Reply to Jordán-Garza et al.: Demographic dynamism as an additional mechanism of coral disease resistance

Abstract

We thank Jordan-Garza et al. (1) for their interest in our study (2). Contrary to their assertion, which was not supported by the cited study, recruitment can increase after coral mortality because of an easing of space limitation (3). Mass mortality of adults throughout a metapopulation could, in principle, deplete recruitment, but such limitation has not been demonstrated. We note the observation of stifled recruitment after the first epizootic in the population of Dichocoenia stokesii. It is not the rate at which recruits colonize empty space that drives the population turnover in our model, however. Population turnover is a function of average colony size, with large colonies having slower rates of turnover than small colonies. Epizootics decrease the mean colony size, thereby increasing mean population turnover.