Status of Montastraea from coral reefs in Natural Reserves of Puerto Rico Jorge R. Garcia-Sais Departamento Ciencias Marinas - UPRM [email protected] Acropora/Montastraea Workshop – DNER October, 2009, San Juan, P. R.
Status of Montastraea from coral reefs in
Natural Reserves of Puerto Rico
Jorge R. Garcia-Sais
Departamento Ciencias Marinas - UPRM
Acropora/Montastraea Workshop – DNER
October, 2009, San Juan, P. R.
Baseline Assessment of Montastraea annularis
from Puertorrican Coral Reefs (1999 -2004)
• Coral reefs zones between 10 – 20 m dominated in terms of % substrate cover and rugosity by M. annularis (complex)
• Most reef sites with very high live coral cover (> 40 %) strongly influenced by large, centenary colonies of M. annularis
• M. annularis most prevalent coral of “pristine” reefs - off the west and southwest coasts, oceanic islands, reefs distant from the coast, up-current from rivers, clear water reefs down to 40 m (130’).
• Gradual loss of live coral tissue by M. annularis measured from coastal reefs during 2001- 2005 monitoring period
• 1989 coral bleaching event could have been first serious setback of M. annularis from Puertorrican reefs
Caribe 2 - JOBCabezas - FAJ
Bajo Gallardo - BOQWest - CMU
Cayo Coral - GUAArrecife Norte - DES
Carmelitas - MONPalomino - FAJ
Manchas Int 2 - MAYPunta Ventana 2 - GUA
Las Coronas - MAYCaña Gorda - GUA
Fanduco - GYPalominito - FAJ
Cayo Diablo - FAJMujeres - MON
Media Luna - LPLa Boya - LP
Turrumote - LPPto. Botes - DES
Tourmaline - MAYPto. Canoas - DES
REEF - SITE
MANN
MCAV
Percent live coral cover at reef sites – baseline data set (1995 – 2001)
Bajíos - SJ Mameyal - DOR
Hojitas - PONGuayanilla - TAYMorrillos 2 - ARE
Winward - CMUBoca Vieja - SJ
Río -GYCerro Gordo - DOR
Siete Mares - FAJPta. Candelero - HUM
Morrillos 1 - AREUnitas - GY
Sur Margarita - LPMedia Luna - MAY
El Palo - BOQManchas Int 1- MAY
Caribe 1 - JOBPta. Ventana - GY
Berberia - CMUManchas Ext. 1 - MAY
Canjilones - LPBajo Resuellos - BOQ
La Barca - JOBManchas Ext. 2 - MAY
Pájaros - MONCaribe 2 - JOB
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
% LIVE CORAL COVER
PAST
PPOR
AGAR
SIDE
DSTRI
DIPLOSPP
CNAT
MILLE
OTHERS
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Live Coral Sponges Benthic Algae Abiotic Gorgonians
Substrate Categories
% C
ov
er
1999
2005
2006
Monitoring Years:
Cayo Coral Reef
Coral SpeciesCayo Coral - Guanica
(-40 % or 6.7 %/yr)
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Agaricia agaricites
Siderastrea siderea
Eusmilia fastigiata
Porites astreoides
Montastrea cavernosa
Colpophyllia natans
Montastrea annularis
1999
2005
2006
Monitoring Years:
% Cover
Coral SpeciesCayo Coral - Guanica
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Live Coral Sponges Benthic Algae Abiotic Gorgonians
Substrate Categories
% C
ov
er
1999
2005
2006
Monitoring Years:
Caja de Muerto Reef
Caja de Muerto Reef - Ponce
(-3.6 %/yr)
(-40.7 %/yr)
-21.6 %
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Stephanocoenia michelini
Siderastrea radians
Porites astreoides
Colpophyllia natans
Agaricia agaricites
Montastrea cavernosa
Montastrea annularis
1999
2005
2006
Monitoring Years:
% Cover
Coral SpeciesCaja de Muertos
(-56.4 %)
CORAL BLEACHING EVENT 2005-06
An intense, regional coral bleaching event associated with high SST affected reef
systems in PR during August - October 2005 causing drastic shifts in the
community structure
Boulder Star Coral, Montastraea annularis was the most severely affected species,
presenting large scale mortalities throughout PR. Reef systems dominated by M.
