Density-dependent settlement and mortality structure the earliest life phases of a coral population

Ecology
Mark J A Vermeij, Stuart A Sandin

Abstract

The local densities of heterospecifics and conspecifics are known to have profound effects on the dynamics of many benthic species, including rates of settlement and early post-settlement survivorship. We described the early life history of the Caribbean coral, Siderastrea radians by tracking the population dynamics from recently settled planulae to juveniles. Through three years of observation, settlement correlated with the abundance of other benthic organisms, principally turf algae (negatively) and crustose coralline algae (positively). In addition, adult density showed independent effects on coral settlement and early post-settlement survivorship. Settlement rates increased across low levels of adult cover and saturated at a maximum around 10% cover. Early post-settlement survivorship decreased with adult cover, revealing structuring density dependence in coral settlers. The earliest life stages of corals are defined by low survivorship, with survivorship increasing appreciably with colony size. However, recent settlers (one-polyp individuals, < 1-year-old) are more likely to grow into two-polyp juveniles than older single polyps (> 1-year-old) that were delayed in their development. The early benthic phase of corals is de...Continue Reading

References

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Citations

Oct 20, 2011·Oecologia·Stuart A Sandin, Dylan E McNamara
Nov 10, 2010·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Rebecca AlbrightChris Langdon
Dec 24, 2010·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Geerat J Vermeij
Aug 28, 2013·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Sean D ConnellBayden D Russell
Feb 2, 2013·PloS One·Neidy P Cetz-NavarroJuan P Carricart-Ganivet
Jun 14, 2013·PloS One·Myriam Lacharité, Anna Metaxas
Oct 1, 2014·Marine Pollution Bulletin·Robert van WoesikRichard B Aronson
Sep 20, 2015·Marine Pollution Bulletin·R JonesA P Negri
May 21, 2015·PloS One·Andrew G BaumanPeter D Steinberg
Jul 19, 2016·Royal Society Open Science·Yoan EynaudStuart A Sandin
Dec 24, 2017·Scientific Reports·Valérie F ChamberlandMark J A Vermeij
Oct 29, 2018·Ecology·Peter J EdmundsLorenzo Bramanti
Oct 27, 2017·Scientific Reports·Dexter W Dela Cruz, Peter L Harrison
Jun 3, 2017·Royal Society Open Science·Christopher DoropoulosRussell C Babcock
Sep 30, 2017·Scientific Reports·Francesca Fourney, Joana Figueiredo
Nov 25, 2020·PloS One·Dexter W Dela Cruz, Peter L Harrison
Nov 21, 2019·Marine Pollution Bulletin·Cecilia Conaco, Patrick C Cabaitan
Nov 19, 2020·Royal Society Open Science·Stuart A SandinDylan E McNamara
Mar 4, 2021·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·Shafia ZahraTom M Fayle
Mar 23, 2021·Ecology Letters·Allison G DedrickMalin L Pinsky
Apr 15, 2021·Marine Environmental Research·Damian P ThomsonAndrew S Hoey
Feb 9, 2013·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Aaron M DufaultPeter J Edmunds

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