Caught in the canopy: can coral larvae navigate seaweed canopies? (Old ID 27922)
Role
Principal Investigator
Description
Hard corals and fleshy macroalgae are two major benthic components of corals reefs, and the competition between these two groups can shape reef trajectories. Where coral reefs have been degraded through anthropogenic influences (climate change and local factors), the competitive interactions between coral and macroalgae are often increased in frequency and intensity. Given the range of known negative effects of macroalgae on corals, and in light of the climate crisis, it has been proposed that manual removal of macroalgae could help boost coral settlement and resilience on a local scale. Indeed, recent research has shown that the physical removal of macroalgae can triple the resulting recruitment of coral juveniles and drastically increase coral cover, and hence is a viable strategy for active reef management. However, it is not yet known what macroalgal mechanism (biochemical or physical) prevents coral juvenile success. It is also not known what level of algal reduction is needed to achieve reef rehabilitation outcomes. In this project, field data and aquarium-based experiments using different densities and heights of macroalgae will determine how macroalgae canopies affect coral recruitment, and will explicitly test the hypothesis that a physical barrier is responsible for preventing coral juveniles access to reef substrate, and could explain wide- scale patterns in recruitment failure on reefs worldwide.
Date
10 Feb 2023 - 31 Aug 2024
Project Type
N/A
Keywords
Macroalgae;Coral larvae;Reef restoration;Sargassum;Coral reef
Funding Body
Women Divers Hall of Fame
Amount
3616
Project Team
N/A