Benthic structure and cryptic mortality in a Caribbean mesophotic coral reef bank system, the Hind Bank Marine Conservation District, U.S. Virgin Islands
Benthic structure and cryptic mortality in a Caribbean mesophotic coral reef bank system, the Hind Bank Marine Conservation District, U.S. Virgin Islands
复制标题
美属维尔京群岛 Hind Bank 海洋保护区加勒比中光珊瑚礁岸系统的底栖结构和神秘死亡率
作者：
Tyler B. Smith;J. Blondeau;R. Nemeth;Simon J. Pittman;Simon J. Pittman;J. Calnan;E. Kadison;J. Gass
珊瑚礁岸滩可能构成加勒比中游珊瑚生态系统的一个重要组成部分，但相对于浅层珊瑚礁和斜坡和墙壁上的中游生境，珊瑚礁岸滩的开发仍然很少。因此，构建中生珊瑚礁群落的过程，特别是干扰的作用，还没有得到很好的了解。对一个具有区域重要性的大型中层系统--美国西弗吉尼亚州圣托马斯的Hind Bank海洋保护区(MCD)进行了系统调查。数据被用来为MCD建立一个全面的底栖生境地图，描述生境中底栖动物的非生物和生物成分，并调查生境中珊瑚健康的模式。MCD的三分之二(23.6万平方公里)被发现是致密的珊瑚礁(珊瑚礁覆盖率=24.1%)，以Montastraea Cirularis物种复合体为主。珊瑚礁生态系统地形复杂，但可分为不同的生境类型，包括高珊瑚礁(占MCD的35.8%)和两种新的大型珊瑚礁生境类型，分别对应于一个极其平坦的盆地(18%)和一个高皱纹丘状盆地(6.5%)，其中包含数千个珊瑚丘(2-10米高)。47%的珊瑚礁发生了未描述死亡迹象的极端疾病事件，并在受影响地区达到高患病率(42.4%±66.3SE，N=0.26)。该疾病明显聚集在MCD西部的盆地栖息地(全球Moran‘s I=0.32，P<；)。对空间格局的观察表明，驱动因素是盆地生境特有的，可能是由连贯的非生物事件引起的。
Coral reef banks may form an important component of mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) in the Caribbean, but remain poorly explored relative to shallower reefs and mesophotic habitats on slopes and walls. Consequently, the processes structuring mesophotic coral reef communities are not well understood, particularly the role of disturbance. A large and regionally important mesophotic system, the Hind Bank Marine Conservation District (MCD), St. Thomas, USVI, was systematically surveyed. Data were used to construct a comprehensive benthic habitat map for the MCD, describe the abiotic and biotic components of the benthos among habitats, and investigate patterns of coral health among habitats. Two-thirds of the MCD (23.6 km2) was found to be dense coral reef (Coral Cover = 24.1%) dominated by the Montastraea annularis species complex. Coral reef ecosystems were topographically complex, but could be classified into distinct habitat types, including high coral banks (35.8% of the MCD) and two large novel coral reef habitat types corresponding to an extremely flat basin (18%) and a highly rugose hillock basin (6.5%), containing thousands of coral knolls (2–10 m high). An extreme disease event with undescribed signs of mortality occurred on 47% of coral reefs and reached a high prevalence in affected areas (42.4% ± 6.3 SE, N = 26). The disease was significantly clustered in the basin habitats of the western MCD (global Moran’s I = 0.32, P < 0.01). Observations of the spatial pattern suggested that the driver was specific to the basin habitats and may have been caused by a coherent abiotic event.
保护后恢复中的美属维尔京群岛红后肢产卵聚集的种群特征。
影响因子：
2.5
作者：
Nemeth,RichardS
通讯作者：
Nemeth,RichardS