The potential for coral reef establishment through free-living stabilization

Hennige, S.J., Burdett, H.L., Perna, G., Tudhope, A.W. and Kamenos, N.A. (2017) The potential for coral reef establishment through free-living stabilization. Scientific Reports, 7, 13322. (doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-13668-7) (PMID:29042632) (PMCID:PMC5645366)

Abstract

Corals thrive in a variety of environments, from low wave and tidal energy lagoons, to high energy tidal reef flats, but remain dependent upon suitable substrate. Herein we reviewed the phenomenon of free-living corals (coralliths), examined whether they have the capacity to create their own stable habitat in otherwise uninhabitable, poor substrate environments through 'free-living stabilization', and explore their potential ecological role on coral reefs. This stabilization could be achieved by coral settlement and survival on mobile substrate, with subsequent growth into free-living coralliths until a critical mass is reached that prevents further movement. This allows for secondary reef colonization by other coral species. To preliminarily test this hypothesis we provide evidence that the potential to support secondary coral colonisation increases with corallith size. Due to the limited diversity of corallith species observed here and in the literature, and the lack of physiological differences exhibited by coralliths here to static controls, it seems likely that only a small selection of coral species have the ability to form coralliths, and the potential to create their own stable habitat.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: Tis work was supported by various grants. An Independent Research Fellowship from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to SJH (NE/K009028/1 and NE/K009028/2). An Independent Research Fellowship from the Marine Alliance for Science & Technology for Scotland to HB. An Independent Research Fellowship from the Royal Society of Edinburgh/Scottish Government (RSE 48701/1) and NERC (NE/H010025) to NAK. A Gilchrist Educational Trust with the Gilchrist Fieldwork Award administered by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), and a Research Incentive Grant from the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland to HB, SH and NK (grant #70013).
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Kamenos, Professor Nick and Perna, Miss Gabriela
• Authors: Hennige, S.J., Burdett, H.L., Perna, G., Tudhope, A.W., and Kamenos, N.A.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Geographical and Earth Sciences
• Journal Name: Scientific Reports
• Publisher: Nature Research
• ISSN: 2045-2322
• ISSN (Online): 2045-2322
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2017 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Scientific Reports 7(1):13322
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License