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- Title
Sun coral larval release following mechanical removal: a 2-year study on the southeast Brazilian coast.
- Authors
Mizrahi, Damián; Gomes, Alessandra C. S.; da Silva, Milena C.; Lopes, Rubens M.
- Abstract
The mechanical removal of sun corals, Tubastraea spp., is currently the most applied method to reduce its spread along the Brazilian coast. The design of efficient control protocols requires understanding the effects of stress on these organisms when applying removal procedures. Here, we record larval release in sun corals immediately after colony removal from the natural substrate and investigate the potential influence of environmental conditions on planulation. Data were collected in ten field campaigns over 2 years of study. We detected the emission of a large number of larvae in short-duration events, during the spring (December 2017 and October 2019), when the moon was in the Second Quarter and New Moon phases. Apart from the two larval emission peaks, planulation remained low or null during the study. In addition, we noted a significant decrease in larval emission levels when seawater temperatures are below 24.5 °C, so this factor limits the dispersal potential of sun coral. On the other hand, under warmer conditions (≥ 24.5, < 27.2 °C), we recorded increases in larval release rates along with rises in seawater turbidity (≥ 1.2, < 2.4 NTU), which modulates the planulation in this suspensivore coral. Considering this, together with complementary laboratory observations, we propose that larval emission in sun corals responds to shared stimuli for feeding and reproduction, as a consequence of the simplicity in structural design in cnidarians. The number of polyps per colony had no effect on larval release rates for the colony sizes assessed. Simultaneously to the field work, we monitored the fecundity dynamics in specimens of sun coral kept in cultures—located in the vicinity of the study area—finding similar patterns to those registered in the field. Although sun corals reproduce throughout the year, a large number of larvae may be released within short periods of time and with short intervals among emissions. As a result of this mixed larval release strategy, Tubastraea spp. has the potential to recruit in a wide variety of environmental conditions. Under favorable situations, sun corals may exert a "propagule pressure" impact on native communities, which explains the success of its numerous invasions. We conclude that (1) when mechanical removal is applied to control sun coral propagation, the dynamic of reproductive activity associated with variations in environmental conditions should be considered to minimize larval dissemination, and (2) laboratory-based sun coral monitoring may support more efficient implementation of control protocols.
- Subjects
CORALS; LUNAR phases; NEW moon; OCEAN temperature; STRUCTURAL design; HELIOSEISMOLOGY
- Publication
Marine Biology, 2023, Vol 170, Issue 11, p1
- ISSN
0025-3162
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s00227-023-04296-z