Scleractinian Species Research Articles

The global significance of Scleractinian corals without photoendosymbiosis

Globally tropical Scleractinian corals have been a focal point for discussions on the impact of a changing climate on marine ecosystems and biodiversity. Research into tropical Scleractinian corals, particularly the role and breakdown of photoendosymbiosis in response to warming, has been prolific in recent decades. However, research into their subtropical, temperate, cold- and deep-water counterparts, whose number is dominated by corals without photoendosymbiosis, has not been as prolific. Approximately 50% of Scleractinian corals (> 700 species) do not maintain photoendosymbiosis and as such, do not rely upon the products of photosynthesis for homeostasis. Some species also have variable partnerships with photendosymbionts depending on life history and ecological niche. Here we undertake a systematic map of literature on Scleractinian corals without, or with variable, photoendosymbiosis. In doing so we identify 482 publications spanning 5 decades. In mapping research effort, we find publications have been sporadic over time, predominately focusing on a limited number of species, with greater research effort directed towards deep-water species. We find only 141 species have been studied, with approximately 30% of the total identified research effort directed toward a single species, Desmophyllum pertusum, highlighting significant knowledge gaps into Scleractinian diversity. We find similar limitations to studied locations, with 78 identified from the global data, of which only few represent most research outputs. We also identified inconsistencies with terminology used to describe Scleractinia without photoendosymbiosis, likely contributing to difficulties in accounting for their role and contribution to marine ecosystems. We propose that the terminology requires re-evaluation to allow further systematic assessment of literature, and to ensure it’s consistent with changes implemented for photoendosymbiotic corals. Finally, we find that knowledge gaps identified over 20 years ago are still present for most aphotoendosymbiotic Scleractinian species, and we show data deficiencies remain regarding their function, biodiversity and the impacts of anthropogenic stressors.

How long have we been mistaken? Multi-tools shedding light into the systematics of the widespread deep-water genus Madrepora Linnaeus, 1758 (Scleractinia)

Deep-water coral reefs are found worldwide and harbor biodiversity levels that are comparable to their shallow-water counterparts. However, the genetic diversity and population structure of deep-water species remain poorly explored, and historical taxonomical issues still need to be resolved. Here we used microsatellite markers as well as ultraconserved elements (UCE) and exons to shed light on the population structure, genetic diversity, and phylogenetic position of the genus Madrepora, which contains M. oculata, one of the most widespread scleractinian species. Population structure of 107 samples from three Southwestern Atlantic sedimentary basins revealed the occurrence of a cryptic species, herein named M. piresae sp. nov. (authored by Kitahara, Capel and Zilberberg), which can be found in sympatry with M. oculata. Phylogeny reconstructions based on 134 UCEs and exon regions corroborated the population genetic data, with the recovery of two well-supported groups, and reinforced the polyphyly of the family Oculinidae. In order to better accommodate the genus Madrepora, while reducing taxonomical confusion associated with the name Madreporidae, we propose the monogeneric family Bathyporidae fam. nov. (authored by Kitahara, Capel, Zilberberg and Cairns). Our findings advance the knowledge on the widespread deep-water genus Madrepora, resolve a long-standing question regarding the phylogenetic position of the genus, and highlight the need of a worldwide review of the genus.

Distribution and Condition of Hard Coral (Scleractinian) Species in the Waters of Airlouw and Seri Village

The waters of Air Louw and Seri Village are located in the southern part of Ambon Island and are classified as high in human activity due to their high biodiversity. In Airlouw waters, beach and marine tourism activities are part of the life of the local community, while Seri waters tend to be high in fishing activity. This condition can lead to the degradation of coral reef ecosystems, and we need a good database on the types of corals, their distribution, and the conditions of coral reef ecosystems. Data was collected by combining the Line Intercept Transect (LIT) and Photo Transect methods and carried out at 3 and 10 meters deep. The distribution of hard coral species at the two study sites resulted in 87 species of hard coral (Scleractinia) from 27 genera, 12 families. Fifty-seven scleractinian species were found at the intersection of the transect lines and 30 other species around the transect lines. In general, the condition of coral reefs at Airlouw station is classified as Medium (28. 25%), with the dominant growth forms at a depth of 3 m and 10 m being Acropora Branching and Coral Encrusting. At the Seri station, the condition of coral reefs is also categorized as moderate, namely 38. 25%, with the dominant growth forms, namely Coral Massive and Coral Branching. The condition of the coral reefs in both locations needs attention to manage the ecosystem further.

