Effects of the 1982-83 El Nino Event on Tropical, Eastern Pacific Coral Reefs: Disturbance, Recovery and Retrospective Analyses

1982-83年的厄尔尼诺南方涛动事件对东太平洋珊瑚礁造成了史无前例的灾难性扰动。在这一事件发生后，对珊瑚礁的干扰仍在继续，并可能加速。再加上珊瑚使用量低，珊瑚礁的恢复很可能需要很多年的时间。1983年至1984年(史密森学会支持)和1985至1987年(国家科学基金会支持)，一个由拉丁美洲和北美同事和学生组成的团队在哥斯达黎加、巴拿马和厄瓜多尔(加拉帕戈斯群岛)调查了这一地区骚乱的生态影响和原因(S)。该提案侧重于珊瑚礁恢复、干扰过程本身，以及将由一个多学科的国际小组研究的回溯性分析。将研究的次要或延迟的干扰影响是：(A)破坏生物屏障，使捕食者(Acanthaster Planci)进入珊瑚捕食者的庇护所，(B)捕食者(珊瑚)集中在幸存的珊瑚猎物上，(C)厄尔尼诺事件后海胆对受损的珊瑚礁框架的生物侵蚀，(D)受损的大块珊瑚的珊瑚种群，以及(E)小自私/海胆/珊瑚与大规模珊瑚生存之间的相互作用。恢复过程将主要研究钙化生物(珊瑚和珊瑚藻类)在以前被占领的珊瑚礁表面的招募情况，包括检查斑块大小、殖民者的特征(无性繁殖或有性繁殖)以及周围物种的相对丰富度。还将对至少可追溯到1601年的珊瑚岩芯进行回溯性研究(年代学、氧和碳稳定同位素分析、镉分析和荧光带状模式)，以提供ENSO扰动的长期记录。由于主要的厄尔尼诺扰动很可能是反复发生的事件，这些信息应该为理解控制热带东太平洋珊瑚礁发育和分布的过程提供坚实的基础。

The severe 1982-83 ENSO (El Nino Southern Oscillation) event caused historically unprecedented and catastrophic disturbances to the Eastern Pacific coral reefs. In the aftermath of this event, disturbances to the reefs have continued and may have accelerated. Coupled with low coral recruitment, reef recovery could well take many years. The ecological effects and cause(s) of this regional disturbance have been investigated by a team of Latin and North American colleagues and students in Costa Rica, Panama, and Ecuador (Galapagos Islands) from 1983 to 1984 (Smithsonian Institution support) and from 1985 to 1987 (NSF support). This proposal focuses on coral reef recovery, disturbance processes per se, and retrospective analyses to be studied by a multidisciplinary, international team. Secondary or delayed disturbance effects that will be studied are (a) the disruption of biotic barriers allowing predator (Acanthaster planci) entry to coral prey refugia, (b) predator (corallivore) concentration on surviving coral prey, (c) post-El Nino sea urchin bioerosion of damaged reef frames, (d) damselfish colonization of damaged massive corals, and (e) damselfish/sea urchin/corallivore interactions vis-a-vis massive coral survival. Recovery processes will be studied chiefly with respect to the recruitment of calcifying organisms (corals and coralline algae) onto formerly occupied reef surfaces including examiniation of patch size, character of colonists (asexual or sexual propagules), and relative abundances of surrounding species. Retrospective studies (sclerochronology, oxygen and carbon stable isotope analyses, cadmium analysis, and fluorescent banding patterns) will also be performed on coral cores dating back at least to 1601 to provide a long-term record of ENSO disturbances. Since it is likely that major El Nino disturbances are recurring events, such information should provide a firm basis for understanding the processes controlling coral reef development and distribution in the tropical eastern Pacific.