Submitted by Isaac Francisco de Souza Dias (isaac.souzadias@ufpe.br) on 2016-04-14T18:09:15Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) TESE Janine Farias da Silva.pdf: 1475107 bytes, checksum: 4d1189b8ec66d46612673c156a1b5ed2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-14T18:09:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) TESE Janine Farias da Silva.pdf: 1475107 bytes, checksum: 4d1189b8ec66d46612673c156a1b5ed2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-09-25 / FACEPE / Globalmente, estima-se que quase meio bilhão de pessoas vivem a menos de 100 quilômetros de ecossistemas recifais, beneficiando-se da produção e proteção que esses locais proporcionam. O impacto de mergulhadores e visitantes nesses ambientes inclui o contato com as nadadeiras provocando quebras dos corais e a ressuspensão do sedimento e o pisoteio e permanência sobre os recifes. Entre as espécies que melhor caracterizam os recifes de arenito brasileiros estão os zoantídeos Palythoa caribaeorum e Zoanthus sociatus, abundantes até mesmo em áreas com fluxo intenso de turistas, característica percebida em uma das praias mais visitadas do Brasil, a praia de Porto de Galinhas. O presente estudo avaliou a dinâmica ocupacional de Palythoa caribaeorum e Zoanthus sociatus e as estratégias adaptativas das espécies em recifes pernambucanos a partir da cobertura desses zoantídeos e variação dela no tempo e espaço tomando como base a taxa de crescimento e a capacidade adaptativa através da variação microanatômica em P. caribaeorum; e morfométrica em P. caribaeorum e Z. sociatus. Para resultados comparativos sobre a taxa de crescimento de P. caribaeorum foram utilizados colônias da praia de Suape. A cobertura de Zoanthus sociatus foi maior nos recifes pisoteado e não pisoteado de Porto de Galinhas e a altura, diâmetro e volume dos pólipos de Z. sociatus e P. caribaeorum sofreram alterações considerando localidade (recife pisoteado e não pisoteado e períodos seco e chuvoso). A espessura da mesogléia de P. caribaeorum foi a medida microanatômica que mais se notou variação entre os recifes, incluindo o infralitoral. Em relação ao crescimento das colônias de P. caribaeorum, não houve diferença entre as praias nem entre os recifes de Porto de Galinhas e no infralitoral, porém no período seco ocorreu uma diminuição na taxa de crescimento no recife pisoteado. O presente estudo confirma a ideia da alta plasticidade fenotípica de P. caribaeorum e Z. sociatus em resposta a distúrbios ambientais até mesmo em nível microanatômico em P. caribaeorum o qual garante o sucesso ocupacional das espécies. Também reforça o papel fundamental de P. caribaeorum na dinâmica de funcionamento dos recifes costeiros graças a seu crescimento rápido e contínuo, além de estratégias competitivas. / Globally, it is estimated that almost half a billion people live within 100 kilometers of a coral reef ecosystem, benefiting production and protection that this location provides. The impact of divers and visitors in these environments includes contact with fins causing breakage of corals and sediment resuspension and the trampling and remain on the reef. Among the best species that characterize Brazilian beachrocks are Palythoa caribaeorum and Zoanthus sociatus zoanthids, abundants in areas with heavy flow of tourists, realized in one of the most visited beaches of Brazil, Porto de Galinhas Beach. The present study examined the occupational dynamics of Palythoa caribaeorum and Zoanthus sociatus and adaptive strategies of species in Pernambuco reefs from covering these zoanthids and the variation of these in time and space based on both growth rate and adaptive capacity through microanatomic variation in P. caribaeorum; and morphometric in P. caribaeorum and Z. sociatus. For comparative results on the growth rate of P. caribaeorum colonies from Suape Beach were used. Coverage was higher in Zoanthus sociatus trampled and not trampled Porto de Galinhas reefs and the height, diameter and volume of polyps of Z. sociatus and P. caribaeorum unchanged considering location (trampled and not trampled reefs and dry and wet periods) . The thickness of the mesoglea of P. caribaeorum was the microanatomic variation more noted among the reefs, including infralittoral. Regarding the growth of P. caribaeorum colonies, there was no difference between the beaches or among the reefs of Porto de Galinhas and in the infralittoral, but in the dry season a decrease in growth rate occurred on trampled reef. The present study confirms the idea of high phenotypic plasticity of P. caribaeorum and Z. sociatus in response to environmental disturbances even in microanatomical level in P. caribaeorum which ensures occupational success of the species. It also reinforces the role of P. caribaeorum on dynamics of functioning of coastal reefs due its rapid and continuous growth beyond competitive strategies.