From genomics to integrative species delimitation? The case study of the Indo-Pacific Pocillopora corals

With the advent of genomics, sequencing thousands of loci from hundreds of individuals now appears feasible at reasonable costs, allowing complex phylogenies to be resolved. This is particularly relevant for cnidarians, for which insufficient data is available due to the small number of currently available markers and obscures species boundaries. Difficulties in inferring gene trees and morphological incongruences further blur the study and conservation of these organisms. Yet, can genomics alone be used to delimit species? Here, focusing on the coral genus Pocillopora, whose colonies play key roles in Indo-Pacific reef ecosystems but have challenged taxonomists for decades, we explored and discussed the usefulness of multiple criteria (genetics, morphology, biogeography and symbiosis ecology) to delimit species of this genus. Phylogenetic inferences, clustering approaches and species delimitation methods based on genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were first used to resolve Pocillopora phylogeny and propose genomic species hypotheses from 356 colonies sampled across the Indo-Pacific (western Indian Ocean, tropical southwestern Pacific and south-east Polynesia). These species hypotheses were then compared to other lines of evidence based on genetic, morphology, biogeography and symbiont associations. Out of 21 species hypotheses delimited by genomics, 13 were strongly supported by all approaches, while six could represent either undescribed species or nominal species that have been synonymised incorrectly. Altogether, our results support (1) the obsolescence of macromorphology (i.e., overall colony and branches shape) but the relevance of micromorphology (i.e., corallite structures) to refine Pocillopora species boundaries, (2) the relevance of the mtORF (coupled with other markers in some cases) as a diagnostic marker of most species, (3) the requirement of molecular identification when species identity of colonies is absolutely necessary to interpret results, as morphology can blur species identification in the field, and (4) the need for a taxonomic revision of the genus Pocillopora. These results give new insights into the usefulness of multiple criteria for resolving Pocillopora, and more widely, scleractinian species boundaries, and will ultimately contribute to the taxonomic revision of this genus and the conservation of its species.

Thermal performance with depth: Comparison of a mesophotic scleractinian and an antipatharian species subjected to internal waves in Mo'orea, French Polynesia

Local thermal environment has a strong influence on the physiology of marine ectotherms. This is particularly relevant for tropical organisms living close to their thermal optimum, well exemplified by the increasing frequency of bleaching occurrence in shallow-water corals. Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems (MCEs) were suggested as potential oases, especially when they are submitted to internal waves inducing short-term cooling events. Indeed, probability of bleaching occurrence in scleractinians was reported to decrease with depth in Mo'orea as temperature variability increases. However, ecophysiological data are currently lacking to understand the cause of lower susceptibility/increased plasticity of deeper corals. A growing interest has been devoted the last decade to MCEs, but our understanding of the physiological performance of benthic organisms living in this environment remains relatively unexplored. To tackle that question, we first compared the metabolic responses (dark respiration, net photosynthesis and photosynthetic efficiency) of the depth-generalist scleractinian Pachyseris speciosa from two heterogeneous thermal environment (25 and 85 m depths) to acute heat stress to determine if the local thermal environment could predict coral response to warming. Then, we tested the thermal performance of two sympatric species (the scleractinian P. speciosa and the antipatharian Stichopathes sp.) to determine if there are inter-species differences in performances in species experiencing identical levels of temperature variability, at mesophotic depths (85 m). Results revealed broader thermal performances in the mesophotic P. speciosa compared to mid-depth ones, and constrained performances in the mesophotic antipatharian compared to the scleractinian species. We hypothesize that the high fluctuations in temperature due to internal waves in deeper areas contribute to the broader thermal performances of mesophotic P. speciosa. However, the constrained performances of the mesophotic antipatharian compared to P. speciosa suggests that other processes than the symbiosis with zooxanthellae also influence thermal performances of these mesophotic organisms. Our results supported that Stichopathes sp. lives close to its thermal optimum, suggesting a (relatively) cold thermal specialist strategy. In this context, composition of MCEs in the future is unlikely to shift to antipatharian-dominated landscape and will remain coral-dominated landscape.

