Recovery of an Isolated Coral Reef System Following Severe Disturbance
Recovery of an Isolated Coral Reef System Following Severe Disturbance
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DOI：
10.1126/science.1232310
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发表时间：
2013-04-05
期刊：
影响因子：
56.9
通讯作者：
Pratchett, Morgan S.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Gilmour, James P.;Smith, Luke D.;Pratchett, Morgan S.
珊瑚礁恢复主要干扰假设取决于从附近的未受干扰的珊瑚礁的繁殖体的到来。因此，被距离或水流模式隔离的珊瑚礁被认为非常容易受到灾难性的干扰。我们发现，在澳大利亚西北部的一个孤立的珊瑚礁系统中，珊瑚白化事件发生后的12年内，珊瑚覆盖率从9%增加到44%，尽管白化后6年内幼虫供应量减少了94%。珊瑚覆盖率最初的增加是由于残余菌落的高增长率和存活率，随后随着菌落成熟，幼鱼补充迅速增加。我们发现，孤立的珊瑚礁可以从重大干扰中恢复，并且它们与慢性人为压力隔离的好处可以超过有限连通性的成本。
Coral reef recovery from major disturbance is hypothesized to depend on the arrival of propagules from nearby undisturbed reefs. Therefore, reefs isolated by distance or current patterns are thought to be highly vulnerable to catastrophic disturbance. We found that on an isolated reef system in north Western Australia, coral cover increased from 9% to 44% within 12 years of a coral bleaching event, despite a 94% reduction in larval supply for 6 years after the bleaching. The initial increase in coral cover was the result of high rates of growth and survival of remnant colonies, followed by a rapid increase in juvenile recruitment as colonies matured. We show that isolated reefs can recover from major disturbance, and that the benefits of their isolation from chronic anthropogenic pressures can outweigh the costs of limited connectivity.