Submitted by Pedro Barros (pedro.silvabarros@ufpe.br) on 2018-09-21T21:05:30Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) DISSERTAÇÃO Liliana do Carmo Nascimento.pdf: 642680 bytes, checksum: 53593d034e9c078cec99f99e7e859559 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Alice Araujo (alice.caraujo@ufpe.br) on 2018-09-24T18:16:58Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) DISSERTAÇÃO Liliana do Carmo Nascimento.pdf: 642680 bytes, checksum: 53593d034e9c078cec99f99e7e859559 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-24T18:16:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) DISSERTAÇÃO Liliana do Carmo Nascimento.pdf: 642680 bytes, checksum: 53593d034e9c078cec99f99e7e859559 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-09-30 / CNPq / Carijoa riisei é um octocoral colonial de estrutura densamente arborescente que habita uma grande variedade de substratos e possui extensa distribuição geográfica, sendo muito característico nos recifes e estuários do litoral pernambucano. Pela arquitetura de suas colônias, propicia um ambiente bastante favorável à associação de inúmeros organismos. Partindo do pressuposto de que a espécie C. riisei proporciona um microambiente propício para epibiontes, este estudo teve por objetivos analisar a estrutura da comunidade de anfipodes associada ao octocoral na praia de Porto de Galinhas e estuário de Rio Formoso no litoral sul de Pernambuco. Para isso, foram realizadas um total de quatro coletas em campo, duas em cada local de estudo, uma no período seco e outra no período chuvoso, todas durante a maré baixa. Em cada coleta foram retiradas 12 amostras das colônias de C. riisei, totalizando, portanto, 48 amostras. Foi encontrado um total de 26.683 anfípodes, pertencentes a 21 espécies e uma família (Caprelidae) a qual não foi possível chegar ao nível de espécie. As espécies mais representativas foram: Ericthonius brasiliensis (57,28%), Laticorophium baconi (10,93%), Podocerus brasiliensis (7,65%), Monocorophium acherusicum (7,54%) e Dulichiella ankeri (5,89%) correspondendo juntas à 89,22% do total de indivíduos encontrados. O local que apresentou maior abundância foi o estuário de Rio Formoso, a fauna total de anfipodes associados ao octocoral no estuário foi 6 vezes maior que a de Porto de Galinhas. Os corofideos Laticorophium baconi e Monocorophium acherusicum só foram encontrados na área estuarina. Ao comparar os descritores biológicos entre Rio Formoso e Porto de Galinhas observamos que todos os índices apontaram diferenças significativas. O ambiente estuarino indicou ser o ambiente mais tendente a apresentar comunidades mais abundantes e diversificadas, possivelmente devido à abundância de nutrientes e sedimentos, influência de correnteza e luminosidade. / Carijoa riisei is a colonial octocoral heavily arborescent with a structure that inhabits a wide variety of substrates and has an extensive geographical distribution, wich makes it very characteristic in the reefs and estuaries of the coast of Pernambuco. The architecture of its colonies provides a very favorable environment to the association of numerous organisms. Assuming that the species C. riisei supplies a favorable microenvironment for epibionts, this study aimed to analyze the structure of the amphipod community associated with the octocoral at the beach of Porto de Galinhas and Rio Formoso estuary, as well as describe the population structure of the dominant species. Therefore, there was a total of four collections in the field, two at each study site, one in the dry season and another in the rainy season, all at low tide. In each collection, it was taken 12 samples of colonies of C. riisei, reaching a total of 48 samples. They found a total of 26,683 amphipods, belonging to 21 species and a family (Caprelidae) which was not possible to reach the species level. The most representative species were Ericthonius brasiliensis (57.28%), Laticorophium baconi (10.93%), Podocerus brasiliensis (7.65%), Monocorophium acherusicum (7.54%) and Dulichiella ankeri (5.89%) together corresponding to 89.22% of the subjects found. The site with the highest abundance was the Formoso River estuary, the total fauna of amphipods associated with the octocoral at the estuary was 6 times higher than the one of Porto de Galinhas. The corofideos Laticorophium baconi and Monocorophium acherusicum were only found in the estuarine area. he estuarine environment indicated to be the environment more prone to have more abundant and diverse communities, possibly due to the abundance of nutrients and sediment influence of current and brightness.