Scleractinian recruits on natural and artificial substrates in temporary sediment-challenged coastal water of Bangkalan, Madura Island, Indonesia

Recruitment of coral juveniles could serve as indicator for potential of coral reef recovery and is a critical process in supporting population as well as facilitating recovery after event of disturbance. However, sediments suspended in the water column and settling on to reef surface can negatively influence the distributions and abundances of reef-building corals, including altering the settlement patterns and survival of coral larvae and new recruits. In this study, we compared the density and diversity of Scleractinian recruits on natural substrate and artificial reef (made of concrete; 2 years after deployment) in the relatively turbid water of Sepulu coastal water, Bangkalan – Madura Island, East Java. Observation of stony coral recruits were conducted in-situ at depth of 3-4 meter in two locations. At the end of the study, we identified 18 species of Scleractinians from 10 genera and 7 families; dominated by Goniopora (F. Poritidae), Galaxea (F. Euphyllidae) and Goniastrea (F. Merulinidae). There was no difference in term of species richness and composition among locations and type of substrate. However, in both locations, more recruits grown in concrete artificial reef (15.2±2.61 - 18.3±2.91 unit/m2) compared to natural substrate (4±1.25 - 4.1±1.29 unit/m2), respectively. These findings suggest that concrete artificial reef is applicable for coral reef restoration and rehabilitation in temporary turbid coastal water by providing suitable substrate for larval recruitments.

3D-Representations for studying deep-sea coral habitats in the Lacaze-Duthiers Canyon, from geological settings to individual specimens

The Lacaze-Duthiers Canyon is located in the western Mediterranean Sea and is long known for hosting cold-water coral colonies in the canyon head region at depths ranging from 250 to 550 m. In 2019 during the CALADU cruise, three kinds of 3D-reconstructions were applied to better understand the distribution of coral colonies, their habitat and their skeleton morphologies.The canyon's flanks were mapped using a hull-mounted echosounder and an ROV multibeam echosounder. Digital terrain models were built with resolutions of 5 and 1 m and examined in three dimensions. ROV bathymetric data collected on the canyon's flanks made it possible to highlight a series of sub-parallel structures identified as lithified sedimentary strata along which coral colonies grow.Coral assemblages were explored at four locations and photographic images were assembled using structure from motion techniques to build photogrammetric models. Coral assemblages reconstructed in 3D enabled geo-localizing and recreating coral colonies on 16 models over a total area of 4370 m2. Two colonial species, Madrepora oculata and Desmophyllum pertusum were plotted and reported on bathymetric models to interpret their location at the scale of the canyon. The coordinates and depth of the colonies were used to calculate the vertical distribution (limited to our small bathymetric exploration, between 339 and 214 m depth) and density of populations (up to 4.3 colonies per m2). The spatial coverage of the 16 assemblages measured between 100 and 600 m2 each. The sizes of the colonies were measured to analyze the population structures of both species (mean sizes of 28 cm for D. pertusum and 18 cm for M. oculata, maximum sizes 1 m and 0.5 m, respectively, bushes 2.5 m long). In addition, lost fishing gears were quantified, longlines measured and their densities calculated (0.16 m/m2, up to 0.30 m/m2). An area with exuberant orange colonies of D. pertusum was discovered for the first time in the Lacaze-Duthiers Canyon.Five deep-sea scleractinian species were collected and micro-tomographic scans computed to view their intrinsic skeleton organization. Micro-CT scans of M. oculata, D. pertusum, Desmophyllum dianthus, Caryophyllia smithii, and Dendrophyllia cornigera enabled longitudinal and transversal cuts, highlighting morphological criteria for species identification and the multidirectional examination of specimens. We observed a thin canal connecting calices along the axis of D. pertusum colonies, and separate calices along the axis of M. oculata colonies.

