Can organisms associated with live scleractinian corals be used as indicators of coral reef status?
Journal
Atoll Research Bulletin
Journal Volume
566
Pages
1â 18
Date Issued
2008
Author(s)
Scaps, Patrick
Abstract
With the intention of knowing if coral associates can be used as indicators of coral reef status, we studied organisms associated with live scleractinian corals on different sites located around Hoga and Kaledupa islands in the Tukang Besi Archipelago of the south-eastern coast of Sulawesi in the Banda Sea, in Indonesia. Twenty meter long line intercept transects were used to estimate the number of coral colonies infested by coral associates. The number of coral associates found on each coral colony on the transect was recorded and corals were identified to the most precise level. Massive and encrusting coral colonies were also measured in order to estimate the densities of infestation per square meter of coral colonies. To link the assemblages of coral associates observed with the characteristics of the benthic habitats, the coral cover was estimated using a 0.5 m point intercept transect method. Three hundred seventy-six colonies (45%) were infested by a total of 2,815 coral associates. In total, coral associates amounted to 2,062 lithophagid bivalves (73% of total coral infestations), 306 dwelling hermit crabs of the genus Paguritta (10.9%) and 242 vermetid snail Dendropoma maxima (8.6 %). The most infested colonies belonged to the genera Montipora, Pavona and Porites. They represented 33%, 23% and 18% of the total number of colonies infested respectively. The highest densities of infestation were found for the boring Lithophaga spp. for which a density of 88 ind/m2 was noticed in encrusting corals of the genus Pavona. The density of lithophagid bivalves and the number of infested colonies were high in the most impacted site (Sampela) and one of the intermediately impacted site (Pak Kasim's) whereas they were low in the most pristine site (Kaledupa). The other intermediately impacted site (Buoy 3) had an intermediate number of infestations. Despite the lack of any significant difference in biotic cover between the most pristine site and the intermediately impacted sites, a common gradient tends to emerge based on coral associates. Although having a high biotic cover, Pak Kasim's suffers from a similar level of infestation as Sampela suggesting process of reef degradation previously experienced by the most impacted site. Our results suggest that coral associates can be used as indicators of coral reef status.
SDGs
Type
journal article