As rising sea temperatures and increases in the frequency, duration, and intensity of marine heatwaves threaten coral survival at a global scale, research on the capacity of corals to acclimatize and adapt to changing environments has become a high priority. Understanding how environmental parameters shape coral thermal performance across habitats is crucial to identify populations with high vulnerability or high thermal tolerance to future ocean warming. In recent studies, corals from high temperature variable environments (HVE) have shown increased thermal tolerance compared to corals from low temperature variable environments (LVE). Here, I investigate if these phenotypes are shaped by acclimatization, habitat-specific adaptation, or a combination of both, in the branching coral, Acropora hemprichii, by reciprocally transplanting individuals between a back (HVE) and front reef (LVE). After ten months of acclimatization, comparisons of photosynthetic efficiency (photosystem II), mortality, and bleaching recovery was assessed for > 2 months between coral ramets following a natural bleaching event in the central Red Sea. In tandem, coral bleaching severity and recovery in each reef environment was assessed to genus level by photographic surveys of fixed belt transects. Bleaching between reef sites was compared against bleaching in treatments to differentiate the role of habitat specific adaptation and acclimatization in the corals. This study aims to elucidate the evolutionary mechanisms driving coral habitat-specific thermal stress tolerances, which may inform coral reef management and restoration efforts.

Coral ecosystems are highly diverse and productive ecosystems in tropical and subtropical oceans, playing a significant role in marine ecosystems. They have many important functions: a carbon sink in the global carbon cycle via calcification, habitats for many economically important species, acting as shoreline buffers, and a potential source of natural chemical substances of medical importance (Moberg et al. 1999). Growth and erosion are the two driving forces that determine the fate of a coral reef. Coral growth is achieved by calcification - the deposition of calcium carbonate skeleton by living coral polyps, and erosion refers to the removal of calcium carbonate by physical or biological factors. When calcification exceeds erosion, a reef is considered to be growing and vice versa. Hence, the study of this growth-erosion balance is the key to evaluating the health status of a reef. Hong Kong, as a marginal environment for coral survival has a remarkable diversity of coral communities in its waters. However, little is known about the calcium carbonate budget of these communities. My study thus aims to fill in this gap of knowledge in order to better understand and conserve these valuable communities. This study is timely given that many global and regional stressors are expected to affect coral calcium budget. The results of my study can contribute to a better understanding of how corals respond to environmental changes. This study aims to 1) explore any correlation between environmental factors and abundance of internal borers on corals; 2) study the growth rate of corals across different environmental gradients in Hong Kong; and 3) study the rate of erosion of corals across different environmental gradients across nine sites in Hong Kong. Field surveys were carried out at 33 sites from October 2012 to December 2012 covering two environmental gradients - from estuarine to oceanic and from sheltered to exposed. Two 50-meter transects were laid at each site and coral coverage and abundance of eroders per colony was determined using photo quadrants. Three sediment traps were also deployed at each site and collected after a month to determine sedimentation and nutrition deposition rate. Correlation analyses were conducted to explore any underlying relationships between borehole densities on corals and environmental factors. It was found that polychaete boreholes were significantly positively related to the amount of sedimentation. Also, the bioerosion of corals in Hong Kong was found out to be much more serious than that in other regions. From the 33 sites surveyed to determine borehole densities, 10 sites chosen to cover two environmental gradients were selected for more detailed studies of coral growth. Three colonies of Porties lutea of around 20 cm x 20 cm x 20 cm were collected from each site, and were cut into 1cm slabs parallel to the direction of maximum growth. X-ray radiography was done for each slab to analyze the growth rate. The growth of Porties lutea across the 10 sites were compared against other regions and underlying relationships with environmental factors were explored. It was found that the growth of corals was negatively correlated with sedimentation rate, and the calcification rates of corals in Hong Kong were much lower than those reported from many study conducted in tropical regions. To understand the rate of bioerosion of corals in Hong Kong, a study was conducted by deploying experimental coral skeleton blocks at nine chosen sites. Three blocks were deployed at each site. Blocks were retrieved after one year and scanned with MicroCT to examine the contribution on internal bioerosion by different taxa as well as the total amount of bioerosion at each site. The data were analyzed to understand internal how bioerosion is determined by environmental factors. It was found that bioerosion contributed by polychaetes had positive correlation with the sedimentation rate, which was consistent with the results found in the forth-mentioned study of coral slabs. The internal bioerosion rates of corals in Hong Kong were within the range of the corresponding data reported from overseas.