Effects of water movement and sedimentation on the community structure of scleractinian corals, St. John, Virgin Islands (United States)

The community structure o f corals o f Yawzi Point and Lesser Lameshur Bay, St. John, U.S.V.I. was defined in terms of species, number of colonies, percentage of living cover, Shannon and Weaver’s diversity index, and Pielou’s index of evenness. Transects o f 10 meters long were used in the present study. They were located at four and six meters depth at both sites. Yawzi Point proved to have lower sedimentation rates (6.4 mg/cm2/day) and greater water movement. This site showed a greater number of species and colonies as well as a higher percentage of coverage and diversity index (% cover = 53 and 57% and H’n= 2.156 and 2.253 for both depths, respectively). Lesser Lameshur Bay has higher sedimentation rates (9.6 mg/cm2/day) and lower water movement. This site displayed lower number o f species and colonies as well as inferior percentage of cover (% cover =31.8 and 31.4 % and H’n= 1.670 and 1.732 for both depths, respectively). It is suggested that sedimentation and water movement affect the structure of studied communities. A total number o f 22 scleractinian species were found in the area; the four most common species were Montastrea annularis, Porites astreoides and Agaricia agaricites, as well as the hydrozoan Millepora alcicornis.

Sun coral management effectiveness in a wildlife refuge from south‐eastern Brazil

Abstract The introduction of exotic species is one of the major causes for biodiversity loss in marine environments. Introduced species can change habitat complexity, impacting local communities and altering ecosystem functioning. Since the 1980s, the scleractinian species Tubastraea coccinea and Tubastraea. tagusensis (commonly known as sun corals) have been spreading in the south‐western Atlantic, posing a major threat to local biodiversity and marine ecosystems. Nowadays, these species are reported from more than 3,500 km along the Brazilian coast and on at least 21 oil and gas offshore platforms. Considering the great environmental pressure resulting from sun coral invasion, this study verified the effectiveness of manual removal of Tubastraea spp. along a rocky shore in Alcatrazes Wildlife Refuge, one of the most pristine marine regions in Brazil. Results indicate that removal is indeed effective as a control technique; however, as invaders have high regeneration capabilities and recruitment rates, successive management efforts are essential. In order for management to be effective against Tubastraea's year‐round release of clonal larvae, results suggest invaded areas should receive at least two management actions per year. Successive management efforts, in addition to the development of new techniques and prevention of new invasions should be priorities for mitigating sun coral impacts.

Impacts of a changing environment on marginal coral reefs in the Tropical Southwestern Atlantic

The peculiar shallow-water reefs of the Tropical Southwestern Atlantic Ocean have thrived in conditions considered suboptimal (e.g., moderate turbidity, higher level of nutrients, and resuspension of sediments) under the optics of classical coral reefs. Recently, these marginal reefs have been hypothesized to provide climate-change refugia from natural and anthropogenic impacts; yet with little empirical evidence. Therefore, in this article we discuss the known effects of multiple pressures on the Brazilian reefs. A wide evaluation of the peer reviewed literature reported that bleaching events affected 26 species of scleractinians, hydrocorals, octocorals, and zoanthids in turbid-zone reefs over the last 26 years (1994–2020) in the Tropical SW Atlantic Brazil. Between 1994 and 2018 no species suffered post-bleaching mass mortality. However, the recent and intense heatwaves of 2019 and 2020 caused higher mortality rates in several key foundation corals (e.g., Millepora alcicornis, Millepora braziliensis, and Mussismilia harttii) showing that the SW Atlantic reefs are not long-term protected and universal refuges. Moreover, other direct and indirect human pressures threaten these tropical reefs. Local and regional (e.g., pollution and fisheries) and large-scale pressures (e.g., global warming and marine heatwaves) act simultaneously on the health of these reefs, which intensifies negative species-specific impacts. We outline the occurrence of pressures that have been important factors responsible for the reduction in species richness and reef fish biomass, changing geo-ecological functions, altered reef composition and dominant morpho-functional groups, as well as phase shifts. Along with large-scale climatic changes, such as heatwaves, fisheries, urbanization, mining disasters, oil spills, increased sedimentation, increased warming, marine debris, contamination by domestic, agricultural, and industrial effluents, and introduction of invasive species are likely the most severe pressures on Brazilian reefs. We discuss that the “Brazilian reef refuge hypothesis” could be partially applied for some stress-tolerant massive corals during acute disturbances (short-term refuge); yet should not be assumed as a reef ecosystem-wide feature under ongoing environmental change. Therefore, we argue that it is essential to alleviate the main local and regional human impacts and to adopt resilient-based management strategies at local and global scales to protect the low-functional redundancy and higher endemism of these unique marginal coral reefs.