annularis suffered significant degradation
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Live Coral Sponges Benthic Algae Abiotic Gorgonians
Substrate Categories
% C
over
2001
2005
2006
Monitoring Years:
Derrumbadero Reef Derrumbadero Reef - Ponce
-21% or - 4.3%/yr
-46%
0 5 10 15 20 25
Diploria strigosa
Diploria labyrinthiformis
Acropora cervicornis
Montastrea cavernosa
Porites astreoides
Agaricia agaricites
Montastrea annularis
% Cover
2001
2005
2006
Monitoring Years:
Coral SpeciesDerrumbadero Reef
-61 %
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Live Coral Sponges Benthic Algae Abiotic Gorgonians
Substrate Categories
% C
ove
r
2000
2001
2004
2005
2006
Monitoring Years:
Desecheo 20m
Coral SpeciesDesecheo 20m
Puerto Canoas Reef 20 m - Desecheo
(-53.2 %)
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Diploria labyrinthiformis
Meandrina meandrites
Porites astreoides
Agaricia agaricites
Colpophyllia natans
Porites porites
Montastrea annularis
2000
2004
2005
2006
Monitoring Years:
% Cover
Coral SpeciesDesecheo 20m
(-81.3 %)
Playa Mujeres – Isla de Mona
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Live Coral Sponges Benthic Algae Abiotic Gorgonians
Substrate Category
% C
ov
er
2000
2008
2009
Monitoring Years:
Mona 20m
-71 %
Substrate Category
0 5 10 15 20 25
Eusmilia fastigiata
Porites porites
Diploria labyrinthiformis
Porites astreoides
Agaricia agaricites
Colpophyllia natans
Montastraea annularis
% Cover
2000
2008
2009
Monitoring Years:
Coral Species Mona 20m
-83%
Porites astreoides
Porites porites
Madracis mirabilis
Montastraea annularis
1999
2004
Monitoring Years:
Coral SpeciesTourmaline 10m
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Colpophyllia natans
Dendrogyra cylindrus
Agaricia spp.
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
% Cover
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Live Coral Sponges Benthic Algae Abiotic Gorgonians
Substrate Categories
% C
ov
er
2004
2005
2006
Monitoring Years:
Tourmarine 30m
Torumarine 30m
Tourmarine 30 m - Mayaguez
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Madracis formosa
Stephanocoenia
michelini
Agaricia sp.
Agaricia agaricites
Montastrea cavernosa
Agaricia lamarcki
Montastrea annularis
2004
2005
2006
Monitoring Years:
% Cover
Coral SpeciesTorumarine 30m
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Live Coral Sponges Benthic Algae Abiotic Gorgonians
Substrate Categories
% C
ov
er
2004
2005
2006
Monitoring Years:
Desecheo 30m
Coral Species Desecheo 30m
Puerto Canoas Reef 30 m - Desecheo
(-23.1%/yr)
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Agaricia lamarcki
Diploria strigosa
Eusmilia fastigiata
Porites astreoides
Agaricia agaricites
Colpophyllia natans
Montastrea annularis
2004
2005
2006
Monitoring Years:
% Cover
Coral Species Desecheo 30m
(-55.8%)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Live Coral Sponges Benthic Algae Abiotic Gorgonians
Substrate Categories
% C
over
2004
2005
2006
Monitoring Years:
Tres Palmas 10m
Tres Palmas 10m
Tres Palmas Reef 10 m - Rincon
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Siderastrea siderea
Colpophyllia natans
Doploria strigosa
Diploria labyrinthiformis
Montastrea annularis
Porites astreoides
Montastrea cavernosa
2004
2005
2006
Monitoring Years:
% Cover
Coral SpeciesTres Palmas 10m
…The Future
Can M. annularis regain its lost space and ecological standing
on Puertorrican reefs ??
Porites astreoides
Agaricia agaricites
Colpophyllia natans
Montastraea annularis
Monitoring Years:
Coral Species Desecheo 30m
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Agaricia lamarcki
Diploria strigosa
Eusmilia fastigiata2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
% Cover
Porites astreoides
Siderastrea siderea
Montastraea cavernosa
Montastraea annularis
2004
Monitoring Years:
Coral SpeciesTourmaline 20m
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Diploria labyrinthiformis
Colpophyllia natans
Madracis formosa
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
% Cover
Montastraea cavernosa
Porites astreoides
Agaricia agaricites
Montastraea annularis
2001
2005
Monitoring Years:
Coral Species
Derumbadero - Ponce
0 5 10 15 20 25
Diploria strigosa
Diploria labyrinthiformis
Acropora cervicornis
2006
2007
2008
2009
% Coral Cover
Siderastrea radians
Porites astreoides
Colpophyllia natans
Agaricia agaricites
Montastraea cavernosa
Montastraea annularis
1999
2005
2006
Monitoring Years:
Coral SpeciesCaja de Muertos
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Siderastrea siderea
Porites porites
Stephanocoenia michelini
2006
2007
2008
2009
% Cover