Demographic Monitoring of juvenile Acropora spp. in the Florida Keys 2002-2004

Caribbean acroporid species have undergone extreme declines in abundance since the 1980s. Population-level recovery will depend on re-colonization by juveniles (fragments or sexual recruits), which are particularly vulnerable to threats such as predation and disease. Demographic monitoring of juvenile Acropora cervicornis and A. palmata colonies was undertaken in the Florida Keys (USA) to determine the fate of various initial colony conditions as expressed by growth and survivorship over an 18 month study. Both healthy colonies and those with signs of recent predation or disease were selected at several sites, measured, photographed and reassessed periodically between summer 2002 and winter 2003-04. Most A. palmata colonies (72%) that were initially healthy were still healthy at the study's conclusion. Snail (Coralliophila abbreviata) predation resulted in partial mortality which decreased growth for A. palmata. Snail-infested colonies tended to retain snails for several months to a year. White-band disease affected several colonies throughout the survey but did not result in complete mortality of any tagged colonies. Only half of the initially healthy A. cervicornis colonies remained healthy, while 38% lost substantial tissue or died of a rapidly progressing disease of unknown etiology. Predation by the fireworm Hermodice carunculata was extremely common. Although it was associated with relatively little live tissue loss, it is postulated to have profound effects on growth since it feeds selectively on the growing tips. Regardless of initial condition, A. cervicornis lost substantial tissue more often than A. palmata suggesting that A. cervicornis may be even more imperiled than its congener.

To determine the fate of juvenile colonies exposed to a variety of natural threats.

Loaded by FGDC Metadata Uploader, batch 5810, 04-14-2015 08:23

The following FGDC sections are not currently supported in InPort, but were preserved and will be included in the FGDC export:

- Taxonomy (FGDC:taxonomy)

Taxonomy:

Keywords/Taxon:

Taxonomic_Keyword_Thesaurus: none

Taxonomic_Keywords: elkhorn corals

Taxonomic_Keywords: staghorn corals

Taxonomic_Keywords: coral snails

Taxonomic_Keywords: boring sponges

Taxonomic_Keywords: fireworm

Taxonomic_System:

Classification_System/Authority:

Classification_System_Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: ITIS organization and partners: U.S. Department of Agriculture; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; U.S. Geological Survey; Smithsonian Institution; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; National Biological Information Infrastructure; Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; U.S. National Park Service; Conabio (Comisión nacional para el conocimiento y uso de la biodiversidad - Mexico)

Publication_Date: 20020602

Publication_Time: Unknown

Title: Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)

Edition: None

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Database

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: World Wide Web at URL: http://www.itis.usda.gov/itis_query.html

Publisher: Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) organization and partners

Classification_System_Modifications: A species list is provided in the original data files, but not all species were observed during the study. Only those species identified during the surveys are included in this metadata record. Higher level taxonomy of species was completed, and species synonyms were noted, FOR THIS METADATA RECORD ONLY at the NODC using the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) in conjunction with additional taxonomic and museum references as required. No originator data has been altered at the NODC; higher level taxonomy is added at the NODC to selected biological metadata records as an aid to search engines which utilize metadata.

Taxonomic_Procedures: The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was used to detemine complete classifications.

Taxonomic_Keyword: Acropora palmata, Acropora cervicornis, Coralliophila abbreviata, Hermodice carunculata

General_Taxonomic_Coverage: Florida Reef Tract

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Kingdoms

Taxon_Rank_Value: Animalia

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Kingdom

Taxon_Rank_Value: Animalia

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Phylum

Taxon_Rank_Value: Cnidaria

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Class

Taxon_Rank_Value: Anthozoa

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Order

Taxon_Rank_Value: Scleractinia

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Family

Taxon_Rank_Value: Acroporidae

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Genus

Taxon_Rank_Value: Acropora

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Species

Taxon_Rank_Value: Acropora palmata

Applicable_Common_Name: elkhorn coral

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Species

Taxon_Rank_Value: Acropora cervicornis

Applicable_Common_Name: staghorn coral

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Phylum

Taxon_Rank_Value: Mollusca

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Class

Taxon_Rank_Value: Gastropoda

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Order

Taxon_Rank_Value: Neogastropoda

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Family

Taxon_Rank_Value: Coralliophilidae

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Genus

Taxon_Rank_Value: Coralliophila

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Species

Taxon_Rank_Value: Coralliophila abbreviata

Applicable_Common_Name: short coral snail

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Phylum

Taxon_Rank_Value: Annelida

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Class

Taxon_Rank_Value: Polychaeta

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Order

Taxon_Rank_Value: Aciculata

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Family

Taxon_Rank_Value: Amphinomidae

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Genus

Taxon_Rank_Value: Hermodice

Taxonomic_Classification:

Taxon_Rank_Name: Species

Taxon_Rank_Value: Hermodice carunculata

Applicable_Common_Name: Fireworm

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