Fine Scale Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of the Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease Outbreak Within the Lower Florida Keys

One of the latest threats to Florida’s Coral Reef is the stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) outbreak which affects all but a few Caribbean scleractinian species and has spread throughout the Caribbean since 2014. Without a known pathogen, ecological studies of disease dynamics are essential for understanding SCTLD susceptibility at the individual colony and reef level. We investigated the epizootiology of the SCTLD outbreak in the lower Florida Keys at two spatial scales (among reefs ∼1 km and within reefs <10 m) over a 19 month period. In May 2018, three sites absent of SCTLD were established to characterize coral demographics (i.e., live tissue cover and colony diameter) along an offshore to nearshore gradient, and were subsequently surveyed for disease every 2–3 weeks until December 2019. SCTLD was first noted within the offshore and mid-channel reef sites in early October 2018 and later appeared at the nearshore site in early February 2019. SCTLD was negatively correlated with thermal stress, showing reduced progression and incidence rates after 2–3 weeks of water temperatures above the mean monthly maximum temperature for the region (i.e., 2–3 degree heating weeks). Although Pseudodiploria strigosa, Dichocoenia stokesii, Colpophyllia natans, and Diploria labyrinthiformis were the most susceptible species at our sites, areas with more Montastraea cavernosa and Orbicella faveolata colonies had higher prevalence and greater tissue loss associated with disease. The disease was more severe within quadrats with high species diversity, high coral cover, and disproportionately affected larger colonies. Our spatial analyses suggest that (1) SCTLD followed a contagious disease model within small (<10 m) spatial scales, (2) colonies within 1.5–3 m of a diseased coral were at higher risk for subsequently showing disease signs compared with those farther away, and (3) high incidence rates coincided with the loss of small scale (<10 m radius) spatial clustering, suggesting pulses of contagious spread on large spatial scales.

Lipid biomarkers reveal the trophic plasticity of octocorals along a depth gradient

AbstractSymbiotic octocorals are important reef inhabitants, from shallow to mesophotic depths. However, information regarding their nutritional ecology along the depth gradient, and in particular the changes in the autotrophic and heterotrophic acquisition of nutrients, is limited, despite the fact that nutrient acquisition is a fundamental process in explaining the distribution of reef organisms. Here, the abundance of three lipid biomarkers, specific for autotrophy and heterotrophy, was investigated in the tissue of four octocoral species and one scleractinian sampled in shallow and upper mesophotic reefs of the oligotrophic Northern Red Sea. Our findings show functional mixotrophy for all dinoflagellate‐bearing species, with a significant input of heterotrophic feeding on herbivorous crustacean zooplankton at both depths. The relatively high level of the heterotrophic marker in all symbiotic species in shallow conditions does not corroborate the common idea that corals rely mostly on autotrophy in shallow waters. The increase in heterotrophic capacity with depth was however species‐specific, likely related to physiological and morphological characteristics. In addition, octocorals maintained similar concentrations of autotrophic markers with increasing depth, while the scleractinian species exhibited a decrease in these markers with depth. These results are in agreement with previous measurements of photosynthetically‐fixed carbon acquisition, suggesting that autotrophy remains stable in Red sea soft corals, whereas it decreases in scleractinian corals. This study highlights the importance of heterotrophy across the euphotic‐upper mesophotic depth gradient and brings relevant advances on our understanding of the ecological significance of feeding for reef corals.