Deep water corals are an understudied yet biologically important and fragile ecosystem under threat from recent increasing temperatures and high carbon dioxide emissions. Using 454 sequencing, we develop 14 new microsatellite markers for the deep water coral Eguchipsammia fistula, collected from the Red Sea but found in deep water coral ecosystems globally. We tested these microsatellite primers on 26 samples of this coral collected from a single population. Results show that these corals are highly clonal within this population stemming from a high level of asexual reproduction. Mitochondrial studies back up microsatellite findings of high levels of genetic similarity. CO1, ND1 and ATP6 mitochondrial sequences of E. fistula and 11 other coral species were used to build phylogenetic trees which grouped E. fistula with shallow water coral Porites rather than deep sea L. Petusa.

No description available.

A 4.6-fold increase in the bimass of Cliona delitrix infesting Montastrea cavernosa substrate occurred in a portion of the Grand Cayman fringing reef affected by the discharge of untreated fecal sewage.It is suggested that the 6.3-fold increase in bacteria biomass (both coliforms and natural marine bacterioplankton) is linked to the sponge proliferation at the polluted site. Since demosponges normally obtain much of their nutritional needs from URPOC and only 11 from bacteria, the significance of the elevated bacteria count may be limited to its importance as a flag as an indicator of untreated sewage effluent. At the polluted study site, Montastrea cavernosa exhibited a 451 reduction in the amount of substrate occupied by living polyps.The loss of this respiring coral biomass is probably not compensated for by the biomass increases of C. delitrix and of the microflora inhabiting the dead substrate.The increased C. delitrix biomass reflects a. similar increase in the amount of M. cavernosa skeleton that has been eroded and reduced to silt-sized sediment. Thus, the discharge of untreated sewage into the reef environment can have a profound effect upon the trophic distribution of reef fauna, leading to a disturbance of the precarious balance between carbonate production and destruction on the reef. / Thesis / Bachelor of Science (BSc)

No description available.

The pillar coral, Dendrogyra cylindrus, has been commonly described as widely distributed, but rare throughout its geographical range in the Caribbean. Having recently been listed as Threatened under the US Endangered Species Act, an understanding of population status is needed to promote species conservation and population recovery. Previous to this study the status of the pillar coral population in the state waters of Florida, U.S.A, was relatively unknown primarily due to few colonies being recorded and no comprehensive summary of population abundance, distribution or health being completed. Along with various environmental and anthropogenic factors affecting the pillar coral population on the Florida Reef Tract (FRT), it appears that reproductive limitations may also be contributing to species decline and limiting population recovery as evidenced by the lack of reported juvenile D. cylindrus colonies reported on the Florida Reef Tract (FRT) in the past 17 years. The factors contributing to this phenomenon are currently unknown, however are suspected to be derived from the pillar corals reproductive biology. Being described as a gonochoric, broadcast spawner, sexual reproduction relies on the synchronous release of gametes from colonies of separate sexes, and with low adult colony densities reported for the pillar coral on the FRT, gamete concentrations from both sexes may be too low for fertilization to occur. In 2014 submissions of pillar coral locations from the scientific and lay community were compiled and 610 D. cylindrus colonies along Florida Reef Tract were identified (Lunz et al. 2016). In my study, I describe the population structure of D. cylindrus for the southeast Florida region of the FRT which includes 65 of the total 610 colonies. For each of the 65 colonies, colony depth, demographic, and condition data were recorded including size (length, width, and height), percent of recent mortality, and presence and severity of disease and bleaching. Out of all locations identified in this region, about 50% contained only a single colony of D. cylindrus and the maximum number of colonies per site was 14. Throughout the duration of the study, devastating losses of live tissue were observed following the bleaching and disease events impacting the Florida Reef Tract in 2014, 2015, and 2016 and the status of the southeast Florida population of pillar coral is at serious risk of local extinction. To investigate the ability of colonies of D. cylindrus to sexually reproduce (referred to as sexual reproduction potential) tissue samples were collected from 95 colonies within 15 sites along the FRT and were prepared for histological analysis. The sex of each colony, sizes of gametes in mature developmental stages, the abundance of gametes per cm2 of tissue, and sex ratios for locations on the FRT were reported. All tissue samples from male and female colonies contained gametes that were ≥90% mature; however sex ratios were found to be skewed in all locations, deviating significantly from the 1:1 ratio expected for typical resource allocation in random mating. Hermaphroditic colonies of D. cylindrus are described for the first time throughout its geographical range in this study and comparisons to gonochoristic colonies confirmed that these hermaphrodites are sexually reproductive individuals. Results from this effort provide a more thorough understanding of the reproductive biology of D. cylindrus and essential data for the support of future conservation management and restoration strategies for this FRT population and comparative data for other Caribbean populations.

