Journal article
Partial mortality of intertidal corals due to seasonal daytime low water levels at the Houtman Abrolhos Islands
Coral Reefs, Vol.39, pp.537-543
2020
Abstract
Extensive partial mortality of intertidal corals was observed at the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia, associated with extended and recurrent daytime low water levels from September to November 2018. Branching Acropora corals on shallow leeward reef platforms were emersed during the middle of day during the Austral spring due to diurnal tidal influences, seasonal mean sea-level minima associated with the southward flowing Leeuwin Current and interannual variability related to the El Niño–Southern Oscillation. Pre-emersion total live coral cover was estimated to be ~ 35%, dominated by Acropora (~ 24%). Post-emersion, live Acropora cover decreased to 11.1% (± 1.5 SE) and total cover to 21.7% (± 0.8 SE). Mortality of non-acroporid corals which were lower in the water column was not observed. Partial coral mortality associated with seasonal low tides and interannual variability in mean sea level is a universal process and under-reported driver of temporal variability in coral cover on intertidal reef platforms.
Details
- Title
- Partial mortality of intertidal corals due to seasonal daytime low water levels at the Houtman Abrolhos Islands
- Authors/Creators
- J. Buckee (Author/Creator) - Murdoch UniversityC. Pattiaratchi (Author/Creator) - The University of Western AustraliaJ. Verduin (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
- Publication Details
- Coral Reefs, Vol.39, pp.537-543
- Publisher
- Springer Verlag
- Identifiers
- 991005541326307891
- Copyright
- © 2019 Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems; Harry Butler Institute; School of Environmental and Conservation Sciences
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Citation topics
- 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
- 3.2 Marine Biology
- 3.2.570 Coral Reef Ecology
- Web Of Science research areas
- Marine & Freshwater Biology
- ESI research areas
- Plant & Animal Science