Large-scale and long-term distribution of corals in the gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea of Mexico and adjacent areas: Corals distribution in Mexico and adjacent areas

Hard coral distribution varies across temporal and geographical scales. Distribution of scleractinian corals was analyzed in 59 reefs in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea of Mexico in two seasons 27 years apart. Data was collected by photography along 20 meter long transects placed at 10 m depth intervals over a 0–50 m depth range. Abundance data was generated by sampling 31 random points in each photographic image. A total of 62 hard coral species were identified. Overall abundance decreased by 67.17% between the two sampling periods. Abundance values were highest at Cozumel Island in the first period and at Chinchorro Bank in the second. Most (91%) of the sampling sites exhibited declines in abundance ranging from 2 to 99.25%. Different scleractinian species experienced declines from 3.72 to 98.7%, although Tubastrea coccinea increased by 16.6% and Porites astreoides by 1430.3%. Based on the Importance Value Index, dominance was highest for Manicina areolata (10.07%) in the first period and Orbicella annularis (10.49%) in the second. Species richness decreased at 67.79% of the sites and diversity at 57.62% of them; however, average diversity values varied minimally between the two periods (3.22–3.14 Bits/Ind.). In both periods, coral species exhibited peaks of higher richness and diversity at the sampled oceanic reefs in the Caribbean Sea. Analysis of site association with the Bray–Curtis index showed strong affinities among sites in the Gulf of Mexico and among those in the Caribbean Sea, although in the latter some differentiation existed between oceanic and coastal reefs. Non-metric scaling analysis showed species spatial distribution to be in well-defined groups that remain intact in both periods.

Evolution of Protein-Mediated Biomineralization in Scleractinian Corals.

While recent strides have been made in understanding the biological process by which stony corals calcify, much remains to be revealed, including the ubiquity across taxa of specific biomolecules involved. Several proteins associated with this process have been identified through proteomic profiling of the skeletal organic matrix (SOM) extracted from three scleractinian species. However, the evolutionary history of this putative “biomineralization toolkit,” including the appearance of these proteins’ throughout metazoan evolution, remains to be resolved. Here we used a phylogenetic approach to examine the evolution of the known scleractinians’ SOM proteins across the Metazoa. Our analysis reveals an evolutionary process dominated by the co-option of genes that originated before the cnidarian diversification. Each one of the three species appears to express a unique set of the more ancient genes, representing the independent co-option of SOM proteins, as well as a substantial proportion of proteins that evolved independently. In addition, in some instances, the different species expressed multiple orthologous proteins sharing the same evolutionary history. Furthermore, the non-random clustering of multiple SOM proteins within scleractinian-specific branches suggests the conservation of protein function between distinct species for what we posit is part of the scleractinian “core biomineralization toolkit.” This “core set” contains proteins that are likely fundamental to the scleractinian biomineralization mechanism. From this analysis, we infer that the scleractinians’ ability to calcify was achieved primarily through multiple lineage-specific protein expansions, which resulted in a new functional role that was not present in the parent gene.

An Indo-Pacific coral spawning database

The discovery of multi-species synchronous spawning of scleractinian corals on the Great Barrier Reef in the 1980s stimulated an extraordinary effort to document spawning times in other parts of the globe. Unfortunately, most of these data remain unpublished which limits our understanding of regional and global reproductive patterns. The Coral Spawning Database (CSD) collates much of these disparate data into a single place. The CSD includes 6178 observations (3085 of which were unpublished) of the time or day of spawning for over 300 scleractinian species in 61 genera from 101 sites in the Indo-Pacific. The goal of the CSD is to provide open access to coral spawning data to accelerate our understanding of coral reproductive biology and to provide a baseline against which to evaluate any future changes in reproductive phenology.

Polyp bailout and reattachment of the abundant Caribbean octocoral Eunicea flexuosa

Anthozoans exhibit great plasticity in their responses to stressful conditions, including decreasing individual size, detaching from the substratum and relocating, and releasing endosymbiotic microalgae. Another response to stress used by some colonial anthozoans is polyp bailout, in which the coenenchyme breaks down and individual polyps detach from the colony. We observed polyp bailout in the common Caribbean gorgonian Eunicea flexuosa after 8 h of aerial exposure. After 9 days, 28% of bailed-out polyps reattached, although none opened to resume feeding. Polyp bailout is a costly and high-risk escape response, but reattachment indicates that this can be a genet-saving behavior in cases where whole-colony mortality is likely. While it has been described in two octocorals, several species of scleractinians, and one black coral, we still do not know how widespread this behavior is in anthozoans.

