% of mortality, and six sites having 100% mortality. The three sites with better apparent conditions after metric scores were determined were Faro de Cazones, Cayo Fragoso, and Baracoa. A. palmata populations had a bad or regular status in 38 out of 41 studied sites; but, the abundance of erect colonies in many of the sites favored the reef complexity and likely maintained its ecological functions. The low percentage of living coral tissue likely limits the reproductive potential of the species and hence the resiliency of reef crests. In conclusion, the overall status of the species in Cuban archipelago is bad.