This study examined patterns of coral reproduction and recruitment on lagoonal reefs adjacent to Mombasa in Kenya, at latitude 4ºS. Very little detailed research has been done on the reproductive patterns of scleractinian corals on equatorial reefs, where it has been suggested that seasonality and spawning synchrony may break down due to the weak environmental cues that are thought to govern the onset and timing of reproduction. Gametogenic data were collected for three faviid (Echinopora gemmacea, Platygyra daedalea and Leptoria phrygia) and three Acropora species (A. tenuis, A. valida and Acropora sp.1) in the Mombasa Marine National Park and Reserve between April 2003 – May 2005. A further 20 species of Acropora were identified (9 species represented range extensions) and marked to examine intra- and inter-specific spawning synchrony within this genus. In comparison to other regions, the overall pattern of coral reproduction in Kenya was found to be asynchronous, with spawning occurring over 9 months of the year from August – April, with some level of ‘temporal reproductive isolation’ occurring between species in relation to the main lunar month and lunar quarter when spawning occurred. Proximate cues governing the timing of reproduction could not be clearly discerned in Kenya with spawning occurring during both rising and maximum temperatures, during both neap and spring tides and across all lunar phases. Acropora species spawned over a 7-month period between October – April and faviid species over a 5-month period from December - April. The timing of reproduction in Acropora varied both within and among species, with the main release of gametes occurring from January – March when sea surface temperatures were at their summer maximum. Individual species released gametes over 2-5 months. The greatest overlap in spawning Acropora species occurred in February, which coincided with the spawning months of P. daedalea and E. gemmacea and suggests that some degree of multispecific spawning is a characteristic of Kenyan reefs. Within the main spawning period individual Acropora species had their main spawning in different lunar months. Acropora species released gametes in all lunar quarters, with the highest number of colonies and species spawning in the 3rd lunar quarter (i.e. in the 7 nights after full moon). Spawning in the faviids was more synchronised than Acropora species with the majority of faviid corals spawning in the 3rd lunar quarter. Single annual cycles of gametogenesis were recorded in E. gemmacea, A. tenuis, L.phrygia, most colonies of A. valida and Acropora sp.1, and in 84% of P. daedalea colonies. Biannual cycles of gametogenesis were recorded in 16% of P.daedalea colonies, which included two morphotypes identified in the Mombasa lagoon through morphometric and genetic studies. The presence of different oocyte sizes in L.phrygia during gametogenesis suggested that in some colonies there were two slightly overlapping oogenic cycles, which terminated in spawning within 1-2 months of each other. Overlapping oogenic cycles have not previously been recorded in hermaphroditic broadcast spawning corals in the tropics. The findings from Kenya support the hypothesis of protracted breeding seasons and a breakdown of spawning synchrony nearer the equator. It is hypothesised that the high fecundities recorded in faviid and Acropora species in Kenya compared to other regions, may allow reef corals to stagger their reproduction over 2-5 months, without incurring a significant reduction in fertilisation rates. Spat from the Family Pocilloporidae dominated settlement tiles in the Marine National Park and Reserve comprising 93.7% of spat, which contrasts with other tropical reefs where Acroporidae spat dominate. Patterns of settlement of Acroporidae spat generally coincided with the timing and extended spawning season in Acropora species in Kenya. The density and relative composition of coral recruits and juvenile corals on natural substrata recorded during this study were similar to those recorded before the 1997-98 bleaching event. There is no evidence to suggest that Kenya’s reefs have undergone a phase-shift in community structure, and reef recovery is occurring post-bleaching with mean percent hard coral cover currently at 25%. The slow rate of recovery of Kenya’s reefs is likely to reflect the scale of the mortality, source and availability of coral larvae as well as post-settlement processes operating at individual sites. In the medium-term, the recovery of Kenya’s reefs appears to be more strongly dependent on larvae from local reefs.