Spatial distribution of coral communities on fringing reefs at Tioman Island Marine Park, Malaysia

Monitoring coral health status is important for effective reef ecosystem management. The present study aimed to determine the coral condition and distribution at twenty sites around Tioman Island Marine Park (TIMP), Malaysia. The Coral Video Transect (CVT) method was used to survey coral, and the Coral Point Count with Excel extension (CPCe) software was used to analyse images for identification and coral coverage measurement. The findings indicate that TIMP reefs had a mean live coral cover of 48.0% ± 0.7, suggesting they were in ‘fair’ coral condition. A total of 254 species, spanning 61 genera and 15 families of scleractinian coral were identified across all reef sites. Following the recent taxonomic classification, coral surveys and past studies revealed 355 species from 67 genera and 15 families of scleractinian coral with additional 30 new species records for TIMP, and 15 for the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Overall, 29 identified scleractinian species are considered rare, 86 vulnerable, and 3 are endangered. Current data also recorded 77 genera from 24 families of hard and soft corals with Acropora, Montipora and Porites predominantly found in reef assemblages. Overall, it can be concluded that the extensive coastal development and widespread tourism activities may have influenced the variations in coral condition and distribution in this Marine Park.

New report of shallow water scleractinians from the Pliocene of Siena

Three species of scleractinians belonging to the genera Hoplangia Gosse, 1860, PhyllangiaMilne Edwards et Haime, 1848and Thalamophyllia Duchassaing, 1870 are reported. For Ho-plangia and Thalamophyllia this is the first report from the Mediterranean Pliocene. The threespecies were linked to hard or detrital bottoms of the infralittoral zone.

The role of geomorphic zonation in long-term changes in coral-community structure on a Caribbean fringing reef.

Ecological processes on coral reefs commonly have limited spatial and temporal scales and may not be recorded in their long-term geological history. The widespread degradation of Caribbean coral reefs over the last 40 years therefore provides an opportunity to assess the impact of more significant ecological changes on the geological and geomorphic structure of reefs. Here, we document the changing ecology of communities in a coral reef seascape within the context of its geomorphic zonation. By comparing basic ecological indices between historical and modern data we show that in 35 years the reef-front zone was transformed from a complex coral assemblage with a three-dimensional structure, to a size-homogenized and flattened one that is quasi indistinguishable from the adjacent non-accretional coral-ground zone. Today coral assemblages at Punta Maroma are characterized by the dominance of opportunistic species which are either tolerant to adverse environmental conditions, including sedimentation, or are known to be the first scleractinian species to recruit on disturbed reefs, implying they reflect a post-hurricane stage of adjustment. Despite an increase in similarity in ecological indices, the reef-front and coral-ground geomorphic zones still retain significant differences in coral assemblages and benthic habitat and are not homogeneous. The partial convergence of coral assemblages certainly has important consequences for the ecology and geological viability of the reef and its role in coastal protection, but environmental physical drivers continue to exert a fundamental role in the character and zonation of benthic communities of this reef seascape.

Global‐scale genetic structure of a cosmopolitan cold‐water coral species

Abstract When considering widely distributed marine organisms with low dispersal capabilities, there is often an implication that the distribution of cosmopolitan species is an artefact of taxonomy, constrained by the absence of characters for delimiting either sibling or cryptic species. Few studies have assessed the relationship among populations across the global range of the species' distribution, and the presence of oceanographic barriers that might influence gene flow among populations are underestimated. In this study, evolutionary and ecological drivers of connectivity patterns have been inferred among populations of the cold‐water coral Desmophyllum dianthus, a common and widespread solitary scleractinian species, whose reproduction strategy and larval dispersal are still poorly unknown. The genetic structure of D. dianthus was explored using 30 microsatellites in 347 specimens from 13 localities distributed in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Results clearly reveal genetically differentiated populations in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres (FST = 0.16, FSC = 0.01, FCT = 0.15, P‐values highly significant), and Chilean and New Zealand populations with independent genetic profiles. Marine connectivity patterns at different spatial scales are discussed to characterize larval dispersal and gene flow through the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.